The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-02-27
That Puzzle.

The horrors of the Gem PUZZLE are thus
amusingly set forth by the New York CORE
spondent of the Boston Gazette:
Boston has great many sins to answer for,
like the rest of us, but none greater than the
introduction of the Block puzzle. The Gem
zle en- Third Avenue, and that - puzzle on
Wall street. New York was a comparatively
happy and peaceful city before the introduc-
tion of, this puzzle. Now happiness has fled
and discord reigns. OF course you know the
puzzle to which refer. 1t is useless flor you
and are only waiting for quiet moment to
take it out and move the perplexing blocks
around. Everybody in New York has one,
and there are five or six in every family. How
to bring the numbers out right is the one
thought that fills the minds of our citizens. In
the shops you see the clerks with anxious eyes
hurrying their customers to a choice of goods,
that they may steal a moment under the coun-
ter with their precious blocks. On the street
cars you see men with abstracted gaze sudden
ly pull box from out their breast pockets and
begin to move the blocks with eager fingers.
All goes swimmingly at first. One, two, three,
four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven,
twelve-how simple, to be sure! Thirteen,
fifteen, fourteen stand the last numbers and
here's the rub. Can they be placed IN the
proper order? That is the question now agi-
tating this city. Politicians no longer care
whether Mclean is in or out of the police
board. Humanitarians have turned away
from the Cowley case, and Fenians have for
gotten Parnell. Clergymen have almost de-
termined not to preach, for their congregations
take no interest in what they say. Wrinkled
brows meet them on every side, and even dea-
cons and elders are seen Sinking out of church
in haste to get home and work ont that knotty
problem. 1t is said that when we'll known
clergyman gave out the text of his evening
sermon from Numbers, it was almost impossi-
Bile to get seats, as every one thought he was
going to explain how 13, 10, IA, could be
changed to 13, IA, 10. Time no longer hangs
heavy ON the hands of the space man waiting
in the city editors room for his detail. He 10
armed with a puzzle, and has actually been
known to shed tears when sent to work up q
case that would bring him in $50, just as he
thought he had solved the problem. 4, 11-44,
used to be the favorite numbers of the Bohe-
mian reporter; now its attractions are gone.
The increase in the number of suicides recent
ly, is said to be entirely due to the block puz-
zle. After spending whole day over it men
become desperate and life loses its charms.
Divorces are brought about through its agency.
The infatuated husband takes the puzzle home
at night. Angelina wants to tell him all about
that horrid Mrs. Simpkins and lovely new
dress she can get at Stewards for almost MOTH
ing. Charles does not hear; he is moving the
blocks wildly about, determined to get that 13,
ID, 15 She accuses him of indifference. He
does not answer. "You do not love me-" she
exclaims, bursting into tears. ooh, botherp'
he exclaims; he is thinking of the blocks.
''You love another! There is woman at the
bottom of this!" Thirteen, fifteen, four
teen!" sighs Charles in despair. "Oh, you old
Turk" shrieks Angelina, rushing from the
house to her mothers across the street.
John Henry, whose engagement to Sarah
Emeline is just announced, goes up to spend
the evening with his beloved, who has invited
a few friends to meet him. He takes the block
puzzle up with him to make it pleasant for
them. He is quite dexterous in the use of the
blocks of wood, and has come out even several
times. With great pride he shows it ito Sarah
Emeline and her friends. He works it out
carefully. Somehow or other it bothers him
more than usual this time. 81 wish 50 many
of you wouldn't stare at me, he remarks; sit
makes me nervous" Then he goes into qui-
ct corner and works it out by himself After
few minutes he returns. exclaiming, "Eure-
kav' The guests all gather around, and there,
sure enough, is 13, Ia, 15 "It amt right, af-
ter all" says Sarah Emeline you've got II,
IL, instead of IL, H." And so he had, and no
shifting of the blocks could bring it right. Is
it any wonder that John Henry put the box in
his pocket and never saw his Sarah Emeline
more? "For," said he, retiectively,D "a girl
who would take a fellow down like that before
a roomfnl of invited company has got no feel
in, and it's feelin' that tells in the long run"
Mark Twain was accused of bringing q
plague upon his country when he invented the
horse-car poetry
A blue trip slip for a six cent fare,
A pink trip slip for an eight cent fare,
etc., is terrible thing to get running through
ones head. But that flows easily along, and
while it occupies the mind it does not torture
the brain. The block puzzle turns black hair
gray, makes aimiable men cross, and sane men
lunatics. 1t is, however, the bond of sympathy
that binds the people of this city close togeth-
er, and when man is seen to stand upon the
corner of street and throw his hat in the air,
while he shouts for JOY every person who
passes that way joins in the wild halo, for
they know that he has got 13-14-15!