William S. Hutchings
Encyclopedia
William S. Hutchings, also known as Professor Hutchings and the Lightning Calculator, was a 19th century math
prodigy
and mental calculator
who P. T. Barnum
first billed as the "Boy Lightning Calculator". He later worked as a sideshow
barker
and wrote a book called The Lightning Calculator.
T. Allston Brown's History of the American Stage Biographical Sketches 1733 - 1870 (circus related)
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
prodigy
Child prodigy
A child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
and mental calculator
Mental calculator
Mental calculators are people with a prodigious ability in some area of mental calculation, such as multiplying large numbers or factoring large numbers...
who P. T. Barnum
P. T. Barnum
Phineas Taylor Barnum was an American showman, businessman, scam artist and entertainer, remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and for founding the circus that became the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus....
first billed as the "Boy Lightning Calculator". He later worked as a sideshow
Sideshow
In America, a sideshow is an extra, secondary production associated with a circus, carnival, fair or other such attraction.- Types of attractions :There are four main types of classic sideshow attractions:...
barker
Barker (occupation)
A barker is a person who attempts to attract patrons to entertainment events, such as a circus or funfair, by exhorting passing public, describing attractions of show and emphasizing variety, novelty, beauty, or some other feature believed to incite listeners to attend entertainment...
and wrote a book called The Lightning Calculator.
External links
- http://www.circushistory.org/History/Brown.htm
T. Allston Brown's History of the American Stage Biographical Sketches 1733 - 1870 (circus related)