The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-03-14
THE LATEST CRAZE.
A GOnundrum Which is kgltatlng
the Intellect of the Whole
Country,
The Game Of Flfteen-or Is, 10, IA
lis Just as E-o-a-sY.

Inc latest insanity Is the game %
fltsep. is var.oasly known as the
loss puzzle, the RATHER, the But.ercup
and by innumerable other terms. The
ike OF the craze over it has never
been known before; for weeks past
the papers IN the east have devoted
column after column 10 its mysteries,
each attempting 4 solution, but Cntli
recently all these solutions have beer
"a greater afilictiOn that the puZZl,
itself. Though the excitement over
1t remains unaoated, 1t Is, however,
being solved down to a mathematical
fact, and it has been gsner-
ally decided that It can or
cannot be worked under certain con-
ditions. The wave has just struck
this city. When it first came out Mr..
James Dryer ordered a large nun
Der, and few hours after each arrival
10. one could be had, and he was
compelled to telegraph repeatedly for
more, which will be sold as rapidly
as the others. a brief history is given:
A deaf mute in Hartford, Conn, Is
said to haYe invented the game
Among all those engaged in the manu-
facture and sale of the puzzle, this
story of ita origin is current. The
deaf mute's Hame Is apparently I'm
known to any one. d. F. Mcguire,
a Boston newspaper man, who intro
1uced the game in New York City,
knows the most about it, and be
credits the story. Two ladies that
knew the inventor were astounded st
he sensation the toy created in Bos
on. They told Mr.. Mcguire that the
leaf mute cut out few sets of the
wooden blocks and distributed them |
among his friends as gifts. A Mr.. |
Rice. a wood turner, in Wareham |
treet, Boston, himself an invalid,
began the manufacture of the mum
,ered WCo1en lozsnges on q large
Gale. To the minds of the B0s-
onians there was something more
han mere puzzle in the
anne; it Wa3 mathematician
tudy, and It's solution a science.
,he inventor did not patent the
uzzle; nor did Mr. Rice. Thus it
IA lbat Mr. Mcguire entered the
eli He employed wood turner's,
rinters AMI paper-box manufac-
lreTs. Machines especially designed
u making the puzz were built, and
puzzle Was produced that could be
ro6t4bly sold for a quarter of a dol
IT. Boston took up the puzzle
and the same popularity
lat has since been accorded it in
lew York and other large cities
'as speedily developed there. Now :
lere are many manufacturers of it in
OstOD.
Another story ascribes the thing to
le postmaster at Canastots, N. Y,
no gave the game to lady in Syria :
Use, who sent it 10 a lady at Watch
ILL, who took it home to Hartford, :
here a Boston man saw it, and so :
4. But whoever invented it, it is
ls manufacturers who are reaping +
le profit. The manufacture appears r
have been confined thus far ID two r
eT Ehglan firms, which are said to
ave bsen turning out the games at
le rate Of 5000 or 5000 a day, and s
l. have been unable TO supply the
smand. The puzzle is to be seen
'eryWheGe in the eastern states.
rom the Judge on the bench to the
)otblsck on the sidewalk, everybody
pulling over it. The scientific
3ople are discussing it and the news. Il
.pers are full of it. il
The puzzle consists of a square box, 6
10 which are fitted 10 wooden squares Ii
consecutigely from to 10. 6
here ls room for four rows OF four Ia d
row. The absence OF the sixteenth {
ock in the box affords room for the f
ovement of the others. The game il
to disarrange the blocks and then b
bring the numbers into consecutive I
der By shifting them into place t
lthout lifting one of the bottom OF g
e bcx. The intricscies of this ap- f
Irently simple exercise are startling.
mathematician who reported the 7
suit of his calculations in the New
ork tua wrote that the number of I
rssible movements is l ,907, ga $685. Il
10. There are a number OF combin- q
ions that are either very difficult OF I
luton or, as some believe. impossi- I
e. One dealer solemnly assured {
e Sun reporter that two unfortunate q
en- in Boston, who encountered !
ese combinations are now insane
Id in an insane asylum. He says
at a Mr.. J. f. Rassen, of 297 Pearl
rect, offers 800 to any one who will
.tricate him from the tangle in
| l. L. .-alr.-l l..