No. 1. The way I committed things to memory as a child was by noticing numbers and names of shop windows and doors, also numbers of cabs, then I would walk down the street after dark and locate them in my mind.
No. 2. I memorised Kings and Queens in history simply by reading other history of the same period.
No. 3. I memorised races and sports simply by records of each event of other countries.
No. 4. I memorised Battles and Campaigners simply by history repeating itself and memorising as many battles as occurred on the anniversary of the same day.
No. 5. Other great aids to Memory are travel ad power of location and repeated in your mind till you cannot forget them or it.
No. 6. To memorise 120 names learn six at a time, and repeat to yourself you will know by heart in nine hours. I was only two hours.
No. 7. To memorise card games play with an imaginary person or player till you know all the cards in the pack.
No. 8. To memorise figures add up to 30, then add a battle or wreck to each number below thirty until you have memorised thirty wrecks, battles, racehorses, or any thirty facts you put with the thirty figures.
No. 9. To memorise faces, friends or strangers, and to recognise them again, or next time you see them, remember where you met, time of day and circumstance such as weather or an anniversary of a great event, etc.
No. 10. To improve your Memory at all times let nothing escape your notice. Get up in the morning and repeat to yourself the events of the day before. If you do that, say, for fifteen consecutive days, see what a wonderful store of knowledge you will gain and make your memory become perfect under my perfect system.
Yours faithfully,
DATAS.
"Am I Right, Sir?"
49, Brixton Hill, London, S.W.2.
Telephone: Brixton 4522.
Was born at Newnham, in Kent, July 20, 1875; at the age of eleven removed to Forest Hill, and was at once launched upon the ocean of life to earn a living; at work South Eastern Railway, and for some time van boy on the London Parcels Delivery Company: at the age of 16 entered the employment of the Crystal Palace gas works and remained there until June, 1901.
While having some refreshment, I overheard two gentlemen discussing the date of the finish of the great Tichborne trial. Neither of them knew the correct date, so I ventured to interpose the remark; "I beg your pardon, gentlemen, but the date of the close of the Tichborne trial was February 28th, 1874." One of the gentlemen rurned round and said, "Why that was before you were born!" I replied, "I am quite aware of that." and then went on to give them all the leading particulars of that famous trial.
Finding how surprised they were at my stock of knowledge, I felt encouraged, and continued with a number of dates and events in English history, and the names of Derby and Oaks winners in rapid succession. Quite unnoticed by me, a third gentleman was a listener to our conversation, and when I had finished my long string of dates, he quickly came up to me and put the momentous question, "Would you like to go upon the stage?" I thought the gentleman was joking, but to convince me that he was in earnest, he slipped a sovereign into my hand, saying "Come along with me and I will show you whether or not I am joking." He then took me to the Standard Music Hall, Victoria, where without ado, I at once gave my first performance. My advance was rapid and at the end of my twelve months' engagement at the Palace Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, I arranged with Mr. H. E. Moss for a twenty weeks' tour throughot the British Isles. Among other places, I appeared at Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dublin, Liverpool, Birmingham, and Sheffield, and during the tour many out-of-the-way questions were put to me.
I have had the honour of appearing before the most distinguished audiences in private residences and at garden parties, and Royalty and Nobility have been pleased to ask questions and listen to my replies.
I have been to Australia twice, New Zealand and South Africa, Perth, Fremantle, Sydney, New South Wales, Tasmania, Ceylon, Johannesburg, the United States of America, Gibraltar and Naples, also all over the United Kingdom.
"I can state 2,000 facts and dates about the War." said Datas to a "News of the World" representative, the dates of all the declarations of war, of all the battles, of the landing of expeditionary forces in all parts of the world, the names and dates of towns captured in all the theatres of war, the dates when ships were sunk, when the leading generals were born, and a host of other things besides, including the date of every air raid on any town in England.
Datas accepts a limited number of engagements for Concerts, Soirees, At-Homes, Recitals, Masonic Banquets, etc.