The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-02-25

We have got rid OF a good many Of the
ghost stories Of our sires. We run down
ghosts Just about as soon as they come In
sight. 1t Is not easy to find any man OF hard
head or scientific mind who believes In ghost
stories nowadays. There Is yet another job
that somebody ought to undertake.. the Job OF
running down the infant prodigies that arc
forever going the rounds. We always hear
these ~infantlle stories with pleasure: we al
ways read them In the papers with suspicion:
We wish we had time to hold an inquest in tho
case Of some OF them. Within the past few
weeks. for example. we have had a number OF
prodigy stories Of the infancy Of the late Mr..
BLAINE. He gave proof that no was m in
telleotual marvel soon ntter he learned to
speak. and by the time no was 8 years old he
had not only mastered PLUTARCH's Lives"
but had delivered opinions about PLuTARCH
himself. and had given many other evidences
that he would grow up to be n man OF mark.
We do not dispute these stories Just now. but
we would like to get satisfactory proof OF their
truth. Next In order at this time comes tho
black prodigy OF Arkansas. the polyglot picka-
ninny Of Texarkana. about whom the Calves
ton Daily Neios has printed q special despatch
which we copied into Thursdays Sun. This
5.year-old negro. full blooded. with q Grecian
nose and sparkling eyes. mover went to school.
never was taught even the alphabet. and yet,
We are told. '"he can read aud speak
all the principal languages now In use.
and all the deal tongues. with the
exception OF Greek and Hebrew" We
must say that this Is. on the whole. the
very best infant prodigy story We have heard
for q long time. We do not dispute the truth
OF 1t AZ this moment. but We are ready to make
a proposition that ought to interest the living
nrnhIuv II thu trnth ~ thn Stnrv iG nrnvaH
WI will glve that black infant OF Texarkana a
Job In The Sun oflce as gate attendant at a
salary OF $40 . wcok. though he will be
worth twice the none II no can speak all the
languages. excepting Hebrew and Greek,
spoken by the people who honor THE SUN
with q visit. We need Just such a prodigy.
His salary will be raised periodically. and 10
will soon DO hoisted into the chair Of q re-
porter. Wo need o reporter OF his kind. and
he will make big bills on space. We
can give Q half promise Of something
even better than this. The Etruscan
language has bothered philoloRers for
more than Q thousand years They can't read
II. They are In an unusual state OF excite
ment about II at this time. for the reason that
they think they arc about to get a clue to its
mysteries. A lincn cloth covered with the
finest Etruscan characters that have been
seen since the fourth century Of our era. was
taken from q female mummy found in Egypt.
and Prot. KnALL OF Vienna. after laborine over
1t for several years. has ascertained tho sig
nincance OF q number Of the characters which
had puzzled BRUascH Pasha, Sir RICHARD Bur-
TON. and other inquirers KRALL Is terribly
bothered over the Job Of reconsideration. and
would be glad to get any help in II. Now. II
that little black prodigy Of Texsrkana describ-
Cd In the Galveston Nsos win read the Etrus-
cen words upon that mummy cloth. We can