Sharp County record., 1880-06-17
A Prodigy and Monster.

IUuiSf H'"
NATURE often gives such curious
twists to her productions which afford
hope of being rare and valuable pieces
of human clay, that she only provokes
by tantalizing us with her hints OF what,
if she had chosen, she might have
done. She turns out a child, who, II
she will finish as carefully as she begins
him, promises to be a Shakespeare, a
Macaulav. or a Webster; but suddenly,
as if impatient of her workmanship, or
as if governed by a mere caprice, she
warps and perverts him, and throws
him away battered and useless.
Thirteen years ago a boy was born,
in Paterson, New Jersey, whose head
on the day of his birth attracted atten,
ton, and which, when he had reached
the age of four, had grown so large as
to make other people shake theirs
and predict fatal and speedy end
inc of his life. But he lived on un-
til he wore a hat of seven and half
size, while his body ceased to grow
after the age of five. His intelligence
was marvellous. He could learn any
thing by heart; had wonderfully quick
perception, great logical faculties,
mathematical talents, and love of
music and poetry. He could reclte
Milton and Shakespeare and render
some of'the passages after the manner
of the best actors whom he had seen.
He became the wonder of the city, and
even attracted scientific and other
prominent men to read this enigma OF
Juvenile genius.
With all the amusement and pleasure
he found in life he had moments OF
profound sadness, in which he would
speak of his early death in terms and
tones that touched his friends and hear
ers to tears. His father died before
the boy had attained celebrity, and his
mother earned a living by working IN
the mills, leaving him during the day
to the care of his chance friends and
acquaintance. His gifts proved his
ruin. He fell in with those who began
to pervert his wonderful mind. They
taught him slang phrases, profanity
and obscenity. A mere midget, he be-
came as famous in vicious ranks for his
vileness and precocious vulgarlty OF
speech as he had been previously for
his cultured and refined intellect. He
became self-willed and incorrigible.
The doors of respectable people were
closed AGAINST him. He learned to
smoke, chew, curse and swear, and
spent his time in dancing jigs and sing
ing ribald songs. Before he was eight
years of age he was in the
habit of coming home at night
intoxicated, or not coming home
at all. He was Stunned by those who
once courted and hattered him. Ladies,
who had petted him, passed by him in
fear of an insult. His temper became
ungovemable, his insolence intolerabIe.
He would stop strangers in the street,
demanding chew of tobacco, and
would return either an acquiescence or
a denial with blood-curdling profanity.
1t was L 1t, that he was so vile and loath-
some, for boys of that age and charac-
ter are not uncommon, but the sight of
the creature, with his big head and
baby frame, conducting himself like
candidate for the State Prison, made
him monstrous and repulsive curl
osity.
His mother tried in vain to reform
him, but her daily occupation prevent
ed her from watching over him or ex-
ercising much influence Of any sort
She finally asked that he be sent to the
Reform School, and thither he has been
taken. Perhaps he may be saved for
something great and useful yet, but,
after career of dissipation at his age,
the probabilities are against his sury!lv-
inc long, or, if he does, of undergoing
thorough reform.-Detr01 Free Press