The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-12-03
SIO.OGO-The Prize for m Best RuIe
for the Equation of Payments.

Some weeks ago one Professor art all
nounced in the World. and that paper has
harped on the subject ever since, that lie
would, on the 1st of December, award to
the author of the best rule tor working Inc
equation of payments the sum Of Slo,000,
the matter to be decided by Il committee
composed OF the head book keepers OF
several of the leading establishments in the
city. Competitors were notified to meet at
the Astor House at II O'Clock, noon, De-
cember !.
A large number Of letters. many con-
tanning rules, tables. and various formula
for working the equation, have. in the
meantime, been received. at II O'Clock
to-day some fifteen or twenty competitors,
and q half dozen representatives OF tue
press, met Professor Ware in II OF the
parlors Of the AstOr House. expecting to
hear the awards. The ca@erneSS for the
proffered SO. 900 was equallcd only by the
~sapouine expectations of Anekc JanS,S
heirs, the claimants fer Sir Francis brakes
or Robinson CruSoe's immense estates. or
the persons still searching for Capt. kidd's
buried treasure /; but Professor Wares
SO, COO glitters right ut ones finger end
provided he be IN expert mathematician.
The committee Of book-kecpers failed TO
appear. Mr.. Hiram Dixon, Sr.. of the
Adams Express Company, was absent from
indispoSition-that is to say, illness; the
Others were absent from indiSpoSition to at
tend bv reason Of q want OF faith. Mr.. Ill
ram Dixon, Jr., book.keeper of the Penn
s~ylvania Railroad Company, was requested
TO take the chair in the absence OF his ia
Their, who was chairman of the committee.
The absence of the committee gave rise to
some questions. Professor Ware said they
had promised him faithfully to be there. A
person, who evidently had q strong afiec-
ton for the $4,000, threw a cloud on their
promises by stating that some OF them had
Informed him that they were not going to
have anything to do with it that it was 4
swlndle.
Still the professor seemed resolved to
withstand manfully the tide of suspicion
that was tending toward him. 1t looked rs
if a storm Of indignation was about to burst
over his head, when it was intimated that
there would be an adjournment until the
18th of this month. Then Il multiplicity OF
questions arose. 1t appeared that the
$4,000 was in Il questionable shape, al
least they were nothing but uncertain col
laterals.
The competitors intimate that the pro
fessor was tritling with them. When some
one wanted to know what was to be tht
character of the competing rules, whether
tables were to be excluded, the. pro
fessor announced that tables would
he excluded. 1t was a mental rule, ont
which could be carried about in the mine
and applied at any moment without refer
ence to tables or formula. Just here the
professor put his foot into it by announc.
ing that he had, as he believed, the best
method extant, and that he was to be q
competitor himself. lie had made lots OF
money with it, and the b~ook-kceperS O
Boston had made him a present of a colo
watch as a testimonial. "Ah! it's ar ad
vertising dodge" whispered one, and as
poets grew more threatening. Professor
Ware regretted the disappointment occa
stoned by the non-attcndance OF his com
mittee. He couldn't tell why the other.
had failed, but Mr.. Stewards book-keepel
couldn't come.
Mr.. Dixon said that be did not feel dis
posed to serve OH the committee unless the
matter was put in Il more satisfactory shape
So after q great deal of talk and some pretty
sharp tactics, evidently with u view to test
the professors sincerity, it was decided
that he should put his proposition in
print, that judges were to be selected by
himself and the committee Jointly. and tha1
the $40, 600 was to be placed in funds will
some reputable banker, whose affidavit
was to be hsd to the fact that $40, 900 were
there on deposit to the credit of the judges
They also explained on what basis the com
petition was to be conducted.-Neao Yorl
Ee1Es.