Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-03-26
HooSIER JUGGLER OF FIGURES
Sets other Heads Dizzy When He He
gins working out Problems
by Mental Process.

Arthur F. Griffith Of Milford Kosciusko
county, Indiana, the mathematical wonder
who multiplies figures up to 1000 the same
as the ordinary individual handles the
proposition of 2x2-4, is in Indianapolis.
Il Law claim to being the mathematical
wonder of the United States" he said,
after he had mentally solved the simple
little problem 1851 9l5, 22S 1856 SOL sos $40 62aN
6S, 7l9. 476,735. The problem had been written
down by the skeptical financial editor who
is always from Missouri when 1t comes
to figures Griffith ran his eye over the
figures and said: "Those figures are hardly
practicable for the problems of every
day life, but here is the answer, and ten
seconds after the piece of paper had been
passed to him the financial editor had 1t
back with the answer written below the
epures - q99 800 Ss5 AS OS4 IA eS3 las, S59-
375 II don't want to appear egotistlcal'
said Grifith, "but if you will spend two
or three hours YOU will ma that that
answer is correct
But" said the wonder, "a man has
ANYTHING but a pleasant existence sup
porting the title "the mathema -ical won
der of the United States and especially
is this so in his own state, where, when
tbev,see him figuring all OF the time and
multiplying sums like that even the ON
GERS try to get hold Of him sometimes aud
insist that he is crazy. Thus far I have
managed to keep at liberty but one can
never tell what will happen"
II Is true that Griffith often appears alb
normally preoccupied and his lips keep
moving He is at times working on his
mental multiplication table. when most
folks have nothing 10 do explained drit-
nth today, they are, thinking about their
girls or the folks at home or their trou-
bles When l have nothing 70 DO am
working on mental mathematical proc
esses In spare moments have learned
the MULTIPLICATION table by heart up TO
/ 900 and within the next ive years shall
have It down by heart up to 100000
Those who have followed his career will
recall that when he was discovered eight
years ago. there was a great deal of
speculation as 10 the stability OF his mind.
1t was pointed out that most OF the
mathematical prodges were monomaniacs'
knowing nothing but figures, and not being
able often TO tell how they solved their
problems Those who knew Grifith when
he first attracted state attention and kno"
him today have no doubt that his mind Is
normal I'm other lines He not only writes
much better than most Of the people 90
who write occasionally for publication out
/ his language Is good. He states clearly
all kinds OF commercial propositions IN
which he uses his figures. He eonverses
well on general subjects when he Is drawn
/ from his absorbing study Of hgures'
| His lightning calculation is remarkable
/ and clearly outclasses the work OF ordi-
nary lightning calcuIators. Hardly less
noteworthy than the rapidity with which
he solves problems is the memory he eX-
hibits in retaining the numbers and re-
| suits in his mind. A day after he had
been asked TO multiply any numDer-say
! 64s. 3s7x3Os, 6s7-he can restate the problem
] correctly from memory and also talk o.
the result OF his previous calculations. He
makes all Of his calculations mentally and
only writes the answer down. Such n
proposition as the one given Is solved as
fast as he can write down the figures, and
he writes them very Observation-Disclosures
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