The Washington herald., 1909-10-24

young sldis 10 enter the university. after
an exceptionally thorough examination,
! as full-ledged freshman.
A seIf-educated Prodigy.
| The record OF young Sldis Is perhaps the
most remarkable example OF infant men
tai prodigity known in the world He
was able to read and write when he was
two years old. He became deeply alb
/ sorbed I'm books when other children were
playing in the mud and building houses
/ with blocks. He really IS a self-educated
child. Comparatively a few months.
probably not many more than he num-
bers years Of his age. were spent by
! the boy under the instructions OF teach
| ers. Most Of what he learned, and even
now his knowledge appears 10 be limit
less. has been picked Up by the child
| himself, unasslsted by his parents
In many respects the record OF Weiner
parallels that OF Sidis.' When Wener was
! eighteen months old he knew the Eng
| fish alphabet; at three years he could
read and write; at five he studied Latin;
/ at six he had mastered arithmetic. alge-
| bra, plane and solid geometry: at eight
he read books IN Latin, German, French,
and Russian readily: at nine he could
| reason problems intrigonOmetry and cal
culus. and was given to perusing the
/ works OF ancient philosophers.
Sidis had not, possibly. the advantage
/ OF Weiner in the matter OF teachers.
Much Of his earlier knowledge was ac-
/ quired from an assiduoUs reading Of
\ books which he obtained from his fifth
year at the Brookline Public Library.
/ When he was six he went 20 school. He
]
] grades. but aftur six months the school
authorities withdrew him. for he knew
more than was taught at that school.
and It would have been waste OF time
10 have kept him longer with the other
pupils, ordinarily bright enough, but
drones compared with him.
The following two years he spent at
home, not in idleness. for his brain was
always active, and he was continually
| absorbing knowledge. ~ eight he was
sent TO the Brookline High School. He
remained there five months That was
long enough, for he then was further
advanced than the school
Young Sidls evinced strong liking for
mathematics and physics at the age of
eight, and was greatly interested IN as
tronomy and other sciences. Even al
that age he was ready for college, but
his parents, both OF whom are physicians.
declined 70 send him to the higher insti-
tutions as they were Of the opinion that
their son would do more thorough work
at home. He was permitted to study
whenever he liked. II he preferred 70
go for a walk he could do so; IL he
chose 20 stay IN the house, he did so; II
he wished to study geometry. he was
his own master; he was never forced.
/
Young Sidis always has preferred the
company Of men and women who gather
at his home, who are on an intellectual
footing with him, to the boys Of the
neighborhood. He discusses on advanced
sciences with the learning OF a professor
When boy OF eight he spoke four lam
guages As freshman AT the Brookline
High School, he took second-year prizes
with pupils nearly twice as old as him.
self Already he has made astronomical
calculations that have puzzled professors
IN mathematics. invented q new system
or logarithms in series OF twelves instead
OF tens, prepared an outline OF advanced
grammar, and helped pupils In classes
above him 70 master their lessons.
Sldis appears 20 NJ mere closely the &C.
cepted caricature Of the Boston boy than
does Weiner. Weiner Is a thorough boy
fond Of outdoor sports, and TO a certain
extent Of the companionship of other chill
dren Of his age
The wisdom Of the parents OF both of
these twentieth century prodigies is man
ifested by the care exercised in preserv-
Ing all the simplicity Of youth. The par
ents Of both are Russians. SO far from
submitting to the natural pride Of a par