St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1891-03-14
HANDY WITH FRACTIONS.
AAn'e Oncle's Expeeiences With
Applied Aathema&ica

II can do any example In fr.ct;or.
uncle" said Alan the other even;no !:
ne experimcnted with the cat 70 zee II
ne could hold that patient animal near
eeough to the CRATE fire 20 that its hair
would shrivel without any marked pro-
eest from pussy.
Indeed" said uncle. indulecntly,
Iaclng his fingers across his waistband
ana extending his feet toward the Dire:
used TO DO quite handy with frac.
oons myself In fact. excelled In
mathematics Your poor father. now.
had nc faculty for them. Il il singular
how diversified talents ore In the came
fav.ily. singular. indeed"
Henry was considered the best
mathematician in his class. said Alan's
mother. with . little flush.
''In pure mathema&ics, Mary, In pure
mathematics. only" responded uncle:
-'but in the applied article he was
1amentably 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 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 . superficial one. he said: .'Give
me an example. uncle"
Certainly" said uncle, affably; add
two-thirds and four-fifths and subtract
one-scventh."
Alan worked away for minute and
& L.
uncle?"
"Er-I think you had better let me
see how you have done IL. my boy. That
win do you moro good Um-ah-S5,
no. 1O5-yes. to be sure. Why, no: the
one-seventh Il to be subtracted Fiji
teen, 10, IL. 9, seven over; that malxes
one and scven-fifteenths Now lets
eee-yes, los. How win that come out?
Yes, that's right-onc and thirty-four-
One-hundred-and-f -fifthA Quite right
Alan. you have the answer. only yoor
way Of doing it i . little peculiar"
''It took you . long time 70 do Il.
uncle"
Eyes, the light was bad couldn't
see the fgnres very we'll You could
improve on your figures, Alan"
Give me another, uncle, please.
Make up tough ono, can't your"
s.An right John and James-you'd
better write ethisdown-John and James
had 20 cents between them; John
bought three apples at ~ cents each;
James bought q jack-knifc with four
blades; for the big blade he paid cents;
for the little blade. lKccnts; for the
1ile blade, cents; for the blade with .
nick in Il. SO cents, and for the handle
twice as much. How much moocy did
they have lcft?"
.STwice Is much - what?"
"Twice Is much as-why twice -
much as for the little blade, Of course.
That is what said Now. how much
did they have left?"
.Nobody ever bought . knife that
way"
.Probably not, but that is applied
applying principles to
transactions such rs you win
engage In when you get older. Still,
nerhaps, that Is little too far along
for your
..Oh! l can do Il easy enough" said
Alan. and he went to work. In few
minutes he began to look puzzled; then
he asked: "What do you want to
lnow?"
..How much they had left?"
The puzzled look grew as the figures
''why," said the boy, final
". ..they wouldn't have amy thing left
Thev would owe, or James would owe,
! So cents on The. knife, or John would
have TO give up some of the apples
.Eh?" said uncle. with astart: shows
that?"
Alan went carefully over the problem
.Aen bv step, and. - he proceeded,
uncle's confidence In himself disap-
neared. and in its wake ran embarFass-
ment and humiliaHion. But uncle has |
not lived two score and more yesss IN
this world Of pezplexities for nothing.
~ vhen he W,s led 70 see that Alan
~ right uncle WIS himself again-
..Ah, yes" he sid. 'youare quite right
nv bow, entirely right ] was wonder
n n Won would ind Il out-"
aBut don't understand bow there can
le any thing left" 80
.sTHere isn't" said uncle, composedly.
~ didnr intend there should be. You
nav remember that told you this was
.Dnlied matAemaHics-applying pFinei-
81 20 everyday transactions were. ]
thinlr. the words I used It b nothing
for men 10 buy more than
khey can pay for. In this simple prob
lem you have gained m insight intoo ooe
q tie great principles Of business lite.
e d wen for you to mingie thecry with
practice. an exceilcns tdea. indeed Il
The paper behind Witch tho fac: q
Alan's mother .Was hidden was shaking.
.nd therc Wa = look On her taco OF
merriment stspggling with mild indig.
,a4ion. Uncle settled beck IN his char.
80 his fingers agaih. md realised
- y had egsM3ed through > vesy.