The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-08-07
fHE MATHEMATICAL ooAr.
he wondsrfai Foass Of Calculation or
Instinct.

~ WoAdoFfai fcnta OF Calculation or
Instinct.
Almost every movement Of n Md
lroves the mountain origin OF its race
is powers Of climbing are extraordl-
larry and must be witnessed 60 be be-
ieycd. | have seen them chamber on 1
llippcry roofs and up the almost per-
'endieular face Of a quarry to places
which seemed impossible TO reach |
without the aid Of a ladder, or the |
tlinging power OF claws or fingers.
lays a writer in Blackwood's Magazine. |
I remember once seeing a pair OF kids
Tuning races up and down the shafts |
d a disused farm-roller which we're
lifted up at an angle OF about l5 de-
grees. On the extreme ends OF the
shafts. high In the air. the little crea-
lures would stand. one on each, and
turn about. as on a pivot. with the
Tips OF all four hoonets close enough
together to rest on a penny piece.
such fears on the part OF a goat are
Tar more artistic exhibitions OF skin
m climbing than anything that can be
ione BY a cat or a monkey. for he does
everything by calculating his distance
with absolute exactitude and by an In
aniiely delicate power OF adjusting his
geight so as 10 maintain his balance
What gives such finish 10 the per-
iormance Is his sublime confidence IN
aimself and the extraordinary precls-
on with which every movement IL ex-
scuted. His judgment Is 20 perfect that
ne scarcely ever makes mistake.
Necessity has been his grim school
master, fer II II. Of course. easy TO
zee that when ioaping from ledge 70
ledge along the face OF a preciplce the
least error IN calculating either his
distance or the amount Of muscular
'orce TO be exercised would Instantly
prove fatal. This Il a branch Of the
study OF natural history which has
peculiar fascination for me. and which
The more ] think OF Il. fills me with
admiration and amazement What n
mathematician the goat would make
n he could only tell us the process
BY means Of which he performs hls
eats. A senior wrangler OF a Smiths
prlzoman would be nowhere beside
him Let me endeavor. briefly. to
point out the nature OF certain prob
lens which he IL In The habit Of solv-
INK with absolute accuracy az a mo-
ments notice. Surprising a goat. fol-
lowing a new path. has to take a leap
50 AZ 10 alight on a pinnacle or mar
TOW crag overhanglng some abyss.
First Of all he must estimate the dis
lance 10 be traversed. and. having 60,
Il. whether by trlgonomelry or by some
capricious method OF hls own. he has
next to compute. 70 the fraction Of an
ounce. how much propulsive force r.
required TO project his body Che e.
ae, weight Of which has 20 be taken
into aocounO precisely that distance
and not a quarter o. an inch further
Moreover. he must take into eaicula.
: ten whether the spot he wishes 20
p reach II above OF below his startinr
/ point. and plainly his brain. when Il
4 sends forth motor impulses to the nu.
p merous muscles involved. must be-.
E ttrehand reckon and apportion 20 each
, H. share in the task AZ the same
n moment he must also estimate the ex.
= act proporilonate amount OF muscular
g force which win be required IN each
- OF his limbs TO stop and balance his
T. body on his new and prccarious foot.
hold. OF course. one need scarcely SAP
That the whole process goes on with
a out reaching the Consciousness Of the
= goat. or anything that could. even by
. courtesy. be called his mind. but. new
i ertheless. Il u obvious that. In sons
n Wy or other. the calculation Il made
: and Il completed IN a time and with
n an unerrlng accuracy which complete
\ " puts TO shame the mathematical trl
/. umphs Of the human intellect.