, 1889-02-12
L.

"a sells.. B'a a horse for $50 and after
wards buys It back for $40, and then sells
it to G for 800. How much does A make
by the two sales2 The original cost of
the horse does not enter into the PROPOSE
ton"
The question is. How much does A
make by the two sales2
What two sales? Evidently the first
sale to A and the second sale to G.
After buying back the horse from B he
possesses the horse and $40 cash on hand.
Has he not made $40 by the transaction
of his first sale and his purchased This
is a self evident proposition. Then there
IS $40 to his credit on the first horse trade.
He again sells the horse to @, which is
the second sale, and .obtains 800. He
now has in his possession $40 but no
horse. The original cost of the horse
must not enter as a factor in the problem
it is an unknown quantity. Very well.
The value of the horse at the time A
bought it of G must be considered as the
actual cost and value of the horse at that
time, because what a thing actually costs
is the best criterion of its value.
Ergo, mathematically rendered it is $40
plus 800 minus $40, equals $40.
Ergo, commercially rendered. Cash
account:
DIR. Or.
To cash on hand. $ 10 By horse bought Of
second sale.....-.. 100 By balance amot
on hand--.--..-. ~
Total---~~-sIlO Total.......sIl0
Subtraction says: THE fact of its be-
ing the same horse that he formerly
owned and sold, has no bearing in the
matter" But there he is mistaken, for
it is one of the proven factors of the prob
lem and the direct terms of the question.
How much does A make by the two
sales2'
What two sales did he make?
Echo answers, the first sale to A and
the second sale to c. The other factor in
the transaction was a purchase" by A,
and not a sale"
Again Subtraction says: You must
eliminate entirely the first sale" Why
SO? Do net the terms OF the problem say
"How much does A make by the two
sales?" He only made two sales; SO there
can be no difference of opinion on that ilk.
Again, what is understood as the ''or-
iginal cost is not what it cost A on his
purchase of the horse from B; but the or
iginal cost of the horse prior to his sale
to r.
Looking at it matbematicallv and com.
mercially, there can be only one solution.
viz. $40. Resnectfullv.
r. !, STANTON.
SOME NEW ONES.
To the Editor of The Leader.
LARAMIE, Wyo., Feb. 10, 1SS9.-Seeing
your horse and meal ticket problem in a
recent issue and thinking it may be of in
terest to you readers to extend their
mathematical Investigations a little fur
ther l beg to offer the following for solu-
ton:
First-A and B purchase a tract of land
containing 300-acres for which they pay
5000, each paying $500. For certain reasons
they subsequently, agree to divide the land
so hat b shall pay rs cents more per
acre thar b. How many acres did each
receive and what is the price per acre
paid by each?
Second-ln a rectangular box 10 feet
by A feet 1t is required to know the length
Of the longest rectangular plank 10
inches wide that can be laid
fat in the box with one end
at the upper left hand corner and the
other at the lower right hand corner.
Third-Three circles of equal diamater
are in contact externally, the circumfer-
ence of each one Just touching the other