The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-19
HOW OLD Is ANN.
Answers to the Problem Which Is
Worrying People.

Worrying People.
The question Of AIMS age is bothering
the people of Topeka. and threatens to
become an issue in local politics.
Ann is a girl born in St Louis, and
her age must be ascertained as was ex-
planned in Saturdays State Journal by
sowing the following simple probiem
Mary is "a years old. Mary is twice
as old as Ann was when Mary was as
old as Ann is now How old is Ann2'-
On the street one of the prevailing
questions is How old is Amp" One
writer has burst forth into song on this
subject and says:
O, tell me, pretty maiden, are there any
more at home like you?
OF course, 1 know poor Mary who is
twenty-five and two.
But if there are at home some more
whose ages we must solve
1 am going to fly the country now and
the troubles they involve.
hailed a little newsboy and quickly up
he ran.
He looked upon my coin with scorn and
said:
How old is Ann?"
next street car boarded and T STUN
bled a man.
Excuse me, SIR I quickly said He
cried
How old is Ann?"
20, joy. 1 am at last at home, with
wife and little May.
Good evening, darglings," up I spoke;
HOW OlQ IS AnnI spoke they.
viii dinner soon be ready, cook? 7 see
no pot or PAN"
Indeed, said she, how can cook ana
solve How old is Ann?'
l rushed into the. nearest bar, to get a
grateful bracer;
They served the liquor up to me vita
AIMS age for a chaser
I never knew the family, or any of the
clan.
But thank the Lord, I am not kin to
Mary to Ann.
One young woman. writing to the
State Journal, says: I don't think it is
anybody'S business how old Ann is It
is not polite to try to find out girls
ages"
A Washburn college girl, who is some
what of mathematical freak, declares
that the age of Ann can't be ascertafuel
from the data given in the conundum.
She says the problem is foolish and Is
intended to catch suckers. or words to
that effect 1t is like the nonsense
rhyme:
Why is the Fourth of July?
What has become of the pins?
why does a pudamuck fly?
What is mouse when it sDins?"
1t is suggested by one mathematician
that Ann is not born yet He says:
You can't take hot air and make steel
stock of it. The answer is that poor
Ann is not born YET
Another says. Mary is "a years of
age and is twice as old as Ann was
Consequently, when Mary was as old as
Ann, she was not old enough to cele-
brate her first birthday"
Another says: Il think I have the
Mary and Ann puzzle. l think Ann is
6 years old. Mary IS d years old Mary
is twice as old as Ann was-12 when
Mary was as old as Ann is now. There
fore. Mary was u years old and Mary
years old"
From + years old it is easy to jump
10 y, ana that is what another
arIthmetician says: Ann is L Years
OLD. Differently stated, the problem
may read, When Mary was as old as
Ann IS now, she was one-half as old as
Mary IS now. Mary is "A. How old is
ANN Obviously u years old It is the
way that the problem is stated thai
makes it confusing
A great many people have figured it
oul tilat ann must be Is, and one OF
them reasons as follows by algebra
* equals AIMS age at ng-eserf- -
Ann age when Mary was X years. Y
minus Il equals years since Ann v-as
y years ola a minus equals years
since Mary was x years old; x minus
u equals "a minus X; Ok EQUALS 36. Y
equals IS, AIMS age at present"
But algebra is also used to obtain is
as AIMS age, as follows:
Let x equal unknown Ok pl11s Y
equals Mary's present age Let X nl1,s
equal AIMS present age therefore.
Mary and AIMS combined age EQUALS
ok equals q X equals >, AIMS age when
Ann was half the age of Mary; *
equals Is, Mary's age X minus EQUALS
"a. preaisss age; plus Y equals 1e,
AIMS 1. ssnt age
An old bachelor takes this shot: The
puzzle about Mary and Ann is easv
i enough If one goes at it properly. Ann
is 20. I know this doesn't figure out
correctly, but it stands to reason that
Mary is at least 30"
Another foxy Individual who evident
~ understands womankind says:
What I want to know about this
Mary and Ann business is. Are they sis
ters2 IN that case, no dependence can
be placed in what Mary asserts about
AIMS age
There IS some reason to believe that
Mary and Ann are twins. It is figured
out in this way:
Mary is "a years old. Mary is twice
= as CID as Ann was, when Mary was rs
Old as Ann is now. Reverse part o. tie
fentence and we have 6when) Mary Nas
as old as Ann is now, Mary's age being
q years. AIMS age is also "a years.
Mary being as old as Ann at the age of
"a years, Mary is twice as old as Ann
was when she. Ann. was u years old.