The Washington times., 1901-10-27
DETRoIT's WONDERFUL BOY.
Only Three Years Old He Possesses a
Remarkable Memory.

Infant prodigy Is a much misused
term, and, besides, it seems a very for
midable expression to apply to such a di-
minutive, quiet. black-eyed fellow. but
still that is what Rubin Suttkus, in the
absence of a better descriptive phrase,
must be called.
Three-year-old Rubin is unquestionably
a prodigy, and he is an infant. The child
has a memory which in a gown-up per-
son would be considered a remarkably de-
veloped faculty. He is the sixth child of
John Suttkus. carriage maker. and has
been brought up just like the other chill
dren. and it was purely by accident that
his extraordinary mental attainments
were discovered.
1t was about year ago when the child
began to show his singular development.
Mr.. Suttkus had constructed puzzle for
the amusement of one OF his older chill
dren. 1t consisted of odd-shaped pieces
of wood, which, linked together, would
show a large picture. the parts Of which
had been pasted one one side.
1t was a rather intricate affair and
puzzled the ingenuity of the whole fam
lily. Little Rubin became interested in it.
Creeping on the fioor-he could not yet
walk-he would manage to get hold of the
box containing the puzzle and for hours
amuse himself with attempts at solving
the problem. Where his older brothers
and sisters failed he succeeded, and he
soon had mastered the difficulties involv-
ed in putting the pieces together.
When he had completed the picture
once or twice he was able to accomplish
the task without hesitating. He had
memorized the location of every pieces
and was able to place each in its proper
place with unfailing certainty. So sharp
was his memory that finally he could cor
rectly solve the puzzle with the picture
side of the pieces downward.
Last Christmas Rubin got another puz-
zle, II consisted of eighteen large square
blocks with the component parts of a
picture, large design, on one side, and let
ters and numerals on the other side. The
tot knows by heart what is on each
block. You show him one block with, for
tell you without hesitation what is on the
other. He will say, "Hoss head or
Flowers" Just as the case may be.
on the other hand. if the side with the
letters or numerals on il is concealed and
he is shown the side representing a part
of the general design of the puzzle as
whole, he VIII instantly tell you the char
acters appearing on the reverse; of this
particular block. ~, V. and c." he will
say, or II. j. or any one of the eighteen
different combinations that appear on the
eighteen blocks.
Surely, it is far from being an ordinary
feat for anyone 10 retain in mind the pre-
else combination which a specified one of
the eighteen blocks may bear, and when
the part of the general design on the re-
verse which this particular block Is mere
ly a portion of is a part of the border, or
the almost unrecogniZable fragment OF
flower worn dim by the hard usage the
children have given it, the fact that this
little one can unhestatingly name the
combination of letters and numerals
which he cannot see inspires amazement.
He knows the alphabet by heart and
can read many printed words. He will
so to the blackboard. draw a pig and
write "P / c. on it. And yet he is but
three years old Nobody has taught him.
Nobody has told him. He has picked it
up by observing the older children doing
their school work In every other way
the little fellow is thoroughly child-like
and not different from any other child of
his age He is playful and full of pranks-
In memory however, he Is far beyond the
ordinary, and his performances excite the
astonishment of the entire neighborhood-
Detroit Journal.