Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-11-13
What an object lesson 1t would be! But
the practical maxim Is: Devil take the

What an object lesson 1t would be! But
the practical maxim is: Devil take the
hindmost."
MARVELLOUS BABY PRODIGY.
ICouncil Bluffs Nonpareil 11th.l
A large number Of the teachers of the
public schools were entertained, some
pleasantly and others painfully, yester
tday afternoon at the Bloomer school
building by the exhibition by Professor
| H. Olerichs Of his infant prodigy. his
21s-year-old baby. The claim put forth
lby the professor that the child is truly
a prodigy was we'll sus tanned. In the
course of an exhibition that lasted for
more than an hour the little midget did
things that would have been marvel-
Gus IL several years had been added to
her mundane experiences.
She was most becomingly gowned in
fleecy fabric of baby blue fringed
with soft lace, with the brightest blue
eyes and the sweetest baby face sur
rounded by an aureole of golden hair
that gave her almost an angelic beauty,
and there was not a person in the room
who did not yearn to smother her with
kisses. But as she went through her
lessons. seemingly in the greatest glee
i there was more than one in the audi
ence who felt that the forced develop
ment of the faculties of the child must
result in the ultimate injury, II not
/ ruin. of a more than ordinarily bright
baby. But Professor Olerichs was able
to successfully combat this impression
and show to his own satisfaction and
many of the teachers that the process
of instruction by which he had wrought
!. this wonderful development was no
more taxing upon the mental and phys
lical faculties than the most ordinary
play of childhood.
4 The exhibition was opened by Profess
1 sor Olerichs detailing the brief bit of
history connected with the baby's
short sojourn in this world. She was
taken from the Benedict Home In Des
Moines, Oct. a. 1897, when she was 8
months and days old. Mr. Olerichs
took her for the purpose OF developing
an educational theory of his own,
Z which he briefly epitomizes as kindness,
Interest and perfect freedom, the utter
absence of punishment and forced APP
Iplicatlon 1t was shown that she had
vocabulary of over 5000 nouns could
pick out at sight and correctly name
more than 500 geological and ornitho-
logical specimens, pronounce correctly
their jaw breaking names, and wade
through columns of such words as pa
leontology, peritonium, ichthyoptery-
gia, ichthyology, insoluble, and wrap
her baby tongue around words that
would make anybody but scientist
lyersed in crustaceology scratch his
head in despair. She read many words
land sentences from cards as rapidly as
they could be picked up 1T random and
placed before her.
In mathematics she showed that she
knew and understood the value OF
numbers up to 1000 and when her at
tention was not attracted to something
else in the room more interes ting, reac
loft arrays of figures with great rapid
ity.
To demonstrate her ability as read
er she mounted little pulpit and read
: with the emphasis and decorum OF q
high churchman the first chapter OF
lGenesis, giving the sentences their fu.
meaning by proper infection OF voice
AS a geographer She showed her pro
iciency by locating on the blank maj
: land naming all of the states and ter
ritories that She was called upon b9
: the audience to point out. Then sh'
gave the capital of any state called To-
and gave the name of the state whef
: the capital was named. She picket
J out and named correctly twenty-iiv'
). aags of different nations. Including
. number of naval flags, a feat that no
another person in the room could hav'
i done.
Twenty-Five different leaves of plant!
, and trees were picked out Of box ant
|, correctly named followed by the rec
!. Iosnition and naming of twenty-five diff
a ferent kinds of plant seed and grains
. She picked up and at random read Sc
q Elections from school readers up TO tn
q sixth, and then as an additional play
$ full recrea ton named all of the presi
d dents of the United States, recognizing
e them by their pictures and name
printed on cards.
Professor ,Olerichs proposes to con
ltinue the line Of instruction upon Whic
lhe has started and he thinks by tn
ltltime she is half way between } and
IT wears of age she will be able to travt
e alone across the continent, and whe
" she is 4 she will be able to stand on tn
y public rostruE and answer correctl
i and intelligently any question pertain
IS ing to the moral and physical welfar
d of mankind that can be asked by a
intelligent audience.
The painful feature to many OF tn
spectators was the evident fact tina
n, the extraordinary feats are due to cal
l. ing into play the subjective mental fac
l. ulties Of the child, and they tremble
think of the results Of such abnormal
~ lily.
N FARM ITEMS.
i'll ~. S. Trlgg in Rockford Registerl
"a With corn at the price it is and meat
&c of all kinds at present and prosperity
NJ figures there is good margin of pre-