In June 1901, a fresh arrival in the entertainment world was the occasion of much speculation. The name of this new attraction was W.J.M.Bottle but it was as "Datas" that he rapidly became publicly known. As the name indicates, "Datas" specialized in dates. He claimed that the power of memorizing was a natural gift and in proof of this he expanded this power to such an extent that in the particular sphere of his operations he eventually reached a stage almost of infallibility.
"Datas" was born on 20 July, 1875, at Newnham, Kent, where his father kept a small shoe-mender's shop. As an infant, he was very delicate and was unable to walk until he reached his sixth birthday. It will be readily understood that the education of a young sickly child of poor working parents, who had a family of eleven to support, left much to be desired. By the time he had received sufficient schooling to enable him to read, the family removed to London and at the age of eleven "Datas" was working as a newspaper boy. Some eight months later he became a parcel boy at Lordship Lane station and remained there for three years. Then followed a short period as errand boy and in November, 1892, at the age of sixteen, he obtained employment at the Crystal Palace Gas Works. For a period of five years he was occupied in various ways at the gas works, eventually landing in the blacksmith's shop as a striker, for which he was paid twenty-four shillings a week.
From the time he was able to read, "Datas" began habitually to commit items of information to memory with the object of repeating them afterwards at leisure. From memorizing shopkeepers' names he got to cabbies' and policemen's numbers and then to reading Lloyd's newspaper. Writing of himself, "Datas" said: "Paper in hand, I would sit down on a little stool in a cosy corner by the fire-side, and, with my head resting against the chimney-piece, I would concentrate all my attention on the matter I wished to learn. I soon exhausted Lloyd's, and, though continuing to read it weekly, went further afield. A copy of Tussaud's calendar of events came into my possession. The mention of famous names therein whetted my appetite for works of history and adventure."
This process of acquiring information was carried on in the little spare time that was available and it would appear that "Datas" took particular care to ensure that each impression was sufficiently vivid to enable him to retain it indefinitely and to recall it at will. It was not until after he began his stage career that he knew anything of mnemonics but what he describes as "mental pictures" were undoubtedly of this nature, as witness: "Suppose I am asked the date of the Great Fire in London. I give the correct answer - 1666 - and immediately there rises before me a panoramic scene, as it were, of that calamity, from its start in Pudding Lane, to its finish in Pie Corner. The picture that is thus marvellously and so expeditiously drawn for me is one of my own fashioning entirely. The pencils are Nature's and the materials are the suggestions conveyed to the optical nerves by the facts hidden safely away in my mind. In what precise manner they act I know not. Suffice to say, I have the vision, and it materially assists me in narrating my version of the facts, acting as an all-powerful mentor. When in the future you are called upon to answer any questions, endeavour to call up at the same time some 'mind pictures', for you will find their help of immense value. Remember that failure is the result of a weak mental impression due in the first place to lack of concentration of thought on the subject matter you are endeavouring to commit to memory. Make up your mind always to create the strongest impression you are capable of creating and eventual success will not be wanting. To me, it is now all the same, whether it is a matter of trivial or great importance. Practice has enabled me to store and reproduce each fact, mentally and visually; with practice, lengthy and constant, you can do the same."
This is how "Datas" described the events of a day in June, 1901, that launched him on the successfully career of a memorizer: "I had been working on the night shift, from ten o'clock till six and reaching home about 6.30, I went to bed. By mid-day I was up again, had dinner, and then took a walk to the Crystal Palace where fate had much in store for me. While taking a little refreshment, I overheard two gentlemen discussing the date of the finish of the great Tichborne trial. Neither knew the correct date so I ventured to give this. Finding how surprised they were at my knowl-edge, I felt encouraged, and continued with a number of dates of events in English history, etc. Quite unnoticed by me, a third gentleman was a listener to our conversation and when I had finished my long string of dates, he quietly came up to me and put the momentous question: "Would you like to go upon the stage?" He then and there took me to the Standard Music Hall, Victoria, where I gave my first performance."
The new form of entertainment became an immediate success and "Datas" left the gas works for the stage. He travelled throughout the British Isles and eventually acquired a world-wide reputation. During his performances, many curious and unusual questions were put to him and it is said that only on rare occasions did he fail to give a correct of satisfactory answer. As in mnemonics, "Datas" claimed that what he described as the "law of association" was the only real help in memorizing. He goes on to say: "One idea begets another; therefore, when memorizing one idea, kill two birds with one stone, and also memorize the corresponding idea. It may be that you will not at once discover the associated idea, or ideas. Here you will again perceive the necessity for a searching analysis of your subject-matter. Suppose you wish to remember the date of the opening of the first railway line in England. Instantly the figure of George Stephenson arises before you. You recall the date of his birth, etc., the year of the great financial railway bubble, the opening of the Mount Cenis and Simplon tunnels, the dates of notable collisions, etc. A host of things come to mind, the mine of recollection fired by the magic word 'railways'.
