Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-08-12
AN INTRICATE PROPOSITION
With which Major Wax Greatly Puz
Zled His Wife.

From the San Francisco Chronicle.
Did 1t ever occur to you, my dear,
that person going overland would
have to mail two letters day from the
train in order to have one letter day
return to San Francisco" asked Major
Max the other evening, after the cloth
was removed from the table, and his
wife was pouring his glass Of two-thirds
| benedictine and one-third curacora,
which the Major contended was the on
| ~ civilized drink with which to prepare
for the after-dinner cigar.
Mrs. Max passed the Major his cordi-
al and waited moment before reply
ing: "Why, no; it seems to me that if
a person travelling east mailed letter
each day by a westward bound train, a
letter would arrive here each day"
Mrs. Max answered cautiously, for
while she knew that the Major pretend
ed to deplore the fact that she was IL
logical, he really derived much com
fort from his superior comprehension,
and was somewhat addicted to studying
out intricate propositions with which
10 puzzle the lady
You think so, do your quericd the
Major, as though about to be convinced
10y her, while III truth he only wanted
her to commit herself more decidedly,
that his victory would be more signal
"Why, yes" Mrs. Max continued,
somewhat assured, t.if you mailed a
letter on the first day out, it would get
here the next day; if you mailed one
on the day following it would arrive
here a day after the first, and the let
tiers, being mailed twenty-four hours
apart, would, of course, continue to ar
rive here il day apart. They couldn't
grow further apart on the road, could
they, Major"
Mrs. Max wound up this sequence of
feminine logic with Il triump plant ac-
cent, and felt sure She had posed the
Major, for he did not reply until after
| lighting a cigar. Then he said slowly:
You post 4 letter the first day QUIZ
"Yes."
That letter arrives here the day af-
ter you leaye?"
Certainly. One dag gone, one letter
received"
Exactly w Il, the next day-a lit
tie curacora, strai s;ht, please-thc next
day you post another letter from the
train. and
"And that arrives here the day after
the first, Of course, making two days
out and two letters received, and SO on
to New York Eli, Major2'
If Mrs Max had not been examining
i new pattern of lace she had III her
sleeves she might have noticed the sat
istied smile the Major had rs he leaned
back III his chair and said: "The sec
ond day out you would be 1T Ogdcn?'
YES
Wouldn't il take IS long for letter
to return to San Francisco rs it had
taken you to 90 to OGDEN"
II suppose So.
Then the second letter would arrive
here two days after you arrived ut Og-
den, and four days after you left here?'
Mrs. Max looked AZ and said, hest
tatirgly:
"Wel, | don't see how you make
| that ont.
i did not make it out, Mrs Max. |
only asked if | was right"
No, you are not; if you post let
ter on 4 returning train each day, say
! that Il letter must arrive here each day,
AMI don't care"
Mrs. Max, how long does it take to
60 to New York;"
Seven days, suppose"
Then a letter day would he seven
letters. You would post your sixth let
ter Cn your sixth day out, and it would
take It six days more to return, being
twelve days after you left here. Now,
rs you had only mailed five letters be
fore the one which arrived on the
twelfth day, how could letter dav
have arrived?
Mrs, Max thought moment, and
then asked with considerable warmth ).
DO you mean to say, Major Max, that
if Il person going to New York posts 4
letter on san Francisco train each
day that it takes two weeks for all those
letters to arrive here?"
1t certainly would, replied the Ma
jor, glowing comfortable behind his ci-
gar. He knew Mis-. Max acknowl-
edged her defeat by the way she rang
for the tea, but she would not ask for
urther explanation.