The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-11-21
SOME WONDERFUL BOYS.

From the Illustrated London News
There are, of course, many excellent
books which deal with boys in fiction,
md there are also actual biographies
which narrate what promising young
persons certain individuals We're who
II after life achieved greatness, but in
the latter case the prophecy is made
after the event, and somehow or other
the youth thus eulogized has generally
loo little of the boy about him to be
quite believed in. What l venture to
propose is that some sympathetic
writer should tell us what boys have
done" when they were boys.
This is by no means so small mat
ter as may be supposed.
There are, of course, the musical
boys. Handel, who at nine years old
composed church service for voices
and instruments every week" and at
fifteen brought out three successful
operas, and Mozart, who also at nine
had Il reception in London such as
the curious give to novelty, the scien-
tifc to Intelligence, and the great to
what administers TO stately pleasure"
at ten he composed mass for the
dedication of the church of the or
phans at Vienna, and acted as director
in person"
These were certainly boys Who made
some noise in the world.
Then there were the calculating
boys-who, ii is noteworthy, distin-
guished themselves as Juveniles much
more than as grown-ups-Zerah Col
burn, who astonished the scientific
world of London as a child ''by raising
the number eight progressively up To
the tenth power" and whose mind was
fertile soil for cube roots when his
contemporaries were learning addi-
ton.
One gentleman. by way of a side dish
during a feast OF figures. asked him
how many seconds there were in forty
eight years. and before the question
could be written down he answered it
correctly.
George Bidder made even this youth
take a back seat. for at twelve wears
old, when taken to the stock exchange,
be was asked this little question. and
AiF>N GU Al al OlAC AA-litutt" II Ailt Dtil-
iulum of a clock vibrates the distance
Of nine and three-fourth inches in
second. how many inches VIII it vibrate
in the course of seven years fourteen
days two hours one minute ffty-six
seconds
Even with pencil and paper know
persons (who shall be namelessl that
could not answer this in seven years.
Then there was Cha tterton. 1.-THE mar
velous boy, who persisted in his PRIDE"
and in quite another line of business.
Thomas Maxim. who died not "a dotard
at seven" but undenia bly, the greatest
scholar Of his age. lie was an all
around" genius. He knew more about
Greek at four than some people tagain
I forbear to mention names al four
teen.
At five he made copies of some OF
Raphael's heads so admirably that con-
noiSseurs prophesied he would be
great artist His most remarAa Ole
feat. however. because II showed i'm
aginative powers Of high order. was
mis- description of visionary country
called Allestone. Of which ne cOnsid-
cred himself king.
tie wrote its history IN 2 number Of
tales and letter. and drew maps % il.
giving names of has own invention 20
its mountains. rivers aud seaDo-cs.
He was probably the most remark
able boy-though. indeed. he was but
q child-who ever lived.
The most excellent boy from the
financial point q view was. however.
undoubtedly. William King West
BETTY. better known as the young
Eo>cius who a. fifteen years OF age
retired from the stage. having made
something ike thirty thousand mounds
Tor his family.
Here was something Ike" a boy
though. in fact. he was not in the
least like one-ani happy should 10
the father who has bis CULVER 4ulI Of
such.