A PHENOMENAL MEMORY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 11910, 5 July 1906, Page 4

A PHENOMENAL MEMORY.

Thx American chess player, 11. N. Pillsbury, whose death was announced recently, was able to achieve astonishing feats of memory when at the zenith of his fame. On one occasion he played twenty- simultaneous games without seeing any of the hoards. One blindfolded game is far beyond the power of 09 out of 100 chess players, but Pillsbury succeeded in the colossal task of remembering for several hours the constantly changing position* <<f 640 bits of wood. Not only did he win fourteen, draw five, and lose but one bf these twenty games, but at the close also remembered the details of every play, and corrected several mistakes which had 1 been wade in recording them. About seven years ago, when he visited England, he gave an extraordinary display before the Metropolitan Chess Club, London. He played blindfolded ugainat six opponents at chess, two at draughts, and at the saute time took a hand at whist, winning every game of chess and draughts, notwithstanding the fact that all engaged in the contest* were strong players. Of the whist Uie first rubber went against him, the score being 1 to 2 ; the second rubber was not finished, each winning a point. Play lasted three hours and a quarter. Mr Pillsbury on- another occasion offered to memorise any thirty words that might be read to him once. Dr. Threlkeld-Edwards, of Bethlehem, and Professor. Merriman, of Leigh University, were commissioned to prepare a li3t of "jaw-breakers." Their selection was as follows: — Antiphlogistiue, uoriosteum, takediastase, plasmon, ambrosia, Threlkeld, streptococcus, staphelococcus, microcossus, plasmodium, Mississippi, t'reiheit, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, athletics, no war, Etchenberg, American, Russia, philosophy, Piet Potgieter's Rest, Salmagundi, Oomiaillccootsi, Baagmamvate, Schlochtcr's Nek, Manzinyama, theosophy, catechism, Madjesoomalopa. Mr Pillsbury repeated these words in the order given, and' in the reverse order, and did not have any difficulty in repeating them the next day.