Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-28
POOR MEMORY
Can Easily Be Developed and the Chi
cage Chronicle Tells How.

Many persons complain of having z
poor memory, and yet that faculty car
be developed as easily as can the biceps
muscle. SAYS the Chicago Chronicle
Nor is it necessary to go to any pro.
fess"r of memory or to master any
elaborate system in order to accomplish
this result. One does not have to go in.
to gymnasium to strengthen the arm
or back. Chopping wood or rowing d
boat will do it. Similarly. memory may
be cultivated. by an effort and amid
ordinary pursuits.
one man made the Sunday service OF
his church serve rs a memory exercise
After the service he would endeavor
to call the members of all the HYMNS
sung, the chapters and verses Of the
lessons. words of the anthem, the text
and points of the sermon. This required
paving close attention and a conscious
effort to impress these things upon his
mind. BY this and other equally simple
means he developed memory that was
absolutely at his command.
Famous speakers who have memoir
lied their speeches have adopted vari-
Gus simple devices TO aid them. One
noted orator fixed in MIND the different
points in his speeches by first drawing
little figures or pictorial representa-
tons. IF part of his speech had to do
with bridge he would make a little
sketch of such structure or if with
Cuba or the Philippines he would sketch
small map of these islands.
He could remember these little figures
or pictures. When he arose to his feet
select them one by one as he proceeded
from point to point in the address. not
having any note or manuscript by him at
all That was the method best suited to
Certain people possess what may be
called the bump of location. If they re-
member passage in a book they can
tell you which side of the page it is on
and on what part of the page There are
students with that kind of memory who
prepare their recitations by taking large
of the lesson in different places on the
paper. They then rely on their sense of
location to call to mind whatever they
wish to remember.
eye for color. They will make their men,
oranda on slips of paper of different col
ors. Then simply calling to mind a par
ticular color will enable them to remem-
Der the memorandum associated with that
color. OF course, all this is based on
what IS known as the faculty of associa-
Some people who can remember words
and phrases find difficulty in remembering
figures or numbers. In such cases a. Gu
rious expedient has sometimes been re-
sorted to. A phrase will be devised. the
initial letters of which suggest the figures
sought to be remembered. For example
to be 1S2 the suggestive phrase might be
II seek him. The letter / will suggest
the hgure ]. the letter somewhat re-
sembles an 8. and the two perpendicular
strokes of the Fl suggest the Roman nu-
neral II. A roundabout method this may
he. but it has served to fasten figures in
the memory of people who had previously
found them troublesome.
But perhaps the most wholesome way IN
the long run is simply by repetition and
effort to fix the thing in the memory di-
rectly without tricks of memory or arti-
fetal methods. BY memoriZing each day
one sentence of verse from the best liter
allure the mind will soon have a fine treas
ury Of beautiful thoughts and an enriched
vocabulary.
For quotation purposes it is necessary
to remember verbatim. and though this
is the hardest task of memory. it well re-
pays the effort. Once trained. the men,
DRY will he able to recall the exact words
of conversations. sermons and passages
in books without having made any con-
scious effort to commit them.