The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1904-05-26
A YOUTHFUL GENIUS.
Nine-year-old Boy a Prodigy
In Study.
SPELLED WE'LL AT AGE OF THREE.

Professor, Is Master of Higher
Mathematics, the Sciences and Sew
eraI Dead Languages-At Eighteen
Months He Knew His Alphabet and
at Five Years He Was Reading
Latin.
Although he is only nine years old,
Norbert Wiener, son of Professor Leo
Wiener, instructor of Slavic at Har~
ward college, is master of higher math-
ematics, of the sciences and of several
dead languages, says special dis
patch from Cambridge, Mass, to the
New York Herald. With little prepa-
ration he could enter Harvard, but his
father will not permit him to do so
until he is fifteen years old. In the
meantime he will continue a course of
study Professor Wiener has mapped
out for him, and it is predicted by sew
eral of the Harvard faculty who have
watched his wonderful progress that at
fifteen he will be one of the education
al mafVelS OF the century.
Young Wiener does not look like the
student that he is. He likes play as
well as any boy of his age, and his
chums are robust looking little fellows.
"It is a pleasure to study" said Nor
bert, land l find much amusement in
making tests in chemistry in the little
laboratory which papa has fitted up
for me- l spend an hour in the labora
tory every day, and then | read some
Latin, German or French author.
Bury's History of Greece l also find
interesting.
"My eyes trouble me at times, and
for that reason 1 have been obliged
to give up reading extensively for
more than three months. My mamma
reads to me about an hour each day eX-
cept Saturdays, that being vacation
day to me as well as to the other boys
and girls in Cambridge. / have been
outdoors all day playing marbles, run
ming about with my playmates.
"The only thing that l read today
was the morning paper story about the
war between Russia and Japan. I am
for the Russians because my papa was
born and educated in Russia and that
is his country. He and talk about the
battles every day and night, and hope
that Russia will win"
Professor Wiener does not consider
his boy any brighter than the ordinary
lad of his age and tries to impress this
fact upon him. The little fellow has
had advantages to learn which do not
come to every boy, his father has told
him, and he is often warned not to
make a display Of his knowledge that
would make his playmates feel uncom-
Portable.
81 detest allowing the boy to i'm
agine that there is anything out Of the
ordinary in his makeup" said Profess
or Wiener, "and throughout his life
have taught him to consider himself in
ferior rather than superior to any Of
the children of his own age.
''The boy has been remarkable in
many things. When he was only eight
cen months old he knew his alphabet,
and when he was three years old he
could write and spell very we'll. 1t was
during his third year that 1 discovered
that he really had a desire to learn,
and when he was five years old he was
studying Latin. When he was eight he
could reason out problems in differen-
tial calculus, perform tests in chemis.
try and read intelligently Latin, French
and German. besides having a fair idea
of Slavic.
when he was five years old took
him to public school, but found that
he was not fitted for any class there.
He was either too advanced for some
class. or not enough advanced for an
other. After considerable tutoring on
my part have him educated now so
he will be fitted for high school in
another year, although he is studying
matter now that is considered advance
work for Harvard. He is too young
too much Of child-to go to college
within few weeks will send him
out to farm, where he will romp and
play with other children until fall. His
eyes are so weak that it is necessary
for him to wear glasses, and I do not
intend to allow MIN to overwork or
strain his eyes on any account. He has
somewhat Of matured expression,
but he is mature only in reasoning.
Personally see nothing out Of the or
binary in him, any more than that he
is studiOus, has very retentive mem
DRY and has acquired taste for pick
ing up such work as I am interested
I'M
Norbert has a little brother and sis
ter, but they take little interest in
study. They love to romp and play
with him, and they are proud Of him.
but mud pies and marbles appeal more
to them than chemistry tests and math-
ematics.
Shooting Geese by Electric Light.
Shooting geese by electric light has