The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-06-30
BABY READS LATIN
LITTLE WICHITA BOY SURPRISE
PARENTS AND FRIENDS.


Other Children and Makes out Cor
rect Bill of Goods which He Pretends to
SelI--Writes His Name and Address for
the Eagle. "Richmond Benn. 312 New
York Avenue--The Mother Talks of Her
Remarkable CbiId--MiIlionaires Offer.
Probably the most remarkable boy
or baby in the world lives in Wichita.
His name is Richmond Benn, and he
was 4-years old October 14th, last.
He is a natural reader, and he reads
the newspapers, books and periodicals,
and his parents do not know when he
learned to read.
When little Richmond was 3-years-
old he came across the word sopolio
IN large letters in a paper, and he ask
ed his father what that was, and
Edward Benn, who is lumber dealer.
and lives on New York avenue, be-
tween Second and Third street, cor
rectly spelled the word sapolio and
pronounced it for the baby. Two or
three days after that Mrs. Benn was
surprised TO hear little Richmond spell
and properly pronounce the word.
Upon investigation it was discovered
that he could spell and pronounce 9TH
er words. 1t was also found that when
he saw a word in print and heard it
pronounced that he seldom If ever for
got IL. And the first thing the parents
knew the child was reading in the pa
perS and books that he found about the
house.
When the grocer left a bill at the
nome llttleRichmond would not be salts
@ -hnt cot
one day the little boy, mere babe
Tess than 4-years-old, was playing
with the larger children. Little Rich
mond was calling himself the grocer
and he had little bits of paper which
he would deliver to the other children,
Gaining one package of coffee. an
other sugar, another bran and corn
There was nothing remarkable in the
child initiating the grocer, but the
mother through curiosity, examined
one of the bills which little Richmond
ieft with his packages of mud and was
aumbfounded to find that the child
mad written properly the names of the
inherent articles. Set opposite each a
price and then had properly footed up
the column of figures Other bills
MADE out by the child were examined
and they two were nearly all correct.
rms remarkable child can read Latin
as We'll as English after he has once
had ii pronounced to him. He is not
an unerring imitator like Blind Tom
IN reading music, but he makes lust
mistakes enough and sometimes cor
reefs them 10 show that he thinks.
A reporter for the Eagle saw this
remarkable child with his father at
Aliens real estate office on Market
street yesterday, and after Mr.. Allen
mad related some of the boys wonder
1ul performances, the reporter said:
&c
His father handed him a card and
pencil. and said: Give the gentleman
your card Richmond" He wrote in
bold, legible hand: Richmond
Benn, 3l2 New York avenue"
Richmon. can you sell me some gro
cerles and feed. and make out a bill?"
The boys laughed, and he gave his
head a quick nod. Then the renorter
told him that he wanted 80 cents worth
OF coffee, 60 cents worth of sugar. 20
cents worth of starch, 20 cents worth
of bran and 40 cents worth of corn
chop. Then Richmond took a pencil
and wrote down the articles and pass
ed over his bill to the reporter as fol-
lows:
5uSdt $500 -. 800. -----.- tO
oIdrch .................... :. 90
bidh-.-. -. ............ 20
CHop-.-... -....-......... 40
50 40
Then Mr.. Allen told him to multi
ply 12S,4S0 by 6. He put down the fig
ures and performed the operation cor
rectly. after which the reporter asked
him il he could read the Eagle and
Richmond said he could. Taking an
Eagle out Of his pocket. the reporter
said: Your are a nice little boy, now
read this paragraph
ia ho
has occasion TO demand an apology
from SPAIN he will have sense enough
to encltse stamp for reply
Now this one
During the last hours of the Ken
lucky convention a man arose and
sWore blue streak a the chairman
me convention then adjourned and
left the acoustic properties of the han
TO convalesce"
Now here is an editorial, let me hear
you read the first paragraph
If there is one poor soul who still
harbcrs in his mnd the hope of an in
ternational conference on the financial
matter he shoald dispel the illusion
ana try 10 get his mentality into work
ing order"
He read each paragraph, pronounc-
ing the sylableS very distinctly, but
when he came TO the word "illuson."
II was divided at the end Of A line and
he pronounced it illustration. but he
stopped and after looking al the word
loosely. pronounced il correctly.
Richmond Renn seems 10 be a born
genius. and he has the faculty of rem
embering nearly every word he sees in
print II seems remarka BILE TO see a
f-year-old child reading the newspap-
erS and Dickens works. but that is
just what this little Wichita boy can
do. He is very fond Of Dickens works
and especially David Copperfield.
This boy who may become one Of the
greatest scholars of his age is rather
shorter than children OF his age, but a
muscular little fellow. He has a light
complexion, and blue eyes. and a very
long head. which seems To form a
semi circle from the lower part of the
forehead 10 the base Of the back Of the
head, the highest part of the semi cir
Gle being directly over the ears. He is
inclined to be rather serious for child
of his age. and most Of his childish
plays are such as require thought. His
blue eyes look kindly and Intelligent.
and he seems more inclined 10 listen to
others and reflect than to talk
In order to learn something more
about this Wichita boy that may vet
attract the attention of the wise men.
Of earth. a reporter called a the Benn
residence on New York avenue, and a
knock one the door was answered by
the mother of Richmond Bern.
Il am a reporter for the Eagle and
rame "a find out more about your re
markable boy"
We'll, he is now down town with his
eother''
us he healthy child?"
'Oh, yes; he has never been much
nick and he is a very strong child for
cne of his size
When did he learn TO read?'
oh. / hardly know; he has been
reading ever since he was S-yers-old.
He seemed to have learned 10 read so