Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-12
RECENT EEATs OF MEMORY.
Well-knoyvn Cases of Phenomena
DeYelOnmcut of Tint EncultY.

Well-knosvn Cases of Phenomenal
Development of That Faculty.
From the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
An extraordinary development of the fac
ulty of memory is noted in the person of
the Rev. William Cullen Hicks. revivalist,
who is at present holding meetings in the
country districts of Kentucky. Mr.. Hicks
is only twenty-eight years old. but his
familiarity with the Scriptures is some
thing phenomenal. He always draws large
crowds, being an attractive and forcible
speaker; but his greatest reputation rests
on his ability to recite with absolute cor
rectness every chapter and verse in the
Bible, with the exception of the Psalms He
can start at the beginning, middle, end,
and go backward or forward, or can repeat
any chapter of any book of the Old or New
Testament without hating or heSitating
Reports from Adair county. Kentucky.
where he is now Soiourning, say that his
performances are amazing.
another case of unusual memory, which
is attracting much attention. is the recent
achievement of Secretary Carlisle in Chi
caSo Mr.. Carllsle'S speech on the finances,
which would fill eight or ten columns of the
Democrat and Chronicle. was delivered
without manuscript. and the speaker re-
ferred TO his notes only two or three times
during the whole of his address. AS he
gave many figures and statistics referring
10 this and other countries, the perform
ance must be Set down a noteworthy
one 1t mas. however. been edualed or sur
passed by other men prominent in our pub
lie life. Edward Everett, Charles Sumner.
Roscoe Conkiing and James G.. Blaine were
famous for ora.orical efforts which had all
tne force and dttractiveneSS of extempora
deliverances. but which had been carefully
prepared and memoriZeG Mr.. Conkling
had special gifts in this direction
III was often difficult for his hearers to
persuade themselves that his flights of elo-
quence, flashes Of w.t. volleys of iayectiye
ana appropriate gestures were not inspira-
IONS OF the moment, when, in fact they
were the finished product of laborious
preparation and in some cases of private
rehearsal His great speech in New York
IN the GARFIELD campaign was wonderful
achievement In memory. and in the ora
torlcai ART that conceals art. Mr.. Blaine
also generally knew precisely what he was
gong to say. and just how he was going
10 say 1t, before delivering an important
speech. 1t long ago ceased to be a secret
mat on the occasion of his last appearance
IN Rochester ne secured the attendance of
an expert shorthand reporter in his private
room The reporter seated himself at a
tapie, with paper and pencils, and Mr.
Blaine. slowly pacing the room, delibera tely
thought out dictated speech. A type
written copy of the reporters notes was
immedlateiy taken to the newspaper offices.
ana few hours later Mr.. Blaine delivered
semblaGe of people. Between the dictation
and the delivery Mr.. Blaine had many call
ers. and his thoughts were diverted in 9th
er ways by the events of the day, but his
memory did not fail him. Although this
was by no means one of the most import
ant mental efforts of mis- life, it was ne
culiar and impressive one
The wonderful performances of Paul
Morphy. the genius of the chess board.
have been cited as feats of memory. He
would play eight games simultaneously.
ind1olded, remembering his own moves
anu those OF mis- opponents, and the posi-
. H OF the pieces on each of the boards
Not only this. but If all or part of the
games dragged out to a great length. and
were ADJOURNED from one day to the NEXT
ne resumed them with unfailing memory
Oh the situation on each board. This, how
ever, was not an exercise of memory Dure
and simple. but rather an association of
IDEAS. or a concentration of thought. on
certain plans of campaign" on the fac
!ors entering therein. and On details OF &C
ton which had logical relation and Sc
quence. Nevertheless, it was a phenomenal
intellectual effort
Some mental philosophers have commended
ma there IS no such thing as pure memory
that what is called memory is merely an
intellectual bent in a certain direction
FOR example. one student may have a
genius for history and another for the
own specially; and the historian NAV
wonder at the linguist's poor memory Of
names, events and dates, while the lineuist
may accuse the historian of deficient mem
DRY because the latter is baffied by defni-
tlons. declensions and conjuga tons The
local politicians mind may be a storehouse
OF election returns. and perfect blank in
certain other directions. from which it is
ciear that he has good memory for the
kind Of statistics that interest him. Yet.
II lie forgets one of a dozen articles which
he should order at the grocery his better
half Will reproach him for having a poor
memory, while she herself may not re-
member who were candidates for mayor at
the last election. From all of which some
people argue that memory. as an ndepend-
ent faculty, does not exist, but is merely
the manifestation of different channels of
thought in which some minds habitually
travel.
The correctness or error of this theory
however. may be left to the observation-disclosures
and psychologists. We see and hear of
what seem to be extraordinary cases of
memory, and the term will continue to be
good enough definition in the popular
mind of phenomena of the kind to which
brief reference has been made.