Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-04-21
his class and hopes to gain promo

his class and hopes to gain promo
ton.
"No, SIR" answered the profess
or, regarding Thundcrbomb will
interest as a significant type Of some
low order of intelligence; "they were
not brothers, or l should scarcely
have asked the question"
'They might be brothcrs-in law
suggested Funnidog.
"Undoubtedly they might" re.
piled Puzzleton, with pitying
smile; "but they were not"
"Stop bit," said Mcpherson,
brusquely, like one who has not
got his answer quite ready, but yet
doesn't wish to be anticipated. "1'hc
blind beggar, you say, had a broth
er, and the brother died. Well, OF
course, if one was dead, you know
they could not be brothers any long
er."
''The idea is novel" observed the
professor, gravely; but you have not
hit upon the exact solution. The
fact is, gentlemen and ladies', blind
beggar may be either male or fe-
male. In this instance she was a
female: They were brother and
sister,"
81 call that a catch," said Aloes,
gloomily.
"Wcll, at all events, it was an ca
sy one, and you all missed it," re-
turned the professor with quiet tri-
umph. "Now, | will give you one
more example Of social arithmetic,
which will be in all respects bona
.fae. 1t is simple question in sub
traction, and all | shall ask of yo,,
is-since two or three guesses would
arrive at the truth by mere climin-
ation-to write down the reply on
paper. "A man went into a cob
bler's and bought a pair Of boots
for sixteen shillings. He put down
a sovereign twenty shillings, and
the cobbler having no change, sent
to neighboring house, and gave it
to him. Later in the day the land
lord of the inn sent in to say that
the sovereign was bad one, and
insisted upon the cobblcr making it
right, which he accordingly did.
Now, how much did the cobbler lose
by the whole transaction? There
is no play upon words, nor anything
but common sum in arithmetic. -
"Why, it's the easiest thing in the
world" calculated Housewife; "of
course, the cobblcr lost just
"Be quiet, SIR" cried Puzzlcton,
very angrily; 'writc it down, will
you-if you can write"
"Scratch professor and you find
Tartar" whispered Alocs. "You
had better do as lie wishes"
SO we all wrote down what we
imagined to be the loss which the
cobbler had sustained; and it was
wonderful how opinions differed
within such narrow limits.
The colonel made him lose two
pounds.
! Mr.. Aloes made him lose just a
pound and the boots.
Mr.. Funnidog made him lose six
and thirty shillings.
Mr.. Mcpherson made him lose
sixteen shillings and the boots, mi
nus the profit he made upon the
boots (Which, said the professor, it
is not necessary to take into consid-
Grafton.
Mrs. Scale Hill, who used to in
vestigatc the bills of extortionate
Swiss landlords, set down the loss
with confidence at twelve shillinss
End the boots.
Housewife wrote: "Why, of
course, he lost the boots and TWEEN
ty-tour shillings."
Mrs. Housewife and the ladies
bit their pens, but declined to COM
nit themselves. "Thcy have never
been taught" they said, "thc rule of
three"
"You are all wrong,' said the
professor, quietly, cas- l expected you
would be. The way to get at the
matter is to consider what is gain
ed. The landlord, and the whole
story Of changing the sovereign may
be taken out Of the question, since
he is neither better nor worse for
the transaction. The buyer of the
boots gets i'll exchange for his bad
sovereign four shillings and pair
of boots, and that is just what the
cobbler loses"
eff one only had room to ones
self, and the whole day before one
to do it in" sighed Mrs. Housewife,
81 think l could answer any Of these
questions"