Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-12-30
MARVELLOUS MEMORIES.
Prominent Men Who In Ono Gift Ha,
Greatly Excelled the Masses.

Prominent Men Who In Ono Gift H4Vu
Greatly ExceIled the Masses.
In many ways the mental capacities
of individuals differ, but how that diff.
ference arises VIII always remain one
of Natures secrets.
Lord Macaulay had a most powerful
memory. Should he read book once
the contents were never afterwards
forgot, but were always ready to be re-
produced. Some one doubted this
fact, and asked him, as test, to name
the Archbishops of Canterbury. This
he did, along with their dates. and
never made a slip, even although he
had never seen them tabulated. but
had read them as isolated facts in the
course of his general reading.
Mr.. Woodfall, of the Morning Post,
who lived in the last century, when it
was illegal to publish or even take
notes of the speeches mad. in St.
Stephens, could go and hear a debate
in the Lords or Commons, and there
after return to his office. where he die.
tated to the printers the speeches he
had just listened to. His accuracy was
remarkable. and in compliment to his
ability he was always known as ''Mem.
DRY Woodfall.
DIR. johnson was man OF similar
capabilities, and it was by the aid OF
his retentive memory that the London
newspapers before the time of Wood.
fall were informed as to the speeches
made in the two houses of Parliament.
Certain painters, draughtsmen and
scuiptors after attentiyely considering
figure are able to draw it from mem.
DRY. Gustave Dore could do this with
great exactness. Sir Noel Patton. the
ethereal artist of present-day fame,
draws all his pictures ON this principle.
For nights in succession he dreams OF
the same subject, and, when all is faith.
fully imprinted on his memory. he re.
produces his visions on the canvas.
And who can deny their grandeur?
Abercrombie, in his writings, tells L:
of an artist who copied from recollec.
ton, and without the aid of an engrav.
ing, martyrdom of st. Peter. by Ru.
bens, with so perfect an imitation thai
on the two pictures being placed beside
one another considerable attention wa.
required to distinguish the copy from
the original
Mozart had an extraordinary mem.
DRY, as is seen in his actions regarding
the writing out of 1.-The Miserere.'
This piece was performed in the Sis
tine Chapel. Rome, and no one was al
lowed by the priests, on pain Of excom
to possess or try to copy
any part of the music while in the
church. Mozart attended the services.
listened with rapture to the singing, re.
turned home and wrote out from mem.
DRY the music of the whole cantata.
So well was the work done that the
keeper of the church was on the point
of being tried for perjury!
Beethoven. after he was deaf. coulG
all the combinations of note.
and tones in his works. sAnd yet We
can see such q compass In them, anC
even are unable at times to compre.
bend their intrinsic merits.
Sir Henry Holland relates a curious
story regarding his memory. On one
occasion he was travelling in the Harts
Mountains in Germany, and while
there had to visit the famous salt mines
Of thai country. When in the mines he
was overcome with fatigue and entire.
" forgot his German. His guides were
at their wits end, for Sir Henry could
only order in English. At length |
spirits were procured and be began te
revive. and with his bodily revival his
German vocabulary returned.
The story of Guiilo Guidi. the Italian,
IS sad one, and shows that too strong
4 memory may partake Of the nature
Of disease. This man could repeat |
Sc, 600 disconnected words after hear.
ing them once, but was incapable Of
an idea he might term his
own. Menetrier could repeat 800 dis
connected words. and to all appear
1nces Nature had been kinder to him,
for he has left works which have
gained for him niche in the temple |
Of fame.
The Generals Of antiquity were ia
nous for their strong memories. Cyrus,
hing of Persia, knew by name every
soldier IN his army, and Themistocles
could run over the names of 10000
citizens OF Athens.
Last century the public offices OF
Denmark were burned to the ground
md among the property so destroyed
vas an account book which, if
here had been no means of repro
iucing it, would have entailed heavy
oss to the Government. A repro
iucer n the person of one Niebuhr.
clerk in the offices. was, however.
Ound. and he restored from memory
Ill the missing accounts. Niebuhr,
n later years, made his mark in
Pascal, one If the most renowned of
ierman writers, could remember
very thing he read or was told. His
lay before him like a chart.
A Scotch professor prides himself on
icing able to recognize the faces and
ecall the names of every student who
las been in his class. although he has
'een lecturer for eighteen years, and
having on an average one hundred and
ifty students each year.
Readers of the life of Palmefst0n
must have been struck with that poll
icians retentive powers. On one oc-
;asion he was called upon to defend
lis foreign policy. and he is reported
o have spoken for eight hours. This
peech was not made up simply of
words and platitude, but facts which