The San Francisco call., 1906-03-25
Mathematical
Wonder This
Indiana Man

4 A. u
4 mathematical wonder who multi
plies agures up to 1000 the same az the
ordinary individual handles the propo-
sition Of ex2-4, is in the city this week.
says the Indianapolis News.
sI Law claim TO being the mathenat-
fcaI wonder of the United States. he
said, after he had mentally solved tne
simple little problem H.55l'SlOzzS'-
$50. S51. .sO6. SAC. .625x6S. .71s.476.7S5 Tne
problem had been written down by the
skeptical financial editor, who IS al
wavs from Missouri when 1t comes TO
figures. Grifith ran his eye over the
figures and said: Those figures are
hardly practicable for the problems OF
everyday life. but here is the answer
and ten seconds after the piece Of pa
per had been passed to him the imam
cial editor had 1t back with the answer
written below the figures-sss,sS9'Ss
/ eS5, ,44S, ,0S4, III $780, 14S.1sS.35s.37
IT don't want to appear egotisticai'
said Grifith, but II you will spend two
or three hours you will ind that that an
swer is correct"
But" said the wonder. "a man has
anything but a pleasant existence sup
porting the title the mathematical
WO4QeI Oh the CnAAC0 ONdeCot N~~-
ciaIly Is this so in his own State. where.
when they see him figuring all OF the
time and multiplying sums like that.
even the officers try 70 get hold OF him
sometimes and insist that he is crazyr'
Thus far I have managed to keep at
liberty. but one can never tell what
will happen.
1t is true that Grif1th often appears
Inns
keep moving. He Is at times working
on his mental multiplication table
when most folks have nothing TO
do" explained Grifnth. they are think
ing about their girls or the folks at
home or their troubles. When I have
nothing to do am working on mental
mathematical processes. In spare mo-
ments have learned the multiplication
table by heart up to 1000. and within
the next fve years I shall have it down
by heart up to 100000.
most people only go as far as 12x12
Ia. am now able to handle prob
lens producing answers up IN the Wig
intiIlions. Perhaps you don't know
what a vigintillion is or what 1t looks
like"
He took pencil and wrote: '77,ooo,-
UUusUUo,OUO5O
600. .OOO. . 600, ,OO0. .OOO. .OOO, ,OOO."
That" he said. .ds seventy-seven
vigintillions-it runs thousands, mill
lions. billions. trillions. quadrillions.
quintilIions, sextillions. septilIions, oc-
tnlions, nonillions. decillions. undecil-
lions, duodeciIlions. tredecillions. quad
ricillions, quindecillions, sexdecillions,
sepdeciIIions, octeci11ions. nondecnlions.
vigintillions.
| Griffith juggIes the different 'tillions as
the ordinary individual does thousands.
When he was taken to the East by pro-
fessors of the State University mathema-
ticians of the Yale cIassed him with the
ten or twelve most notable prodigies OF
history.
Those who have followed his career will
recall that when he was discovered.
eight years ago, there was a great deal
of speculation as to the stability OF his
mind
\ 1t was pointed out that most Of the
mathematical prodigies were monomani-
acs. knowing nothing but figures, and not
being able often to tell how they solved
| their problems. Those who knew Grif-
fifth when he first attracted State atten-
ton and know him today have no doubt
that his mind is normal In other lines
He not only writes much better than
most Of the people do who write occa-
sionally for publication, but his language
is good He states clearly all kinds OF
commercial propositions In which he uses
figures. He converses well on general
subjects when he is drawn from his ab-
sorbing study Of figures.
His lightning calculation IL remarkable
and clearly outclasses the work OF ordi-
nary lightning calculators. 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. day after he has
been asked to multiply any number-say
64s, 397x3Os s97-he can restate the prob
lem correctly from memory and also talk
of the result Of his previous calculations
He makes all OF his calculations mentally
and only writes the answers down. Such
proposition as the one given Is solved
as fast as he can write down the figures,
and he writes them very rapidly.
''I came to town this week." he said to
the News, with some problems for the
teachers of mathematics that I believe
will defy the skill Of the best Of them
have obtained the answers to the prob
lens, and they will interest those who
like to figure.
''The first is-what would be the COM
pound interest on 81 at 8 per cent from
the time of the birth Of Christ to the
present time?
IT would only suggest that those who
figure must not be afraid Of the numbers
in which they will become involved, for the
| amount would make over SO 900 900 900 OOO-
600 O00. 900 OO0 900 900 OO0 OOO OO0OO0 1t will be
profitable for people who are paying in
terest to work on this problem. for 1t
will show them what a mountain COM
pound interest will build. This was the
most difficult problem have ever figured
out. 1t took me half an hour"
SHORT 81 EENEC