The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1891-10-22
A MARVEL AT FIGURES.
An Iliterate MissOurian Who
Works Wonders. t.
He Cannot Tell n Figure When He Sees
- it. Yet Can Solve the Most Dill
- cult Problems in an
Instant.


Although the public has heard some !
thing of s.Rube" Field, the mathematic-
al prodigy of Hazel Hill, what has
been said and written of him has gen
crallv been guessed at. He is the math-
ematical wonder of the world, as re-
cards calculations. ''Rube' Is as litter
ate as savage, and can instantly solve
any mathematical problem. lie could
not recognize his name if it were placed
before him in type three feet high, nor
can he tell a figure seven from CIPHER,
vet he can tell how many grains OF
wheat piled upon each other would
reach the sun if you give him the dis
lance from earth to the sun, writes
Kansas City Times CORES pOndent from
Havel Hill, Mo. Such a problem
he considers quite simple, and Will an
nounce the answers by the time you
have concluded the question.
"Rube" is not easily engaged III con
versation, and there is not a person ID
the world to whom he would cOntide
his secrets. No more to his mother than
to YOU. He believes that all manklnc
is in league to take from him his gift.
or, as he puts it, his mystery" He re
CARDS every man in the same way, AND
that ungovernable fear will, no doubt,
keep him out Of sight of the public, as
it las for the last twenty years. Though
he is mcrcenary to a degree in his deal
ings he does not seem to possess any
special desire for riches, but rather
cvinccs the desire to see fools" as he
calls the human family, put to some ex-
pcnse on his account. 1t makes him
feel big to have men hire him to be in
tcrvicwed, and yet he is not vain
enough to make a public exhibition of
himself. another evidence of his unusual
composition. ''.-. y. S., r.,
He cannot tell how he manipulatcs
figures and computes numerals as with
a thought, and. this inability to explain
bOthers him least of all who are aware
| Of the fact. He says he is aware If he
could write an arithmetic with his Sys-
tenn of calculation as a basis he could
make more money than ten railroads"
| hut he can't do it and doesn't care any
| thing about it, He is satisfied with
! his lot and has great plans for the
future. 1t is his belief that he came
| into this world to herald to men that
| beyond their vision of the science of
numbers lies the key to all the mys-
| teries of life. The great work he is to
| do upon earth has not been outlined to
| him by the Omniscient, but will be in
| due time. .ss.%>h
| Taking him unawares asked:
Can you add 2G, 500, 432 to 1888, 548 te
| 60, sos, G24, 13S to 1876. OPS. GOT TO il, 374
without stopping tc tlgure?"
That makes II, 413, sol 1873" said he
.A,a ta
heartily at my surprise. y
As I called the numbers to him he
added them. having the aggregate of
| the first two before had finished the
| third, and Of the whole while | caught
my breath after enumer2ting them.
Then | read him a column of figures
ranging from tens to hundreds Of thou
| sands, the length of Il sheet of legal
! cap, and he had furnished me an ae=
| curate aggregate the moment finished,
Such an evidence of unexplained
| power will aStonish The most credulous.
| but what must one think when such
| character says that he is a living, walk
| ing chronOmeter, and proves the same
| before You can dispute it. He mis-
! trusts All men, and a financial cOnsid-
! Grafton, together with The Inducements
| OF acqua!ntanccS, is necessary to set his
! tongue going, which done, he keeps You
| BUSY listening, for he talks like a tor
'ent rushes, swcarS with the fury OF
! cyclone. and calculates with the rapid
| t. Of electric rulsations. | employed
! dim ia be interviewed for one hour, and
! .teslring to test him as to his l1nowl-
edge Of time without giving him an OPP
Ff to
| asked: 49, ..->-.
What is the time now, professor?"
! (He delights to be called professor
'IWcnty-fVc and Onc-quarter min
ntes after three" he replied. l reached
! Tor my watch to sec if he answered
right and before | could sec he said:
Your watch is one and onc-quarter
! fast.
How 90 you linow?' I asked.
Il can't tell you, bat | ain right he
! said. And so he was, as the Western
/ Mon regulator proved. | then con-
cluded to test him further and resolved
that | would say nothing Of ii when his
! hour was ended and note if he knew
1t. Imagine my surprise when in the
middle of a problem he stopped me and
announced that his time was up. Con-
sulting my watch, found him right to
q second. Previous to that | had asked
him the time in St. Petersburg and he
stated 1t correctly, saying that he was
| conscious OF the degrees of longitude
! and latitude in all his calculations of
! time. He knows their location and
can answer any question of tim When
ever asked. Often he haz been aroused
from sound sleep and upon being
asked the time would state it accurate
ly while rubbing his eyes Reading
the dial plate of a clock in Berlin. he
| says, is no more trouble to him than
| that of the watch in my pocket, and in
THIS he brings proof of the assertion
i that he is conscious of every clock tick
in the world, whether sleeping or
| awahe.
His incmory'is almost as remarkable
! as his calculating genius. Having
! heard any statement he will remember
II, and, though he may not understand
words he hears, he will use them in
the same or IL similar sense to that in
! which they We're used when he heard
| them. By this means he has a vocab-
ulary far i'll advance of other illiterateS.
| Speaking of his youth he said he re-
membcred no change, so far as his
knowledge of things is concerned.
since his seventh year, at which time
hc came into possession Of his s'mvs.
| terry" lie Is not fond of his relatives
| who, he believes, would make a for
tune at his expense If nc was not s,
smart as to prevent it, ~