The Washington times., 1894-08-09
STRIVING FOR THE PRIZES
If at First You Don't Succeed, Guess
and Guess Again.
CONTEST GOES MERRILY ON
Answers to the Great Times" Conundrum
as Varied as the Intellectual Endowmer
of the Human Race-Replies Wise ar
Otherwise Coming in Abundance.

There is a story, not familiar to everynev
paper reader, which may be told aga
epropos of the guessing contest Of TIE TIM
professor asked one OF the student
known as the most brilliant and accurate
guesser in his class, what the result would be
If an irresistible force we're met by an i'm
penetrable body The brilliant conundrum
cracker hesitated few moments and then
confessed frankly that she knew 1t once, but
it had entirely and unaccountsbIy slipped
from his memory"
.'Alas. gentlemen" said the professor ad-
dressing the class, 'the only man who ever
knew what that result would be has for
gotten it,
And herein lies the application. At the east
end OF Pennsylvania avenue there Is IN
doubtedly an impenetrable body. and what IL
needed to bring the college problem down to
date is the Irresistible force. That force 10
being accumulated every day, several times a
day. in the mail to The TIxEs. which comes
freighted with answers TO the absorbing Quee.
ton, When will Congress adjourn?
In truth this Congressional guessing bee
has attracted the largest class of the sea-
son.
1t is being considered from a variety Of
points OF view, all OF which are in favor of
the guesser
Note that 1t Is the best investment ON the
speculative market to-day.
BIG ODDS on THE INVESTMENT.
It is dollars for cents.
The ratio (or diferential, II you please) OF
gain to investment Is 500 to If you win the
first prize. and 1884 to If you win the Sec
opd prize.
Note especially that should you win you
will be credited with knowledge just now
utterly beyond the grasp Of any member or
the aggregated membership Of Congress.
1t il be true that in the multitude Of counsel
there Is wisdom (and Ii is) then the puzzle
will undoubtedly be solved to the hour and
minute by some OF the present or future
guessers.
The inclosure OF some comment with the
coupon has become now the rule with the
guessers.
One writes: "when Patti makes her fare
well appearance"
Another presents the following:
"when Wellman discovers the North Pole"
"When Coxey gets his good roads bill
through"
when there is dull thud heard at the
fall elections"
when Congress fnds out where it ia at"
when horse cars are forever abolished in
Washington"
when electric wires arc buried under
ground
.'when Ii Hung Chang reoovers his yellow
jacket"
"when Congress realizes what it's here
for"
when Coxey comes to Congress from
Ohio
CONGRESS AND THE ". B. B. @.
Another who writes flatterinR note a. 10
the lively manner in which The TIMES bee Il
buzzing, saysi Congress will adjourn sine
die Just as soon as the fact has been estab-
lished beyond peradventure that the Washing
ton Baseball Club has an indisputable hold
on the tail end There is a tender chord Of
sympathy between the two aggregations, each
having arrived at the condition in which the
public be id plays a conspicuous part.
"Or otherwise stated: Congress Will adjourn
Immediately after the ". B. B. C. emerges
from last place. If this guess Is the correct
one, however, the day OF adjournment will be
postponed indefinitely"
All of this is a feast Of logical deduction
The reasoning is as light and fantastic as thst
of Mercutio. And that is the kind of syllogisn
that BELTS the subject,
The idea of The TIMES In presenting the
puzzle for solution has merit that cannot be
claimed for the ordinary brain-racking, IRA
tional guessing contests, enigmas, charades,
etc., etc. In other words, THE TIMrs Is sub
serving public good in determining what
the alsebraists call an indeterininate ques-
tion. That Is a paradox, but 1t is true. There
fore. everybody guess, or guess again.