A LIGHTNING CALCULATOR OF TO-DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2056, 20 July 1893, Page 41

A LIGHTNING CALCULATOR OF TO-DAY.

Surprising Feats op an Obscure Genius.

Probably in every thousand persons who have heard of Strathpeffer, the famous Scottish watering place, there are to be found only one or two who are aware of the existence of its greatest genius. This man— Mr John Alexander — is popularly known as " John, the Calculator," and is, by profession, a luggage poiter. He is a shaggy specimen of the Highlander, and his untidy, red-coloured beard spreads all over a face that, in size, is proportionate to his head, which requires an eight and a-half hattorltit. The old saying, " Big head and little wit," does not hold good in John's case, for, perhaps without exception, be is the most expert mental calculator living. He has tried conclusions with those of far greater pretensions ; for, after coming in contact with John at the Edinburgh Exhibition, a certain " professor," who claimed to be the calculating king, was constrained to lower his colours and pack his portmanteau. The ease and rapidity with which this man " reels off " answers to the moßt difficult arithmetical problems are sufficient to single him out as one of the greatest marvels in the mental calculation line.

John's wonderful capacity for figures is well known to the hundreds of visitors who crowd the beautiful Spa in the summer months, and it is a common thing to see the old porter surrounded by a number of them, plying him with all sorts of questions, and taking care to check his answers, which are invariably given as quickly as the questions are put. Not only is this calculating prpdigy a ready-reckoner, but he is invariably correct. As a matter of fact, he once corrected a ready-reckoner. It happened in this way : — One day, a summer or two ago, a gentleman staying at Dingwall waylaid the.calculator, with the determination to "trip him up "if possible. Producing a ready-reckoner, he proceeded to rattle off his questions like a veritable Gatling gun. But "John"withstood the broadside, and parried successfully every thrust. In desperation his questioner turned over leaf after leaf until he came to what he thought would certainly prove puzzlers. " How much," said he, posting himself in a defiant attitude — "how much is 30,000 at 16a 6d each?" John blinked and instantly^replied : "£24,750." "Right! Here's another. What change would I get back if I bought 900 articles at 17s and gave for them £766 1 " " You would just get what you would be entitled to— that is £1. for everybody knows that 900 at 17s is £765,"replied John smiling. " Wonderful I " gasped the astonished questioner, as he prepared another problem. " One hundred and nineteen articles at 18s each— how much ? "

Hardly were the words uttered when the answer came : " £107 25." " Wrong 1 Wrong for oncej " shouted his questioner exultantly. The calculator smiled, and begged to differ.

"Your book may be wrong," added he quietly, " but I m right." The book was wrong, and the disappointed visitor shut it, pocketed ifc, and left abruptly. The porter likes to tell that story. An hour or two's continuous calculation tires the old man far more thoroughly, he says, than the hardest day's work, and a very difficult problem makes beads of sweat to stand out on his brow.

John relates one rather remarkable incident of his calculating experiences. Some

leading mathematicians from the South aseason or two ago found themselves in> Strathpeffer. They had heard of the fame of this untutored labouring man, and they resolved to put him to the test.

The place of meeting arranged was the billiard room of one of the hotels, and, on arrival, John found his interviewers awaiting him armed with large, figure-covered sheets, on which were marked out all the answers to their "posers." Two gentlemen were, meantime, playing billiards, and just at the instant the first question — and the simplest of the series — was put to the calculator, the billiard balls knocked together with a sharp rap, and " for the life of him," as John put it, his answer would not come.

The other problems, all much more difficult than the first one, were solved as fast as they were put forward ; but Jhe answer to the first question he seemed totally unequal to giving. Whenever, however, the old man got beyond reach of the noise of the billiard balls the temporary mental incapacity vanished.

We have often wiled away the tedium of waiting at the village railway station by putting John's wonderful mental faculties in motion, and more than once we have seen the sweat drip over the old man's face as he good-humouredly plied his genius to keep pace with our curiosity. Far from fighting shy of fractions, old John has rather a liking for them, and he finds an answer as quickly to questions loaded with fractions as to questions without them.

" Here's one with fractions for you, John," we said one day. "Are you ready? It is five miles between the Spa and the county town. How many revolutions would a fourpenny piece, covering | of an inch at each turn, make in going that distance ? " Like lightning the answer came : "362,057 1-7; that's as easy as smoking my pipe ! "

"Are you ready again? My watch gives 160 ticks in a minute, how many ticks would it give in a year (365 days, six hours)?"

"Phew ["replied the calculator smilingly, "is that the deadliest shot you can give me? Any stupid could tell you that— 84,153,600."

Again he was right, for we had carefully worked out the question beforehand. "Here's a final shot, then," said we as John turned to go.

" A corn yard contains 90 stacks ; each stack is composed of 615 sheaves ; in each sheaf there are 10CO stalks, and on each stalk there are 60 grains. How many grains are there in the stack 7 "

In foufseconds the answer came correctly :

"3,321,000,000."

" Right again 1 Now, suppose the owner received a penny for" every grain in the stack, what would the value of his cheque be 1 "

"A bigger one," said the calculator laughing, " than it will ever be your luck or mine to possess— only the tiny total of £13,837,500."

The " calculator " has got many " posers " in his day, but if asked what has been the moßt difficult ever given him, he will tell you, adding :

" I gave the answer correotly. The gentleman who gave me the question had the answer before him and he declared that I had given one figure inaccurately. He was wrong, and when he discovered his mistake he looked crestfallen."

The question referred to was as follows :—

"A certain newspaper has 42 letters in each line; 190 lines in a column, seven columns in each page ; eight pages in each paper ; how many letters would there be in 313 issues of that paper 1 " When John heard that question he doffed his cap, considered for a moment, and then gave the answer—" 139,873,440."

Many times have attempts been made to get at the theory of arithmetic known by this calculating genius ; but these attempts have been vain, for the man seems to be able to "carry" hundreds of thousands with as much apparent ease as ordinary mortals do single figure?. As soon might we expect an infant to swing^a giant's club as an ordinary brain to solve the"Sfralihpeffer porter's theory of calculation.

No wonder that the question is often pur-, "Why has this wonderful faculty of his never been properly utilised Ijl1 j1 and that the exclamation is often heard, " This man was surely intended to be something greater than the trundler of a luggage barrow I "