The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-03-03
LUCK AND MATHEMATICS.
I'd
The Perplexing Puzzle ofthe Period.
A Game That Has Puzzled Philosophers
and Pleased The MuItltude-Ths Exas-
peratlng Enigma Of figures-Sen
Persplre Over It and Child.
rem Cry For II. \

1t has not been week since harmless
looking mathematical puzzle invaded this
city. Atfirst it seemed SO simple in con-
straction and easy OF solution, that even
the puzzle fiend" did not think it worth
his while II, siaster It's intricacies; but the
boom came when some one who had per-
spired over its bewildering permutations
and after four hours work, gave itup,s show
ering upon the inventor choice selection
OF maledictions.
The puzzle in question calls into play
that element in our nature which fights
the hardest when resisted by an apparent
lily simple problem, which is doubly aggra-
waiting in its perverse refusal to succumb
to our efforts. Some have attacked itwith
the confidence Of Cesar and have been
vanquished in disgrace. Others have solv-
cd it unexpectedly, aud strutted in the
flush OF victory, to be ingloriously defeat
cd in the next attack. II you haven't
tried 1t, pounce upon the mathemat-
ical curiosity and exercise your inge-
nuity and patience in overcoming the stub
born resistance of the perfectly harmless
figured blocks. ID,
AS it is the reigning mania in the busy
metropolis OF the east, as well as the per-
picking diversion Of provincial minds, we
give the following explanation Of the puz-
zle contained in Saturdays New York
Herald: '''''' KY -
now TO SOLVE IT.
"Fifteen" is puzzle Of seeming simpli-
city, but is constructed With diabolical
cunning. At first sight the victim feels
| little or no interest; but If he stops for a
single moment to try it, or to leok at any
one else who is trying 1t, the mania seizes
him. Business, home, friends, family,
social, religious and civic duty and all
moral obligations are forgotten while the
unfortunate man ponders and putteis and
bothers and slides the fifteen blocks around
and figures and calculates and swears and
gives It up and begins again until the
earth reels beneath him, his brain cracks
and he finally succumbs IN blank despair,
doubling his sanity or relinquishing all
hope OF future usefulness. His only hope
| II 70 "swear off," registering his oath be-
| fore notary; but no one has yet been
found who was able to keep the oath after
he had made it. :,
In banks and bar.rooms, legislative halls
and gambling houses, hotels and horse
carsseverywhere, in short where the
American citizen Is to DO found, he viii
be seen trying the fifteen puzzle. Chi
and philosophers alike try 1t, and while It
| Ia popular In the nursery 1t has been dis.
cussed in the meetings Of the Academy 0!
Science, where its laws were partially dis;
covered, but only partially. 1t remained
for the Herald to discover tho solution oil
thepuzzle. =.
on board exactly large enough to
contain sixteen blocks, fifteen are placed;
lThey are numbered consecutiyely. and
the puzzle is to place them on the board
iirreruIarly, and then, by sliding then
around, without removing them from tue
board, arrange them In the following Or
DER