The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1889-03-07
EQUAL TO BLIND TOM.
A LITTLE Boy Who POSSESSES A MAJ
vRLoUs MEMORY.

A LITTLE Boy Who Possesses MAR
vRLoUs MEMORY.
A couple of dozen gentlemen assem-
bled in Parlor L of the Aston house to wit
ness the remarkable performances of
little blind negro boy from Texas, who
has attracted great deal of attention in
the southern states by reason of his mar
velous quickness in learning words and
their uses and performing many remark
able mental feats. He Is little over 3
years of age and has, it is said com
mand of over five thousand words.
For an hour or more the little fellow
amazed his visitors, answering without
an infants hesitation and apparently de-
irving the keenest enjoyment from the
wonder which bis replies aroused. He
takes rank with and even surpasses Blind
Tom as al untausht wonder, and that
the African race should have produced
two such prodigies was subject of com
ment among those who heard the boy.
The name Of this wonder is Oscar
Moore, called Professor Moore" by
those having him in charge. He is lit
tie taller than the seat of an ordinary
chair, aud can walk under table with
out STOPPING. Save that his head is re.
markably large and he has 20 nose, he
does not differ in appearance from hun
dreds of "pickaninnies" to be met
throughout the soutb. lie dresses in
short skirts, makes mud pies for amuse
ment and can make as much noise as on
able bodied man.
In order to bring this midget into
sight II. P. NJ. Hammel, of Austin, Tex,
who has him IN charge, yesterday placed
him on chair in the middle Of a large
| table. Everybody present was handed a
little book containing some thousand or
| more difficult questions, pieces of poetry
and arithmetical tests, which Oscar could
| rattle off, together with speeches on the
| tariff, chapters ont of the Bible aud other
| things at will.
MIR. Hammel explained that Oscar was
born on farm seven miles from Waco
Tex, Aug. 10, 1885; that both of bis
| parents are uneducated negroes who had
been slaves before the war, and that
when hardly l year of age he learned
whole sentences which were spoken in
his presence. and first manifested de
sire to talk by doing sum in mental
arithmetic which one of his sisters was
unable to perform correctly. The boy
is said to be perfectly healthy. One OF
the gentlemen present asked the quest
ion:
"How many languages are spoken in
the world?"
1.-TWO thousand seven hundred and
fifty" came the answer promptly, and
then the little fellow clapped his hands
and laughed to himself to think how
smart he was.
Where is the largest bell in the worIC
and how much does it weigh?' asked an
other.
Moscow, Russia. How much does il
weigh? 432, 900 pounds
(Which is the highest mountain in the
United States2"
"Mount st. Elias, in the Rocky noun
tains."
"How high is it2"
seventeen thousand eight hundred
aud fifty feet
"Now Oscar, sing a song" said Mr.
Hammel. Then the little fellow asked
what kind of song and Mr.. Hamme
said the gentleman wanted a song abou
himself. Thereupon he climbed down
from his seat and sang little song de
scriptlve of himself Oscar Joined i'll th,
applause which greeted this performance
and then made his great speech upon The
tariff, which consisted of about five hun
dred words, and was fully as good a
many of those delivered in congress over
the Mills bills.-New York World.