The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-08-02

his statement was disputed, for the day
he named was not the same as that
given by the paper; but on further in
quiry, it was found that the newspaper
was wrong. for the printer had made a
mistake. Short hand notes of the con-
versation were taken at subsequent in
terviews. The report of these is very
curious reading. Take the following
as sample: Observation-Disclosures 8,
1892 Answer Tin two seconds) We'd
nesday. 1t was cloudy and drizz;cd
rain. carried dinner to my father
where he was getting on: coal. Cues
tion-February q, 1922 Answer Tin
two secOnds)-Saturday. 1t was cloudy
in the morning, and clear in the after
noon; there was little snow OH the
ground. An uncle who lived near sold
u hOrse-beast for thirty-fye dollars"
And so the conversation ran on for
hours. ranging over forty years of M
Cartney's personal history. Mr.. Henkle
tells US that if he went over some of
the dates again, after a. few days in
terval, the answers, although given
in different terms, were essentially the
same, showing distinctly that he re-
mcmbered the facts, and not the words
previously used" MCartney's memory
is not confined to dates and events; he
is rare calculator, can give the cube
root to such numbers as SO, 319; or
81, 1877, &C.; can repeat some two
hundred and fifty hymns, and start
about two hundred tunes; has singu-
larly extensive and accurate knowl.
edge of geography, and never forgets
the name Of = person he has once seen
or read of. With all this singular
power Of memory. however, he Is not
man whose general grasp Of mind is
at all noteworthy.
The same may be said Of scores Of
men whose one rich gift of memory
has brought them into prominence.
No one has claimed any high intel!ec-
tual rank for the renowned Memory
Corner Thompson" who drew from
actual memory, In twenty-five hours,
at two slttings. in the presence of two
well-known gentlemen. correct plan
of the parish OF st. James, Westminster.
with parts of the parishes Of st. Mary
lebone, st. Ann and St. Martin; which
plan contained every square, street,
lane. court, alley, market. church,
chapel and all public buildings, with
all stables and other yards, and also
every public-house in the parish, and
the corners of all streets, with all
minuti9, as pumps. posts, trees, houses
that project and inject, bow-windows.
Carlton House, ST. James Palace and
the interior of the markets, without
scale or reference to any plan. book, or
paper whatever; who undertook to do
the same for the parishes of st. An
drew, Holburn. St. Gilcs-in-the- Fields,
st. Paul's, Convent Garden, St.
Mary-le-Strand, st. Clements and
St. Georges; who could tell the corner
Of any grent leading throughfarc from
Hyde Park corner or Oxford street to
st. Paul's; who could stake an inven-
tory Of a gentleman's house from attic
to ground floor and write 1t out after
wards. He did this at Lord Nelson's
ut Merton, and at the Duke Of Kent 9,
In the presence of two nOblemen.
| Turning, now, from examples like
the foregoing, which have been given
to show that a great memory does not
argue IN all cases any unusual mental
power in other directions. let us look
at some of the "great people" whose
great memories" illustrate the cor.
rectness Of Sir Arthur Helps dictum.
Running over long list of examples
which the writer has prepared for his
own use in the study of this sut iect, he
has been struck with the fact, that the
last three or four centuries appear tt
much greater advantage in this review
than any similar period which preceded
them. This. after all, is not surpris
ing. when the circumstances of mod
ern life are carefully considered; bu
it is not in accordance with common
opinion. There is notion abroad
that the power of memory has declined
since the invention of writing. anC
especially since the invention of print
ing and the universal spread of cheal
books and newspapers. Nothing coull
be more mistaken than such u suppo
siti0n. If we do not nowadays use the
memory as the only registry of fact
within our reach, we do use the mem
Dry even more than the ancicnts, fo
, the simple reason that our knowledg,
travels over an UNNECESSARILY wide
area, we have more to remember, and
as civilization and culture advance, ,
good memory becomes more and NOR,
ncedful for the work of life; the gener.
nj level of intelligence is being raised
and mental power is developed from
. age to age. In this general advance
ment and growth, memory has it.
share,
The verbal memory displayed by tin
5 old Greek rhapsodists and bards, o
the lcelandic scalds. was undoubtcdlv
+ remarkable, and Is often held up to tn,
q. envy of these degenerate days. Yc
the modern Shah-nama- Khans, Koran
{ khans and other singers an,
{ rcciters of Persia, who will re
$ cite for hours together wthou
Q stammering," and the Calmuck ma
tional bards. whose songs and recita
l tons sometimes last whole day,
can not surely be whit behind. if in
deed they do not surpass the prodigie
I of early ages. We are often reminde,
: of Greek gentlemen who knew thei
Homer by heart, in the days when He
r mer occupied the field almost alone an,
3 there was very little else to learn. Blu
G what are their exploits BY the side Q
: men like Joseph Justus Scaliger, VIII
g "committed Homer to memory il
twenty-one days. and the Who'll
3 Greek poets in three monthsp" Casau
: bon says of Scaiiger: There was n,
. subject on which any one could desir
5 Instruction which he was not capabl
Of giving. He had read nothing whic
, be did not forthwith remember. s
{ extensive and accurate was his az