The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-05
A CHILD MYSTERY.
An Unlettercd Infant Of Three Who
Identifies Printed Musical Titles.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Str: A
few days ago | saw a small boy OF 8
who seemed to be possessed OF a very
exceptional or singular talent or power.
The father of the child Is English and
would easily measure up to the standard
OF the smart. up to date business man.
The mother is American. possesses a
considerable amount OF social culture, Is
vivacious in temperament and possesses
the gifts of wit and repartee.
The child in question Is perfectly
healthy and has been healthy since his
birth. Apart from the curious power or
ability about to be described. he IL
seemingly not otherwise precocious or
abnormal. He exhibits nothing else in
the present stage OF his physical or
mental development that would mark
him off or distinguish him from the
average child. except perhaps that
music has strong attraction for him.
The curious power that made him an
object Of lively interest to me. and
several others. is:
lie has not learned letters. Indeed
he cannot even articulate, or pronounce
words distinctly or correctly, pronoun-
cling tfisyllabic words as most children
are wont to do when emery from
infancy. Yet, by some strange power or
ability that will doubtless seem TO some
incredible, he can TAX "a collection Of
Edison's ~sraphophone records and read
Off, or give out. the names of them in
rapid succession. lie can make known
the names as rapidly as n grownup
person could. the only difference being
hat he often m~ispronounces the con-
sonant sounds In wore that contain
more than two syllables, having "A pro-
nounced tendency to give the sibiiant
letters a lisping sound
What is more. he can read on the
titles of graphophone records rapidly
and correctly even when the names OF
the records are held toward him upside
down.
Indeed, I saw him do something still
more remarkable: n a friend. who
stood at the rear Of him while he was
manipulating the graphophone on the
floor, took out one of a collection Of
records. noted the inscribed title, and
he, without looking at II, told US It's
name before he put II on the revolving
disk. OF a collection Of thirty-two rec
ords that his mother held In her lap he
gave us the names, as rapidly and cor
rectly and without a single miss as any
rownu person could do. excepting that
he m-ispronounced the larger words. such
as Mississippi" as would he natural In
undeveloped articulating powers. a few
minutes before he accomplished the
same feat with a dozen RECORDS.
He can 60 to a table where there is n
large pile of records and pick out the one
he is asked to bring. No matter how the
records may be shufiled up he will tell
correctly the one he Ia asked to name.
Before reading the name OF the record.
or doing what looks like reading II, he
has to take 1t in his hand and LOOK at II
sometimes insisting on having more
light. In most cases a glance Is SUM-
cient for his purpose.
The youngster has been developing
this curious ability for the past SIX
months. He nay be coaxed but he can
! not be bullied into exercising this sing
ula faculty. He has a determined will
OF his own and when the mood or I'M
pulse catches him he will refuse point
blank. father. mother II everybody
| else, to exercise his gift for the enter.
tainment of others. \ few moment
| after. all his opposition has vanished
and he will do as requested. allured by
some pretty present He seems TO pos
sess the same power in regard to reading
of the names of shee; music.
The accuracy and correctness OF the
facts set forth above are attested and
vouched for by a number of competent
witnesses.
II you. therefore, or any of the cul-
,ured readers OF THE Sun. who may be
posted In experimental psychology or In
the field of psychic research, will offer n
satisfactory explanation OF the curious
faculty displayed by the child. | viii
consider myself greatly beholden. as re-
peated efforts on my part have failed &c
oxcogitate any solution that l could
regard as a satisfactory theory.
L. j. c.
BALTIMORE, Md. July Z.