The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1868-01-09
Can you Count a Billion.

evening, "Can you count a billion 2"
"CertainIy. papa, that's no great feat
"Do you koow how mauy is a billion q
mot exactly, but will see what Web
s'er says in his great dictionary. Here
1t is. A million Of millions; rs many
millions as there are units in a Million
"Now my son, this is a very large
number, and do you think you can count
itT
"Certainly cam
"lIow long do you think it will take
you If you do nothing else but countr
"Perhaps all dav, or easily in two
days
"Take your slate and pencil and let us
make little calculation. As your ton.
que is very nimble, will allow that YOU
can count two hundred in a minute. How
many will this give you in an hoarr
"Why, only 10000
"And how many in twenty-four hoursV
"Ony 28S,0OO.'
"This tells you that two days are no,
enough even if you count without eating
or sleeping, for it would only give you
575, 900, which is far short Of a billion
"Give me whole year and | will count
it,
"If you do said the good natured fa.
ther, with twinkle in his eye, 81 will
give you 81 900 and take you to Niaga.
ra and the White Mountains the mex.
summer. Come, use your pencil again,
and see how far a year will carry you tol
ward the billion, allowing that you work
365 days, and "a hours each day. Mul-
rply 28S,o00 counted in day by 365,
and what results have you?'
"Why, papa, only lO5,l2O,O0O. I
give it up, for | do not believe that
could count it in all my lifetime.
"That is very probable, my son; but
now you are at it, keep up the calcula.
tons and find out how long it would take
to count billion. Be careful in your
mu'tiplcations and additions for small
mistake where the figures are so many
will make great difference in the result.
| will look over with you. You have
made the calculation, and what is the re-
suit q
"Perfectly amazing. To count a mil
lion times million would take 9,5l2
years, "a days, 5 hours and 20 minutes
at the rate Of 200 for every minute
This no man could possibly do"
"This calculation demonstrates 10 YOU,
my son, that some things which, in our
ignorance, seem TO be very easy, are up
on experiment found to be very difficult,
if not impracticable. II Adam, instead
of dsobeying God, had commenced count
ing from the first moment Of his being
and continued until now, he would only
have got through with about two thirds
Of his task. There is a moral in this, nv
son. How could the business of this
world he carried on If all the contracts
were to be settled in gold and silver dol.
lars, and each piece had to be counted :
There is a class Of men who are rery ella.
morons for only metallic currency.-
Such say pay for every thing in gold OF
silver. Only buy what you have the coin
Tor. Such persons, like you, my son
speak before they calculate. They think
they can count billion but they cannot
They do no, think how slow tie wheel,
OF trade and commerce would move, and
how little employment there would be 70,
the great masses Of men, If their schemes
were put in practice. So much time
would be consumed in counting the coin
and carrying it to a place OF safety tba.
many days would be required to 90 wha,
is now done easily and safely in few
hours. Things are better as they are both
for the poor and the rich. There is no.
coin enough in existence to do the pres
ent business OF the world for a single day
il every contract must be settled only in
gold and silver Never attempt to count
billion, but improve each hour as II
passes in serving God by honest living
and by doing good to your fellow men,"
Tile AdUance.