Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-01-29
THE MEMORY.
CASES IN WHICH IT SAVED THOUSANDS
BY ACTIVITY IN SLEEP.
Waste Of Energy-Trying to Remember
Affairs that are Matters
OF Record.
ROYAL W. Merrill in New York MALL

Affairs that are matters
OF Record.
rRoyai w. Merrill In New York MALL
Whenever man OF affairs Is called
upon TO appear before investigating COM
mittees which have so often occasion to
examine into his private business on ac-
count Of public interests, there is gen
eral feeling Of surprise because man
who has undertaken and carried through
great enterprises does not remember de-
tails which, though comparatively insig-
pifcant and unimportant 10 him, seem to
the world at large of such moment that
they would remain fast in his recol-
lection, and would so have impressed
themselves upon his mind that he
could no more have forgotten them
than he could have failed to
remember his name and residence or the
dav of his birth. What has passed into
current history as one OF the unimport-
ant events of the time is what WAS con-
sidered such an extraordinary lack OF
memory as that shown by Jay Gould
when, in the examination regarding the
telegraph consolidation, he could not re-
member whether one check that he drew
for the American Union cables was for
So, 600, 900 or 100000 coo. There WAS
Croan of incredulity as ne made answer,
and vet it was a nero transfer of funds,
and Mr.. Gould had undoubtedly dis
missed the matter from his mind, pre-
ferring to occupy 1t with what he in
tended TO do in the future, rather than
waste his energy upon what he had done
in tho past after it had become a matter
of record.
II is strange that come people will for
get that when one begins to live IN the
past rather than the future his day OF
usefulness is gone his work is done.
The moment that no dwells upon that
which be has done yesterday instead Of
putting his mind upon that which he ID
gong to do tomorrow, his work has
come TO a standstill Mr. Gould, for ex-
ample, has not yet reached the time for
him to be reminiscent he thinks more
of the morrow and beyond that, of the
year that is to come. During the re-
cent examinations by the Pacific Rail
road Commission there were many
things which he could not remember.
but he knew where TO find the
information desired by the commission,
and many q hard hours work was put IN
by clerks and secretaries in going over
the books which had remained undusted
in the vault to find ont what the COM
mittee wanted he had forgotten the de-
tails. but he remembered where they
could be found. Mr.. Charles Crocker,
who is certainly in the full possession OF
his faculties, was puzzled more than
once by questions which seemed OF the
utmost importance to the commissioners,
aud vet the subject matter had long
passed from his mind. He was asked
where some books could be found
that wonld show some amounts
paid during the construction of the
Central Pacific road. Mr.. Crocker had
not the slightest idea who had them,
where they were, or whether they were
still in existence even. He remembered
the last names of two clerks who had
them. but he could not remember their
initials, and be did not know whether
one of them was living or dead. When
the work was done and the accounts set
tied all his interest in the books ceased,
and his active brain was at work upon
what he was going TO do in the future,
not burdening himself with work that
had been already done, accounts that
had been settled and closed.
John |. Blair built railroads ont West
which are worth to-day anywhere be-
tween Sl5,000,000 to $40, coo, 900. He
kept only the figures that were abso-
lutely necessary, and when the work was
done the books were only so much waste
paper. He paid no more attention to
them than he did to the accounts of the
men at work on the Delaware. Lackawan-
ma and Western when he was building
1t. and he used to take the book of notes
of his own bank at BlairstOwn, and sit
there IN the wagon signing his name to
the new notes as he paid off the wages.
Moses Taslor watched the process with
interest one day, and asked Mr.. Blair
what they were really worth. Blair went
on signing, as ne remarked that "no-
BODY ever presented them at the bank [;
that they did not get full value fof
them" No one ever did, and Mr..
Blair could to-day pay them ten times
over.
Is THERE ABSOLUTE FORGETFULNESs
81 have long ago found the necessity
of disnissing from my mind any docu-
ment or any matter after had once
signed it," remarked railroad official of
long experience tho has had occasion to
sign for millions and millions of money.
CATER I have once signed a paper it
becomes matter Of record and | need
trouble myself no more about il. /
NAV possibly have been thinking about
the paper for weeks beforehand, but it
is dismissed with the stroke of the pen
which affixes my signature, and yet, " he
continued, rehectiyely, as he removed
his spectacles, ~ do not believe there
is such thing as absolute forgetfulness.
| think that memory is more like a cabi
net. or a case with its numberless
pigeon-holes in which one thing after
another is put away. You remember the
larger matters longer and yet, as the
dust gathers in the pigeon-holes. it be-
comes nothing more than store-house
for rubbish. So it would seem until
you have to get ut some particular fact
or incident, and then the mind goes on
an exploring tour; it sweeps off the cob
webs aud wipes off the dust until finally
it finds what it is after. The smaller and
more insignificant the object the longer
the search but l have always believed
that il it became necessary to recall any
thing that a well-balanced mind was ca
pable of the effort and sure OF accom-
plishing the result, and recovering the
matter that, until then, was forgotten.
A young friend of mine was preparing
an essay, which meant much to him.
He was sitting in the library with his
father, who was also engaged upon an
important case, and fiually he gave up
in despair. There was quotation which
had slipped his memory and left no
trace. 1t was after | o'clock in the