The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1916-10-12


two hundred pounds, and COM
pactly built. Two of his most
noted characteristics, physical
and intellectual, were the immen-
sity of brain and his power of
memory. He could scarcely ever
get a ready-made hat that was
large enough for him to wear.
He required a number eight and
a quarter hat, and always had to
get one manufactured over a
special block. One day he came
into our village store and called
for a new hat. The merchant
laughingly replied that he had
the very thing to suit him. 1t
was a number eight plug hat,
and was several sizes too large
for any customer who had ever
yet presented himself. For this
reason the article had been on
hand for three or four years and
become shelf-worn. Itwas there
fore offered cheap, considering
the fneness of it's quality. But
on trying the headgear on it was
found to be a trife too small and
upon attempting to pull it down
in front the material, being some
what old and weakened, the rim
was torn off from ear to ear, leav-
ing only the back part Of the rim
attached, whilst the fore part
hung dangling under his chin. 1t
made him look like the pictures
of the Cannibal Islands.
Mr.. Chase'S memory was SIM
ply plodigious. He was an om-
niverous reader and seemed to
remember all that he had ever
read. He could repeat the entire
contents Of a newspaper or book
verbatim after several careful
readings. l remember that at
one time there were several of US
in his advanced reading class
that took two lessons in Pope'S
translation of Virgil. There were
five or six of US in the class, each
in turn reading a paragraph of
twenty or thirty lines at a time,
MIR. Chase with the rest. He
had no book in his hand himself,
but constantly walked the floor
before US, correcting all the mis-
takes made by those reading in
the books and then reclting his
oN n paragraph in regular order
from memory whenever 1t came
his turn to read. This he could
do throughout the entire length
of that masterly composition of
thirteen thousand, four hundred
and seventy lines.
Mr.. Chase was al. extraordin-
arily effective reader, owing to
his splendid voice, rhetorical
force and the hearty manner of
entering into the views and spirit
of ali author. He could recite
the Aeneid of Virgil with such a
zesC and dramatic power that an
attentive and sympathizing list
ener could well nigh imagine that
he saw the rude warriors of that
early day excitedly rushing ur
and down the banks of the mud.
dy Tiber; and then hear the louC
clangor of their arms as in com.
pact ranks they marched anC
fought over the Seven Hills u
ancient Latinum, long before the
full establishment of Old Rome
At least it would so appear to III
lnsophisticated boys as we list
ened to him recite.
Mr.. Chase's favorite authors
for his own private reading, al
stated, were mostly in the line o:
poetry and fiction. He was very
decided in his liking for Homer
Virgil. Shakespeare, Pope, Kirl
White. Byron, Sir Walter Scott
Cervantes, Swift, Fielding ant
Dickens. He had a keen appre
citation of comedy, and alway
had a readiness of repartee an,
wit in conversation, such as nigh
nave been expected from such al
apt student as he was of Deal
Swift and Sydney Smith. H
Vr,or full OE ht1y,ooro,1c -onnoSIAAoc