The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-01-02
JsToN POST LETTER BOX.

department is intended TO answer
lions that are of general interest.
main object is to. supply out-of-the
Facts and curious information. Ques-
OF personal interest only win not be
ered. No business or personal adj
es will be given. All correspondence
a he addressed to The Letter Box.
Houston Post. Owing to the lars.e
her OF qucstiuns received, answers
not always be given prompuyD
~ de,aon on the problem submitted
hi by MIR. Charles ]. Brand, in Inc
NJ the 18th instant, Is wrong. Please
me to restate his problem ana tntii
y my conclusion: "A stick OF lumber
on one end and 1SxlS on the other
and IL feet long. How many ieet OIL
ar does IL contain, board measure
Is. one inch thick)?" w. contends
arc la feet: so does the Ware Inni-
h,y,nany. IL. G.. contends there are
et q. j. d, says 1t contains l56 feet'
Is right?
,r decision is: '~rhe Ware Lumber
any and w. are right following 1t
a so,ution which. although plams-
Is fallaclous.
emetrically considered, the piece OF
n is a friistum of n pyramid WHO'S
and upper bases are respectively III
IS and s inches square. and by refer
TO Davies Legendr,e, book VII, prop
bn XVIII. and corollary, will be found
nv lucid demonstration that The vol
OF the frtstum OF any pyramid Is
d to the cum of the volumes OF three
Snids whose common altitude Is that oil
ustum and whose bases are the lower
of the frustum, the upper base OF the
bum, and a mean proportional between
:" And book VII, proposition NVll,
volume OF any pyramid Is equai 70
kh.rd of the product of It's base anu
)Ide." Accordingly, the solution mere
nuare inches; upper base, 6x6 inches.
BIS So square inches: mean proportional
square root of 32iXS6, equals lvs
re inches: area of bases, 46S square
Is. Multiplying the area OF me bases,
luare inches. by one-thtrd or the ai..-
which Is IS inches, the volume, or
AL contents. Is found to be 22.464 cubic
s. which. divided by iii, the number
bic inches in square foot OF board
ure one inch in thickness, gives lou
as the correct answer to the prob
Therefore c. j. B. is correct.
j. w Barnes. Houston.
| the same subject D. w. Harris of
Ia writes:
Sote you are in stew. In the issue of
18th, as to the solution of proposition:
Stick of timber is 6x6 inches at one
9pnd 1Sx1S inches at the other end, and
Jet long, How many feet OF lumber
| Il contain, board measure?" think
hpd the Ware Lumber company WI
j a stew. too, If they sell many such
Is counting Ia feet TO stick. ii. q. Is
kst, namely: Find square inches az
end-6x6 equals 36 square inches;
equals S2i square inches: 324 plus SO
is 800, which, divided by 2, equals i@l
Ire inches, average to inch; nence
L equals 2l6O square inches to foot;
hivided by IA equals 10 feet of lumber
|rd measure) to running foot; then
equals $50 feet of lumber. board
|srre, cn stick 6x6 at one end and
inches at other end. Very respect
i. Doyle w. Harris.
|e answer given by he Letter Box ed
last week was as follows: "Ihe Ware
iber company and w. ARE right. So
'n--The plank being of different dimen-
$ at one end than at the other. we
/ first find the mean width, which is
ined by adding the two ends together
taking one-half for the mean width,
plus is divided by equals 70. Then
liply the length i'm feet by it's breadth
thickness in inches Q2x12x12 equals
and divide that product by II, which
) the quotient LA, and is the contents
pet Note-If q. stick of timber is
Famg in width, subtract the width of
small from the large end QS minus &
h. ,a,. ~, 80 ~ .s.,se ass
small C plus 81 or subtract from the
Q end as minus equals 12), which viii
the average width, and If the taper
10Th of the width and thickness, then
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,,r, -, ,h,,.,, ,.,tars 49, 49,,
al dans.n, 10 oo,r.,+,,,ss Gu, 80
witt orc CONTEND .tot ,rc l. ,,a -
answar yh,,a o,,,a,s LAM, ,oo M.
lsttars n,,bl,sbe.a viii ,,,dicota tha
~ aro,,,,,t ,s,a TN. =, NJ,
~, = a. ~ orro,+ eoI,,t,o;, ,,or,
49, ~ 80 - e,,tau r,,I, aht5a
=, y, ..a M
: -, .,a-,.. 49,, -, -,
-, $50, -, c,aor,.n r,,.,aa
80 - ~ - - n,atsa,,,,tt IT, ~
T,.,a...s..-
,,,,,,,, e,.,,,.,, ,,sgs,o,,t ,,.e - ~.
!, 49, -, ~, .,,a,,, ,en ~, ~ -,
,,,1.,,..,, ,,.,,,aa ,,,n,e ,o,,t,r, 49, a.
/,
I
Ill YOU please explain why 1900 will
be a Leap Year, and oblige
n'Dsc'iocr'
y Letter l'oN oei,ahpi''e''s ias an
Gu 'ui'is ques'ioh 'iii'e anu asai''' o"e
Is OF euirch. interest ai0'iier eA
i.ioi WIZ NC given. i'VeaF s'Ni e''at
isisi"e 10y as a Leap Leaf cAcepe