The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-01-13

ns Remarkable Talent Of Half Witted
Negro tountryman.

Reuben Field. the mathematical pro-
dizzy Of Lexington, who has attracted so
much attention. was born 90 Narrens-
burg. johnson county, about thirty years
AGO. and POSSESSES Only slightly better
intellectual faculties than Blind Tom.
"Rueb's" gift Is made the more promi-
nent by the larrcnness Of his mind IN
other features. He has no intelligence
aside from his remarkable manipulation
Of figures. Give Reuben Field problem.
no matter whether il be- in decimal. com
pound OF vulgar fractions; II makes no
difference whether IL Is better suited 10
the rules Of short than long divisiOni II
Is immaterial whether there are ten fig
urcs or zoo in Il; whether multiplication
or satisfaction; and he will. without the
aid of paper or pencil, give YOU the
answer before the echoes Of your voice
in propounding the question have fully
died away lie cannot read, he cannot
write. lie does not know one figure
from another, and yet mentally. 10y the
gii, which nc possesses, he can solve any
problem submitted % him. As "Blind
Toms talent Of repeating piocesot music
played in bis presence fOr the first time by
many of the most brilliant performers IN
the country has been tested, and always
with the result Of making more wonder
lul his great gift, so have learned math-
omaticians tried 90 trap Field, but with
out success. To give him problem
which one himself could not solve
would not determine whether he was
right or wrong, and lest errors might be
made the most difficult examples IN
If..f.n- l.r.a..ff... velII al lHT-
originating with their questiOncr and
simple enough except for their long
array of figures, have been hurled NJ
him, and quick as flash would come
his answer, always correct.
Give him the diameter Of the wheel OF
a locomotive. and the distance between
any two points-it makes no difference
how great-the time spent in travcrsing
this distance. and yOu have hardly
ceased speaking before ho gives You the
number Of revolutions the wheel makes
in covering the distance Give him the
distance and the time and he viii tell
you the diameter of tic wheel. Tell him
the dimensions OF a brick, and say TO him
a wall Is 10 many feet long. SO many
high and so many thick, and be promptly
tells you how many bricks are M the
wall. Not in q reasonable length o.
time. as though calculating 10. but in-
stantly. and while skilled accountants
who have whine SEQ bis teats have Qucs-
toned the correctness Of his answers,
they have found they were in error and
Reub was right whenever they aid 80.
Tel him 90 multiply $685. iO.322, lJ6 ~
i3. add SJ.j12 aud divide by co. and DID
less tine than the reader can calculate II
RCub viii have The answer ready. These
figures arc only used as an illustration.
but they are simplicity in It's pureat
form compared 10 some submitted 10
him. Tie las gray eyes, and, when not
engaged IN exhibiting his strange gIt,
they are entirely free OF expire SION, as
though thcc were OF dead glass; buthute
him ia the excitement OF figures and a
strange gltter-something little short of .
an expression of NADINE lights them
up. The etanclt OF this hai Vlttci
fellow $ accomplishments that. awas-
cued az any hour, be viii tell you the
time toa second. lie does not make %
business Of exhibiting bis power. and d
is not always chat those who are most
kind 20 him. and whom he knows lest
can PERSUADE him 10 "fh0w OF" Lie
saws his power came from God, and, d
me accepted offers which bad been made
TO him tO travel with shoUmen, or to
take employment in LARGE business
houses. God would take his glft away
Lexington Mo- Cor GlObe-DcmOcrat