Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1895-05-25
A TRICK OF MEMORY
THE NAME THE DOCTOR COULD
NOT RECALL.
For Forty Long Years lie Vainly Searched
His Brain for 1.-THE story That
So Suddenly Lost Its Point Principle
of Psychology.

I Rev. Cyrus Hamlin. who as a mission
I airy resided for more than forty years II
/ Turkey, and was the founder and frs
president of Robert college. in Con
stantinople. has collected number OF
incidents connected with his residence
In that country. Among them is ont
which has an interesting bearing OF
the question OF memory, says the Wash.
ington Star
Ii is a familiar contention among
psychologists that an incident one,
thoroughly presented To the human
mind cannot be efaced from memory
But FOR many years DR. Hamlin thought
he had proof of an exception 10 this
law. After he graduated from the
theological seminary and had decided
to devote his life 10 missionary work.
he visited Philadelphia on business con-
nected with his work. and while there
was introduced to gentleman, who.
being much Interested Ia missions gem
erously rendered Mr. Hamlin financial
assistance, which enabled him 10 carry
on his work 10 better advantage than
he could otherwise have done
II was 30 years before ne again visit
ed America, during which time he had
married and a family ~ children had
grown up around him None " these
having ever visited the fathers native
land. they We're naturally curious 70
learn an ne could tell them Ut this
country and were, OF course. especially
interested In incidents connected with
his own lie. Among other stories he
often related the one concerning his
patron. but curiOusly enough he round
II impossible To recall the gentleman 4
name. Every incident connected with
their Interviews, even 10 the street and
number OF the house In which he had
lived, was as plain e. him as II II had
been but yesterday that the events oc-
CURED, but 10 save his life ne could
not think Of the gentleman name As
time went on this lapse OF memory be-
came so persistent as 10 cause him CON
siderable annoyance, and he adopted
all sorts Of eXpedients 70 bring back
the name He would take the letters
or the alphabet one at a time and think
over all the surnHmes he had ever
heard, but 70 no avail Then IN his
imagination, he would start down the
street whore his friend had lived enter
his house. 80 through with the cere.
mony of Introduction. and repeat word
for word. as nearly az he could rru.fn.
Der. the conversation which had taken
place between them, but SIN a. could
not recall the name
When after thirty years he returned
TO MS native land on "A visit ne took the
trouble 70 20 To Philadelphia In order
% settle the question which had been
puzzltng him for 50 long He visited the
house, but found only strangers. who
could tell him nothing ~ the people
who lived there 80 many years before
SO, finally Or. Hamun abandoned ~.
search. thinking that here al last was
case whore something had been thor
oughly presented to the human mind
and as thoroughly eftared.
one night, when he had returned per
nanently 10 this country. h. attended (,
arge dinner whore were present say /
raj distinguished Psychologist. During |
ne evening the conversation turned |
ipon the subject OF memory and ths \
veil known scientific principle was ala 1
ussed. This was too good an omar.
unity 70 be lost. and Dr Hanllr pr1.
eeded to relate his experience al length \
= an example Of the opposite yfeyy
.amely that incidents could De thor
ushIy eHaced from memory He was
: course, listened 10 with great inter.
st. and as he approached the end ~
ls story. he said with great impressive
ess Gentlemen, There Is an incident
resented 20 my mind more than FORTY
ears ago. and I have not been abb
think Of the name Of Capt. Robinson
rom that day 10 this"
When the climax was greeted hy
earty burst 81 laughter the worthy
octor looked around in great aatonfah.
rent, FOR he thought he had told a
retty good story. and could 500 noth.
~ to provoke mirth II was sometime
efore he saw that he had been Con
emned out Of his own mouth