The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1916-03-23
OLD FATHERS FOR GENIUS
Usually Younger Sons in Biz Families
or Father Married Iaie--s200 Of
fcred Finder of Superior Person
with Four Generations OF Ancestors
In Century Only Two Claimants.

In Century Two Claimants.
In April. 1914. Mr. Redheld offered
the American Genetic Association
500 for a single case Of a very great
man having been produced by breed
ing which was as rapid as three gen
erations to the century; and an addi-
tional 500 for evidence that more
than three intellectually eminent men
had as many as four generations in a
century ia the male line alone.
The time limit Of the offer expired
on December 81 last There were only
two serious claimants for this money.
Marshall Nevers Of Brooklyn enter
40 William the Conqueror and Profes-
sor Heinrich c. keidel Of Ohio State
University entered Frederick the
Great, the pedigrces Of both Of these
monarchs showing three generations
10 the century.
But the council OF the Genetic
Association feels there is some doubt
as TO .he eligibility Of either William
or Frederick TO a place among the
really intellectually great, 50 Mr., Red
field has extended his offer for another
year and doubled the rewards.
"The offer" he writes, "now is 5000
for any superior person produced al
the rate Of four generations to the
century, and another 5000 for any
very superior person produced at the
rate Of three generation to the cen
tury."
In addition Mr.. Redfeld offers 5000
for certain data ON heredity that viii
interest only livestock breeders.
Napoleon an Exception
In a pamphlet entitled Great Men
and How They are Produced" Mr..
Redfeld offers partial statistics of the
heredity of 57l eminent men.
He calls attention 20 the early mar
riages of New Englanders in the l7th
and 18th centuries, and cites the fam
lily histories Of 1900 Of them to show
that the average time for one gener-
alton was 1888 years; for two gener-
ations, 65.26 years; for three genera
tions, 96.5 years.
Yet the great men produced b.
.hese New Englanders were usually
younger sons. born after their fathers
had attained maturity.
"The poten. progenitor is the son or
daughter Of an old SIRE" he writes.
.'The same is true CT horses"
Joseph. in spite Of cruel vicissitudes,
rose TO height above his older breth-
rem that made him shine like sun
among a lot Of third and fourth mag
nitude stars.
Benjamin Franklin, the younges:
son of youngest sons for five gener-
ations, is the only member Of his fam
lily worthy Of niche in the Hall of
Fame
There are ptions-Napoleon
Bonaparte, for instance, who was the
second son of a family Of eight, and
was born when his father was % and
his mother 10. But examination of
the geneaology of such exceptions
shows almost invariably that their
fathers and grandfathers were the
sons of middle aged or elderly men.
Some Striking Instances
Here are some striking instances
selected almost at random from Mr..
Rcdfeld's lis:
Mohammed's father was only %
when his son was born. But Abdallah,
the father, was the son of man past
&C, who was son of Hashim in his old
age, who was younger son Of Add
Menaf, who was younger son of
Cossai.
Confucius' father was II when the
great Chinese philosopher was born.
son, who never won any
fame, was born when his father was
10. I
Buddha was the son Of 51yearold I
father and a. year-old mother. !
David, the youngest son of Jesse, t
was 81 when Solomon was born. Sol B
omon was IL when his son and heir, |
was born. And :he king o
dom Of Israel was wrecked under Re. y
hoboam. h
George Washington was the son Of
q 3s-year-old father, who was the son G
" Si-yoar- old father, Washington n
mother was the daughter Of a 6l- year o
I'D father.
Alexander the Greats father, Philip
II Maccdon, was only 26 when his
'amous son was born, but Philip was d
.on Of a father considerably over 60 a
Thomas A. Edison is the son Of a a
father
Bcechcr. Adams and Lee Vi
Analyzing the gcnealogy Of some \
auilies u which several mcmbcrs y
nale famous names for themselves =,
sc hnd striking confirmation of NJ !,