Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-02-28
THE GAME OF FIFTEEN.
A Puzzle Over Which Persons are
Said to Have Gone Crazy

INVENTED BY DEAF MUTE WHO DID NOT
KNOW IT'S COMMERCIAL yALUE-RAvAaNa
BOSTON AND INVADING THE METROPOLIS-A
CALCULATION.
A deaf mute in Hartford, Conn, is said to
have invented the notorious game of fifteen.
and sale of the puzzle this story of its origin Is
current. The deaf mute's name is apparently
unknown to any one here. d. F. Mcguire, the
game in this city, knows the most about 1t, and
he credits the story. Two ladies that knew the
inventor were astounded at the sensation the
that the deaf mute cut out few sets Of the
wooden blocks and distributed them among his
friends as gifts Mr.. Rice, a wood turner. in
Wareham street, Boston, himself an invalid, be-
gan the manufacture Of the numbered wooden
1oZenges on a large scale. To the minds of the
Boston1anS there was something more than
mere puzzle In n the game: 1t was mathematieal
made an elaborate apparatus The cardboard
box containing the blocks was lined with dark
hard wood. The lozenges were squares OF
dollar. The inventor did not patent the puzzle;
nor did Mr.. Rice. Thus it was that Mr.. Mcguire
entered the field. He employed wood turn
erS, printers, and paper-bOX manufacture
ers. Machines especially designed for making
the puzzle were built, and puzzle was pro-
duced that could be probably sold for quarter
of dollar. Boston took up the puzzle greedily,
and the same popularity that has since been
accorded it here was speedily developed there.
Now there are many manufacturers of 1t In
Boston.
In New York and its suburbs the Boston peo-
pie carried the puzzle to the stores depots ferry
houses and hotel often leaving samples against
merit at all in it. Directly it leaped into favor.
To-day the men who sell 1t make the downtown
streets noisy with their cries. 1t is worked upon
nuisance in public schools and as Source Of
JOY In boarding houses. In the legislative halls
at Albany, it Is said. the peoples representa-
tives study its mysteries upon theif desks.
wi in Crfrra In
equations arising from 1t, and the Sun receives
daily bushel OF inquiries from persons who
want to know certain plan for its solution. Re
pOrters, in their travels through the neighbor-
Ing cities, report similar condition Of the pub
lie mind wherever they go. AS there is less
competition outside the great cities, the puzzle
is more expensive at distance from them.
There are three large dealers in this toy in
New York. The members of John street firm
say they found growing demand for mystic
riouS puzzle that was variously called the Bos-
taire, the Buttercup, the Game Of Fifteen, and
by other names. They traced the game to Bos-
ton, procured sample, and ordered 100 gross
the the LEI ss
peddlers to the thing, and presently their store
was tnronged as never before: The sales
averaged fifteen gross day. They began to
manufacture the game for themselves, and
even now the sales keep the w0rkmen busy.
These dealers say that they have heard Of a
German tailor In Troy who purchased the puz-
Zl6, UIlllCu Will tuSudT6u SAL up
all night over it, threw it away, gathered its
pieces, and the next morning adorned his shop
window with placard Offering suit of clothes
to any man who would teach him solution.
They also tell of an Albany man who was be-
lated at supper time, and who hurried home to
find no preparation for supper, the fire out, the
children roaming the house, and his wife locked
in an upper room bordering over one of these
puzzles, which she purchased Of a peddler. who
ratified the numbers into consecutive order, to
show how easy it was.
Broadway firm of dealers In five and ten
cent goods sold $50 gross Of this puzzle in one
day. member of the firm invented a new
form of this pllZZle: