Rube Fields And His Gift

Rube Fields, circa unknown.



From the January 12, 1899 issue of the Owingsville Outlook.
Note the fourth paragraph about Rube Fields.
 The third paragraph is interesting too!

Many of you have heard of Rube Fields already, but I hope the excerpt below brings a personal element to his story that might be missing otherwise.  My father-in-law spoke of Mr. Fields often, always with a sense of amazement and respect, never with any hint of derision.  There is a lesson in that for all of us. 
Small town living can be hard and it can even be brutal to those who march to a different drummer, but it has long been my opinion that one thing small towns do best is to take care of those among us who may have what we now call "special needs." I know this is true of our Bath County towns because I have witnessed it hundreds of times in many different ways.  ~Ginger
From the journals:
“I can’t accept money for taking inventory of your store goods because God might take away my gift." So spoke one of the most unusual persons that ever lived.  This man was born and reared in Bath County and later made occasional trips to Missouri.  Rube Fields has been a legend in Bath County since the time he became an adult.
Rube grew up in the White Oak community.  A multitude of the stories told about this interesting man were true.  There are many skeptics who do not believe Rube could have worked such magic.  If Mr. Fields lived today, he would probably be referred to as a "walking computer."  Certainly it was uncanny how he could give you the exact time of day without looking at a watch.   Some fellas were not too sure if Rube could tell time by a watch.  It is a fact, though, that he could – if he would – give you the correct time at any time, without looking at one.  Boys, having heard of his power, would slip up on Rube and ask for the time.  Rube would respond, "It’s time you were at home getting in your mother’s firewood."  Time telling was only a small part of his gift
Mathematical problems and the solving of them seemed to be the greatest gift that this man had.  Rube would not have been able to solve the problem on paper, but would instantaneously give the answer after the problem had been stated.  You might give him a problem such as this:  How many times would a locomotive wheel turn over between Salt Lick and Preston if the circumference of the wheel is 8’4” and the distance by rail between the two points is seven and three miles?  He could respond immediately with the correct answer.
The town council in Owingsville had a large cistern built alongside the old courthouse.* Old cisterns were usually a cylinder which began to taper in toward the top forming a cone, but the cone is chopped off at the top.  The point made here is that not everyone can figure to the gallon what the capacity of such a cistern would be.  The "town fathers" calculated what they believed to be accurate to the gallon and then called in Rube Fields and gave him the dimensions.  Rube unhesitatingly answered and the councilmen informed him that this was one time that he had missed.  Not being satisfied, however, one of the councilmen took the problem to a mathematician (reputedly a college professor of mathematics) and of course Rube had it to the gallon.
Some of the top circuses in the United States tried to no avail to employ Rube but again he stated, "I can’t accept money because God might take my gift away from me."
Rube loved to go into a cane field and eat and suck on the cane until he had his fill.  He also used soap differently than most.  Rube would rub dry soap on his face until it became red and slick.
Mr. Fields was a large man with a ruddy complexion.  He was well liked but folks often tested him because they wondered about his gift.
Perhaps you wonder about the author’s source of information.  The author’s father knew Rube Fields.  Other fellas also knew this great man with the unbelievable gift.**
It is understood why most people do not believe the exploits of Rube Fields and the author would be one also had his father not known him.  It is thought by some that knew Rube that he died between 1910 and 1912.
For those of you who saw the movie "Rain Man," Rube was much like the character played by Dustin Hoffman, except that character had some formal education and Rube was illiterate.  The medical term for such gifted persons is "idiot savant.”***

*My father in law notes in the margins of his writing that the cistern is "still to the west of the courthouse near Main Street," and it is - see the picture below.  You can see the location of several old cisterns on the 1914 maps of Owingsville that we have linked to.   Some of them have since been filled in, and to give you an idea of how big they are, Don says you could fit two cars inside.

**He also notes in the margins that "Mr. Jeff" knew Rube Fields, Mr. Jeff being Jefferson L. Darnell, Don’s grandfather or Mr. Burl’s father-in-law.  I'm sure he heard stories from him as well.

***The term "idiot savant" has fallen out of favor because not all savants have limited intelligence.  "Autistic savant" was used for a while because quite a few (fifty percent) of savants are autistic.  Not all are, of course, so the term "savant syndrome" is now the preferred one.

The cistern that was the focus of Rube Fields' calculations.

The cistern is right beside the court house
- you've probably walked by it or over it countless times. 

          


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