The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-11-15
Senator Beck's Faculty.
From the Louisville oourier-Journal.

from In6 LOUISVILLE
Taking about peculiarities of mems
minds heard Senator Beck tell queer
story the other day." said gentleman to
some friends the other night. I'VE were
all discussing the same subject that is up
now, when Senator Beck remarked that he
thought a popularity of his brain had
done him great deal of harm in his life.
4 first noticed it. said the senator, when
| was boy going to school In Scotland
l had strict old preacher for tutor, and
with number of other bows we went to
the parsonage to be educated. One night
/ was very sleepy and stiIl had long
Lltin lesson to get of. tried hard TO
learn it, but almost before was aware /
would be doing. At length ! read the
exercise through in half dreaming con-
dition, and with the Latin all tumble in
my head, / went to sleep. awoke the
next morning with my brain thoroughly
clear, and strange to say, all the ambigui-
ties in my difficult lesson were made plain,
and read the Latin without balk. The
same thing happened second time, and
| again found that when | went to sleep
with confused idea of my lesson, learn
ing it while half doing, l awoke with all
the knotted points unravelled It became
my custom after that to read my tasks
over just before going to bed, and | never
failed to have them in the morning. My
strict old tutor saw that | never studied,
and thought one of the other boys was
helping me. At last he gave me page
of Livy to translate, and told me if did
not have it for him the next morning he
would fog me- He then forbid any of
the boys coming near me and watched my
actions. read the lines as usual before
going to sleep, and sure enough the next
day l had them pat rs you please. He
never troubled me after that. We'll, the year
passed by, and found my faculty still
clinging to me, till l began to put too
much faith in it and depended almost
entirely upon my mysterious helper.
Some time ago a phrenologist came to
examine my family's heads, and they all
went wild over him. paid no attention
to their talk, though my wife urged me to
give the man trial One day, however,
he met me and was so persistent that at
length sat down TO him. He said that
lie would examine my head for So and
give a chart for SIS. | told him SO was
all would throw away, and he began to
name my characteristics. AT length he
said "You have one faculty that is fully
developed. 1t is spirituality. You have
that faculty developed in marked degree.
You would have made fine medium.
Your mind is capable of working separate
from your body--that Is it can perform
mental labor while the body is at rest,
and knows nothing of it. You sometimes
solve difficult problems while you are
asleep, and wake up in the morning with
out knowing that you have been at work.
Here is S. said |; "a man who knows
as much as you do deserves it. My
strange faculty continued Senator Beck,
| whether ii is spirituality or not, is grow
ing weaker / can hardly explain the
action of my mind during these abnormal
spells l see the lines and words before
my minds eye, and without knowing the
process, or, indeed, being aware of any
process, worked out the problem"
You remember John Sherman's anec.
dote of Beck" continued the gentleman
Beck was working day and night on the
tariff bill, when member wondered how
he got any rest oh, said Senator
Sherman, who was present, Beck rests
himself when he makes speech A man
who can work when he should rest may
be pardoned if he rests when he should
work !"