The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-06-16
WONDERFUL MATHEMATICIAN
Zerah coburn Of Cabot Was a Light
ming Calculator.

ming Calculator.
ming calculators" who ever lived was
Zerah Coburn, who was born in Cab
OF September /, 1904 and who became
an eminent teacher OF mathematics In
several institutions of learning His
father was much surprised one day
to hear him repeating the product Of
several numbers, although he had at
the time In question received no other
instruction than such as could be OBJ
tanned In a-small country school, the
curriculum OF which did not include
either writing or ciphering The
father thereupon proposed variety
OF arthmetical questions TO his son,
all OF which the child answered with
remarkable facility and accuracy. At
the age of eight young Coburn was
able TO solve the most difficult ques-
lions by the mere operation of his
mind Many persons eminent for
their knowledge in mathematics made
a point OF seeing and conversing with
him and they proposed to him great
variety OF questions In order to test
his marvellous powers. Among these
questions were the following
Give the square of 999,999?"
After hesitating moment the boy
said II was 999,99S. 000,00l and obser.
wed that he produced this result by
multiplying the square Of 37.037 by
1.-The square of q. He was then asked
to multiply his given result twice by
40 and once by 20. task which he
accomplished successfully though
the answer consists of II figures.
Name the cube root OF 1898, 34S,
677?" was the next trial given little
Coburn.
To this he gave the correct answer
in five seconds.
How many times will coach
wheel IL feet In circumference turn
round in 25G miles, and how many
minutes in 40 years."
To the first he replied in two sec
onds. ll2,640 and the second before
the whole question could be written
down 25.22S.S00, and added that the
number of seconds in given period
was l,5l3,72S,OOO.
What are the factors of 247 ,4S3?"
The boy almost Immediately replied
that they We're 94l and 262 and that
these were the only factors.
Various other questions of SINH
lar nature respecting the roots and
powers of very high numbers were in
discriminatory proposed to young Co.
burn and he always succeeded In Civ.
ing the correct answers. He could
tell the exact product arising from the
multiplication of any numbers by any
lother number consisting of an equal
number of figures; or, il any number
consisting of six or seven places OF
figures was proposed, he would deter
mine with equal ease and expedition
all the factors of which it was com
posed. This singular faculty, there
fore intended not only to the raising
of powers, but also to the extraction
of the square and cube roots of Ger.
tain numbers proposed, and this with.
out the assistance or any aid in the
form of pencil and paper.
Many persons tried to obtain q
knowledge of the method by which
the boy was enabled to answer with
so much facility and correctness the
question put TO him but without sue.
cess, for he positively declared that
he was unable TO explain the manner
in which he arrived at his results
That his process of operation was diff
ferent from the usual mode of pro-
= ceeding was evident. for he was en-.
tirely ignorant of the common rules OF
arithmetic at this time, and could not
perform upon paper one single exam.
iple In multiplication or division. But
in the extraction of roots and the
mentioning of factors he gave the re.
piles so promptly as not to admit of
lengthy operation taking place in his
mind when these replies would re
lquire, according to the ordinary meth
cd OF solution, a very difficult and la
borious calculation.
After exhibiting his powers In
many parts Of the United States
young Coburn was taken to England
In 1872. The Earl of Bristol among
Others took great interest In the boy
and sent him to Westminster school
for seven years. His father refused
to comply with certain arrangements
proposed by the earl, so the latter
then abandoned the youth and young
Cobum was compelled to try the
stage as a profession. He studied
under Charles Kemble, but his first
appearance before the footlights con
vinced both Kemble and himself that
he was not adapted for theatrical
life, consequently the youth returned
to this country, and began his career
as professor of mathematics. He was
to the end of his days undoubtedly a
very proficient mathematician, in
spite of his assertion, made In his
autobiography published in 1S33-the
work from which these facts are TAX
en-that his marvellous capacity for
computation left him about the time
The reached manhood