Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-02-16
MANY SEND ANSWERS.
LENGTH OF BIG MANS NOSE is
ESTIMATED ATT FROM TWO 81
TO EIGHT INCHES.
South ottumwa Man Says the Prob.
lem IS Simple When Worked Ac.
cording to the Rules of Proportion
New Puzzles Are Offered.


a few evenings since. Both are math
ematicai problems, not SO simple as
they may appear at first sight and
aply. The puzzles are submitted fol
your consideration. If you think you
have the correct solution send in
your answers. All answers must be
received by February 16 and the cor
rect ones will be published.
The first puzzle was as follows:
suppose the running time for pas
senger train between San Francisco
and New York to be exactly seven
days and the return time the same A
train leaves each city exactly at noon
each day. Board the train at San
francisco and until the time you ar
rive in New York how many trains
or the same class will you meet? 1t Is
admitted that you meet one train at
the San Francisco depot upon it's ar
rival from New York A modification
OF this puzzle was suggested by G, w.
Grooms of South ottumwa, by chang
trains will meet?"
The Noze Puzzle.
In answer to the request to send in
new puzzles the following was sub
mitted by G. w. Nicklin of Salem:
"A is man weighing $50 pounds, and
has nose two inches long. b is a
larger man but of exactly the same
proportions as A, B weighs 600 pounds.
How long is his nose?
Makes a Good Guess.
The following answer to both prob
lens was received:
Pleasant Plain, Feb. Z.
Railroad Editor Courier: H.
Dear Sir-In answer to your railroad
puzzle will answer that fifteen trains
would be passed on the trip to New
York. II he returned the same day
he would pass in both trips twenty
nine trains of the same class. If A
has nose two inches long, B has one
"Nose" It's Right.
The second answer was as follows:
Blakesburg, Ia, Feb. 4.
R. R. Editor Courier:
Dear Sir-In answer to the nose
puzzle will say that have the correct
result. Being a boy with long nose
myself know just how to figure on
it. Here it is worked in proportion
by algebra:
2in.:X:: 1850: 600.
x equals 5 inches, the length of
the big mans nose. Hoping that the
big man is well and prospecting, re-
main,
Respectfully yours,
Lester Jay.
Says It's Easy.
In the following answer the prob
lem is worked by proportion:
South Ottunawa, Feb. 4.
r. r. Editor Gourier:ear4t xsfsJps
Dear sir-I notice by the. Evening
Courier that no one has attempted to,
railroad that 600 pound mans nose
through to a successful termination
The problem is quite simple and should
be solved in accordance with the prop
osition that Similarly situated lines
in solids which are similar to each
other are in the ratio of the cubic
roots of their respective solids. TAX
ing the weights of the two men as
proportional to their volumes and ex-
tracing the cube roots we find that
they are 5.31 and S.43 and the ratio
of the latter number to the former is
a little over LIS, which would make
the big man have a nose something
over inches in length. The extrac-
ton of the cube roots can be carried
to any degree of nicely required, thus
obtaining any required degree of ex-
traction in the final result. Now let
me suggest a new one for the nlathe-
matically inclined If the small mans
body has twenty square feet of sur
face area how much has the larger
mans body?
Respectfully,
E. C. Park.
A New Puzzle.
The, following puzzle is submitted by
a Brighton boy:
Brighton, Feb. 8.
R. r. Editor Courier:
Dear Sir-Here is an old puzzle but
a good one. A and B meet. Each has
a flock of sheep. A says to B give me
one of your sheep and will have as
many as you. B replied, give me one
of yours and will have twice as many
as you. How many sheep did each
have? H. Roster.