The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-10-08
OLD SCHOOL BOOKS.
The Bizarre Problems I'm Old Arith-
mctic Books.


mctic Books.
To the grammar school pupil of to-
day it would seem impossible that there
could be any interest in studying the
wording of arithmetic problems. The
solution of problem generally presents
quite enough difficulty in and of itself
without worrying as to the nature Of
the language in which the figures airs
put. Even IL they felt so inclined. they
could find little of interest in such
questions as Bought 10000 long tons
of coal at 81 and sold the whole at
the same price per short ton. What
did l gaini' Oh, What number sub
tracted from S0,005 SO times will leave
13 as remainder? (From an arith-
metic now in use In Chicago schOols)
If we go back to an arithmetic pub
lished in our own country In 17SS, how
ever, we find problems that, whether or
not they interested the pupils at that
time, certainly are amusing now, says
the Chicago News.
In an arithmetic written by Nicholas
Pike in the year mentioned, problems
such as this appear: AN ignorant fop,
wanting to purchase an elegant house. a
facetious gentleman told him he had
one he would sell him on moderate
terms, viz, that he should give him
penny for the first door, twopence for
the second, fourpence for the third, and
so on double at every door, which were
thirty-six in all 1t is q bargain cried
the simpleton, and here is a guinea TO
bind it, Pray, what would the house
have cost him?'
From books in use in 1890 are taken
some even more remarkable examples !:
a man overtaking maid driving n
flock Of geese said to her: How do you
do, sweetheart? Where are you going
with these 100 geese? No, sir said
she, L have not 100, but if l had as
many, half as many and seven geese
and half | should have 100 How
many had she?'
a person was IL years OF age %
years since, and suppose he will be
drowned % years hence; pray, in what
year of his age will this happenT
Should these questions be put to the
present generation, probably there
would be more giggles than answers.
The popular question, why is a
mouse when it spins?" is scarcely more
impossible than one in The Scholar S
Arithmetic" of 1917: when hens are
shillings dozen, what will be the
| price of six dozen eggs at cents for
| three eggs?" No doubt, many curly
pates have been given cause to wonder
why is the hen?' Trick problems like
| the above were quite the rage. Another
curiously worded question is: AT SUI
rat is a hospital for sick animals, In
which there is tortoise that has been
there seventy-fve years. What is
| three-eighths of that numberT
The fondness for ghastliness In the
problems makes us wonder as to the
| value of such training for childish
minds. I'm 1884," says one problem
"119 persons died Of drunkenness In
New York and 1871 In Philadelphia
How many in both?'
| Again: a man had seven children
Two of them were killed by the fall OF
a tree. How many had he leftf"
Judas, one of the twelve apostles
hanged himself How many were there
left?'
| "AdonibeZek said: Three score and
ten kings, having their thumbs and
| their great toes cut off, gather theiI
meat under my table How many
! thumbs and toes did AdonibeZek cut
off,
| "A human body. if baked until all the
moisture is evaporated, is reduced II
weight as to 10. A body that weighs
100 pounds when living weighs how
much when bakedf'
To a child of s or 10, with particle
of imagination, it must have been pleas
ant figuring out the weight of baked
bodies.