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. |
Labels: Rube Fields