Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1891-02-05
HANDY, WITH FRACTIONS.
Alan's Uncle's Experiences With
Applied Mathematics.

uncle" said Alan the other evening as
he experimental with the cat to see If
he could hold that patient animal near
enough to the CRATE fire so that its hair
would shrivel without any marked pro-
test from pussy.
"Indeed," said uncle, indulgently,
lacing his fingers across his waistband
and extending his feet toward the fire;
81 used to be quite handy with frac-
tions myself. In fact, excelled in
mathematics. Your poor father, now,
had no faculty for them. 1t is singular
how diversified talents are in the same
family, singular, indeed"
"Henry was considered the best
mathematician in his class said Alan's
mother with little flush.
SIN pure mathematics, Mary, in pure
mathematics, only" responded uncle;
"but in the applied article he was
lamentably weak"
What Alan's mother might have re-
piled to this was lost in interest in
Alan's experiment in which the cat
suddenly ceased to be a passive agent
By and by, when Alan had bathed the
scratches on his hand and convinced
himself that the wound on his ear was
only a superficial one, he said: Give
me an example, uncle
Certainly" said uncle, affably; add
two-thirds and four-ffths and subtract
one-seventh."
Alan worked away for minute and
then asked: What is the answer,
uncle?"
'Er-I think you had better let me
see how you have done it, my boy That
will do you more good. Um-ah-35,
no, 1O5-yes, to be sure. Why, no; the
one-seventh is to be subtracted. Fiji.
teen, 10, ~, %, seven over; that makes
one and seven-ffteenths. Now let's
see-yes, 1O5. How will that come outf
Yes, that's right-onc and thirty-four,
MISUNDERSTANDING. Quite right
Alan, you have the answer, only YOU
way of doing it is little peculiar
at took you a long time to do it
uncle"
"Yes, the light was bad. couldn't
see the fignres very well. You coulc
improve on your figures, Alan"
Give me another, uncle, please
Make up tough one, can't you?"
"All right. John and James-you'C
better write this downtown and Jane!
had 20 cents between them; Johr
bought three apples at ~ cents each
James bought a jack-knife with foul
blades; for the big blade he paid cents
for the little blade, 1Hcents; for thu
file blade, cents; for the blade with
nick in it, 3H cents, and for the handl,
twice as much. How much money die
they have left?"
"Twice as much as what?"
"Twice as much as-why twice Al
much as for the little blade, of course
That is what said. Now, how mucl
did they have left?"
Nobody ever bought a knife tina
way"
Probably not, but that is applied
mathematics, applying principles t,
everyday transactions such as you will
engage in when you get older. Still
perhaps, that is little too far alon,
for you?"
sob! can do it easy enough" sal,
Alan, and he went to work. In a few
minutes he began to look puzzled; thel
he asked: What do you want t.
know?"
''How much they had left?"
The puzzled look grew as the figure
multiplied Why" said the boy, finaI
ly, they wouldn't have any thing left
They would owe, or James would owe
1916 cents on the knife, or John woul
have to give up some of the apples.
"Eh?" said uncle, with start; show
that?"
Alan went carefully over the probler
step by STEP and, as he proceeded
uncle's confidence in himself disaI
peared, and in its wake ran embarrass
ment and humiliation. But uncle ha
not lived two score and more years i
this world of perplexities for nothing
and when he was led to see that Ala
was right uncle was himself agar
"Ah, yes" he said, you are quite righ
my boy, entirely right. was wonder
ing if you would find it out"
But don't understand how there ca
be any thing left"
There isn't" said uncle, composedly
81 didn't intend there should be. 70
, may remember that told you this wa
applied MISUNDERSTANDING prime
Piles to everyday transactions were,
think, the words used. 1t is nothin
uncommon for men to buy more tina
they can pay for. In this simple prol
lem you have gained an insight into on
of the great principles of business Lift
1t is well for you to mingle theory wit
practice, an excellent idea, indeed"
The paper behind which the face {
Alan's mother was hidden was shakin,
and there was a look on her face
merriment struggling with mild indiI
, nation. Uncle settled back in his chat
laced his fingers again, and realize
that he had crawled through a yer