The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1913-12-12
lst Jot down these symbols
n "a bl-c

Here we have social New York's
chiefest problem expressed algebraic-
ally *" is the unknown quantity
for which a given value is required
IN is the uncertain quantity which
the mathematicians call a variant"
and "a" "b" and &c" are the known
quantities which can readily be ascer-
taned by referring to the real estate
records on file in New York city
In word. when the rich man solves
it he knows exactly how much a box
at the opera costs to own outright in
fee simple, be and his heirs and as
signs forever, If he has the value of
IN"
The correct answer has only been
reached five times in thirty years!
Strangely enough too, this right result
each time is never the same. Each
solution. where IN has been properly
found before the lucky solver begins
on his problem. gives higher figures
than the one before
Today the correct answer is Sl2O, 600,
the price for which one Of the coveted
boxes was recently sold
The symbol IN means. in word
the approval Of the board Of directors
Of the Metropolitan Opera # you
! can possibly get it and have the $780,
600 lying idle to boot then you can
become the proud possessor of a box
at the opera the one and greatest de
| sideratum OF those who would have
| impeccable social prestige in New
! York, which means everywhere. 1t
also means that boxes in the golden
| horseshoe" are the costliest of any
opera house IN the world The right to
have your six places at every perform.
ance Of the opera is a mere adjunct
to the ownership 1t is the fact that
you, personally, own the box which il
the acme Of the whole transaction. II
means that your social standing is AL
fawless. unimpeachable, unassailable
wholly perfect.
| Now let us get right down to figures
and solve our problem of the opera
box. We must assume. of course, that
we have "N" figured down to a nicely
that is. we have the unqualified ap-
H.
the hardest quantity Of all to obtain.
Our known quantities are a matter
OF record and easy to obtain to the last
penny We find then, as follows: Our
"a" is the value OF the building; our
! 40 is the value of the land: our &c" is
the mortgage upon the property as a
whole And the divisor. 35. is the
number of boxes in the parterre at
the opera. of which there can be just
thirty-five no more and no less,
So. we can now substitute figures
for our algebraic symbols or letters
and work out the problem by simple
arithmetic The building is figured at
! S1.000000 and the land at S3,500000
| Resides this there is an equity In a
| loft building where scenery is stored.
which Is figured mt 100000 You have
just as much a share in the dingy loft
as you have in your brilliant red and
| gold box AT the Metropolitan Opera
| House SO the total real estate value
is $4GGGO0 From this you must sub
tract the mortgage which IS 100000
| Oar result then is S3.600000 Now.
divide ,nls by - We get Sl02. .S57
Thar Is the cost price of box at the
opera The balance is the sellers
| profit.
Look TO this fact-the remaining or
| iginaI box holders OF thirty years ago
hove qnadrupled their money. They
chinped in $4,000 apiece then, and
now their individual holdings are $780,.
coo each and growing every season
Death alone ever parts an owner from
his box. and then it stays In the fam
lily nine times out of ten Why?
Simplest thing in the world-because
the box is sure of a handsome income
every year man could live in style
from what his box at the opera would
bring him If be had to
Monday is the gala night of the week
IT tn" opera choice box an0 they