I. THE PERSON WHO DOES NOT SLEEP
Ivan Stepanovich Wagner, professor of the 1st Moscow university of department of biology, is known to the scientific colleagues as exclusively versatile mind, the talented inventor and the courageous experimenter long ago. Wagner became known to wide public only five years ago when he had to act as the defendant on so-called «dog matter» in national court.
I kept newspapers of that time. Here is how in one of them the correspondent who was present at court describes appearance of professor Wagner:
«In his nutbrown hair, a broad fair-haired beard and the hung moustaches it was possible to notice only a few silvery hairs. Fresh complexion, rosy cheeks and shining eyes spoke about health. It could not give more than forty years».
And at this time to professor Wagner was for fifty.
He was accused of kidnapping of dogs for production of scientific experiences. In court very interesting circumstances became clear. It appears, professor Wagner invented means for fatigue, and also means against a dream; the dream, according to professor, represents a disease.
Wagner delivered to himself a task to capture bigger amount of knowledge, than that which can contain a human brain. And professor achieved it that, without needing rest and a dream, he could work nearly twenty four hours a day. Besides, by a training it developed ability to think both halves of a brain independently one from another. His eyes moved also independently one from another, and Wagner could watch, thus, several phenomena at once. He could write with at the same time right and left hand…
All this and many other things became clear on «dog process», and the name of professor Wagner became known to the public reading newspapers at once. It and was called: «The person who does not sleep».
I was one of those which became interested in professor Wagner. I very much wanted to get acquainted with it. The case came to the rescue of me. I got acquainted with Wagner in the Crimea, in Simeiz, we had with it some of the most interesting conversations.
Then Wagner disappeared somewhere. In general it quite often changes residences that does not prevent it to give lectures at the Moscow university. For this purpose it uses a broadcast. And only for a practical training it is to Moscow for a month or on two. All his pupils succeed, and the university administration does not object to such correspondence method of training.
So, it disappeared though its voice was punctually heard in audience. Rumors about its extraordinary experiences and inventions continued to be handed down. I carefully wrote down these stories. Some of them seemed to me so improbable that I put in the notebook on fields a question mark to check truthfulness of the story when I meet Wagner or I learn his address. Said that he in Leningrad is engaged in some radio experiences that is going to Novaya Zemlya, but he told the address to nobody. And only recently he unexpectedly reminded of himself. On the korotkovolnovik one night I accepted from it the radiotelegram. He sent me hi and reported the address.
I immediately rewrote all stories about its inventions which I had to hear, and sent it, asking to tell me that in them the truth and that a lie. His answer convinced me that my fears were not vain. Alas, more than a half of my documents on professor Wagner were apocryphal stories. The created legends arose on my eyes. Among these legends there were not only stories about inventions
Wagner, but also curious episodes from his life. For an illustration I will give some of these invented stories before passing to original incidents. I tried to transfer the speech of story-tellers in all records literally.
II. THE CASE WITH THE HORSE
On annual races on May 21, 1926 in Ipson [79] the general attention was drawn by a draw of the first prize in five thousand pounds sterling. Two applicants for superiority were distinguished from three-year-olds of beautiful English racers: light-golden Lorelya and red handsome Viking. The majority of rates was put on these two horses who already showed the extraordinary qualities on training run. But Viking, by universal recognition, had more chances of a prize.
Jumps began. Did not pass also minutes as Lorelya and the Viking moved forward out of operation on the head, and in several seconds the Viking was ahead of the rivals already by one and a half cases.
– Bravo, Viking! – the frenzied crowd shouted. The victory, appear, was behind it. But here on turn there was an event which probably for a long time will remain in memory of those who were present at this derby.
The Viking as if went mad. It did not curtail on turn, and rushed directly on a fence, расшибся and fell. The horses who flew behind nearly crushed the poor Viking together with his jockey. Having got rid of one danger, they got to another. The part of crowd putting on the Viking got savage. Respectable gentlemen, risking to get under hoofs of horses, jumped off from stands on a race path with obvious intention to tear to pieces the traitor jockey. They did not doubt that the jockey was bribed by the owner Lorelya, the large merchant, the silk wholesaler. Fortunately, the skilled jockey did not suffer when falling. He considered the moment and ran from the crowd pursuing it with such speed as if he wanted to take part in jumps instead of the Viking who left an operation.
