This Boy Really Was a Mathematician

A story that was one of the hits of the recent convention of the advertising men and women of the world that met at Houston, was told by U. S. Senator Morris Sheppard, of Texas, and belongs in everyone's story collection.

A farmer's boy turned up who was one of these mathemathical geniuses of the character that appears now and then, who could do things instantly that wire past understanding. He could add a huge row of figures at a glance, and do many other things that bordered on the psychic. People came from far and near to see him perform, and he was always glad to entertain and mystify them.

One day he had done many wonderful things for some important visitors, and they were extravagant in their admiration and wonder at this thing that was so plainly a gift and inspiration. After a while the boy's father re- marked that the stunt the boy did that in his judgment far surpassed any of the blackboard and other mathematical tricks, wa6 to instantly count a great flock of sheep in a field, at one glance.

The visitors expressed their amazement that even this wonderful youth could perform such a miracle, so his father agreed to show thern. They counted a great fock of sheep, then called the boy, and at a single glance he said: .,There are one thousand, eight hundred, and forty-three sheep." Which was the correct number.

Then one of the visitors, extravagant in his admiration, asked the boy if he could possibly explain how, at a glance at this field filled with moving sheep he arrived at the exact number. The boy said that he COULD explain it. "Please do so," said the visitor.

"f count their feet and divide by four," replied the marvel.