"Where you have the ideas which are, so to speak, uncon-nected, it is essential that in order to commit them to memory successfully, you should establish an intermediary idea as a connecting link, an idea which although not directly associated with either one of the two ideas you wish to memorize, is nevertheless indirectly associated with both so that in remembering either, the link manifests itself which binds the two together. You wish to remember Newton - gravitation, the link is the word 'apple'. You say to your-self an apple falls from the tree to the ground; falling is an act of gravitation. Who watched a similar action and noted the result? - Newton. You also have an extra aid by reason of a certain sort of apple being named after the great scientist."
"Datas" insisted that all questions put to him should be brief and definite. His replies, whilst giving the dates asked for frequently included additional information associated with the replies. For example, if he were asked: "When was Big Ben set up at Westminster?" he would, in addition to the actual date include other items of interest concerning Westminster and Big Ben. The following is a selection from the many thousands of questions he was asked to answer:
When did Lord Beaconsfield make his maiden speech?
When was Rugby School founded?
When was the Isle of Man purchased?
When was an observatory built on the top of St.Paul's?
When was the magic lantern invented?
When was Elizabeth Gaunt burnt at Tyburn for treason?
When was the first cannon cast in England?
When was Alexander the Great born?
On what date was Queen Elizabeth crowned?
When did Nero set Rome on fire?
When was Aristotle born?
When was the first Prince of Wales created?
When did the Married Woman's Property Act come into operation?
When was the first stone of Blackfriars Bridge laid?
When did a steamship first cross the Atlantic?
When was Manchester first made a city?
What was the date of the first parachute descent in England?
When was the Metropolitan Railway opened?
When did the Glasgow Bank suspend payment?
When was Queens Anne's Bounty established?
When was Toronto University destroyed by fire?
When was Chambers' Journal first published?
Who was the first Jew to receive the honour of knight-hood and when?
When was Kensal Green cemetery consecrated?
When was a duty imposed upon soap?
When did Captain Blood try to steal the Crown jewels?
When were Corinth and Carthage destroyed by the Romans?
When were top-hats invented?
When was the first theatre built?
It should be placed on record that when asked how he was able to remember dates so accurately, "Datas" would frequently claim that he had no idea how it was done. Nor could the usual arrangements obtaining at a music-hall be described as anywhere approaching "test conditions". When inviting questions in the ordinary way, these would be fired at him from various parts of the building so that, to some extent, he had a choice from which to make his selection or to ignore awkward questions. It is also quite possible that to increase the entertainment value of his show a "stooge" or "stooges" were employed. To such a question as "When was Kruger vaccinated?" his answer "On March 15, 1826 - and it took in four places - is that right, sir?" scarcely ever failed to bring down the house. This does not affect the genuine nature of his gift of which there was no question.
On one occasion the Lord Chief Justice of England was an occupant of the stalls. He put three questions: "When was the Utopia wrecked?" "When the Corn Laws repealed?" and "When did Mr. Low propose to put a tax on matches?" "Datas" did not know until afterwards who was his questioner. After his "turn", however, whilst in the dressing-room his Lordship visited him and congratulated him stating that the correct answer had been given to each of the three queries. On another occasion, Sir Edward Clarke put a series of difficult questions to which "Datas" gave the correct replies.
A lengthy notice in the Evening News said of him: "The dark, well-knit young man who is appearing under the nom du theatre of 'Datas' at the Palace is a human Haydn's Dictionary brought up to date. For six weeks he has answered, quick as a thought, all sorts and kinds of questions on subjects of historical or public interest. He predicts nothing, but forgets nothing that he has ever heard or read . . ."
"Datas" did not confine himself to a knowledge of world-wide events. His acquaintance with the local history of the towns he visited was equally thorough. When visiting a fresh town this was his procedure: "I would first visit the police headquarters, where I could generally obtain a great deal of information regarding famous crimes and criminals associated with the place, big accidents, and so forth. Then I proceeded to the fire station to learn all that I could about important fires that had occurred in the neighbourhood. The remainder of the time I would fill in by inspecting local cathedrals, churches, museums etc., from all of which I managed to extract a great deal of valuable information. A few hours spent in the manner described, used to suffice to give me all the history of the place I wished for."