The Washington herald., 1909-10-24

Boston has another prodigy. The bald
statement Is not the conveyance OF a
particularly unusual fact. Boston always
is producing prodigies. Thus It has at
tanned its souhriquet OF The Hub OF
the intellectual universe. But the city
Of learning has especial reason for self
congratulatlon over the phenomenal chill
dren It has developed within the present
year.
Prodigies OF the mental sort considered
as class are not unusual David was
something on that order. and King Solo
mon was a particularly brilliant example,
writes Charles H. Leichllter in the Chi
cago Record-Herald.
In every century. practically, since the
beginning OF the Christian era, there
have been produced children Of abnormal
mentality. Some of the most brilliant
lights OF literature, and most OF science
were infant prodigies. There have been
many others who. developing at an IN
usually early age, did not live to con-
clude the possibilities Of what their child
hood gave promise. Thus came. no
doubt, the adage that the good die
young"
Many people endowed with seemingly
superhuman intelligence have lived to
ripe years. The majority Of these have
lacked in some essential respect. The
younger Pitt, for instance, died in pow
crty, and besides burying him, his gov
eminent. in recognition OF his brilliant
services. set aside sum approxlmating
about 100000 TO pay his debts. Others
less fortunate lapsed with their death
into an obscurity not awakened until
many years after by the appreciation Of
a dilatory world.
The wonderful Chatterton severed the
frail strand Of his brilliant lift at eight
cen: Aaron Burr, beginning life with an
endowment OF mentality far exceeding
the average. lapsed from the beaten
paths Of honor and died in disgrace.
But IN their proportion history teaches
that prodlgies have an equal chance with
more commonplace mortals. There are
many instances, such as Macaulay. Bry-
ant. Edward Everett Hale, and host OF
others. who lived to ripe old ages. with
years full OF honor. and the appreciation
OF their fellow-men.
BostOn's Clever Boys.
The prodigies OF the past did not, how
ever, equal in the roundness OF their
accomplishments the phenomenally de-
veloped boys who In the present year
have FURNISHED the claim Of Boston to
superior intellectually. Norbert weiner
THE cleverest boy In the world" and
William J. Sidis, the most recently re-
ported Boston prodigy, at the ages OF
fourteen and eleven. respectively, hold in
their craniums funds Of information and
reasoning ability rarely possessed by stu
dents Of triple their ages.
Weiner graduated from Tufts College
last June. being the youngest known per-
son to attain the degree OF bachelor OF
arts. Young Sidls matriculated at Har-
ward University the beginning Of the
present month. Weiner was fourteen
when he graduated at Tufts; Sidis is now
eleven, and II he bears out the promise
OF the accomplishment OF the brief years
OF his life, will encompass the academic
course OF the university within three
years.
Weiner might possibly have graduated
from Harvard at about the same time ne
took his degree from Tufts. There was a
vast amount Of clubbing over the admis-
sion Of boy of his years. and eventually
his parents decided that he should with
draw his application for entrance to the
larger university and take the course OF
the lesser known college instead.
With the record Of Weiner's illustrious
achievement freih IN their minds, the au-
thorities Of Harvard have permitted