Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-01-10
n (a+b)-c

chiefest problem expressed nlrebraic-
ally. ~" Is the unknown quantity
for which a given. vnlue Is required.
"N'' is the uncertain quantity which
the mathematician call variant.
and "a" 3D. and &C" are the known
quantities which can readily be ascer-
tained by referring TO the real estate
records on die in New York city.
In word. when the rich man solves
10 he knows exactly how much a box
nt the opern costs TO own outright in
fee simple. he and his heirs and as
signs forever. If he has the value OF
-
The correct answer has only been
reached Eve times in thirty years.
Strangely enough. too this right result
each time is never the same. Each
solution where ~ has been properly
found before the lncky solver begins
on his problem. gives higher figures
than the one before
Today the correct answer is $4,000.
the price for which one of the coveted
boxes was recently sold
The symbol ~ means. in word.
the approval OF the hoard OF directors
of the Metropolitan OPERA II you
fih iio~~ibiN -ct IL anu iltNe lue @l-O.-
600 lying Idle to boot. then you can
become the proud possessor of a box
ut the opera-the one and greatest de
sideratum of those who would have
impeccable social prestige in New
York. which means everywhere. It
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 ut every perform
nncc or the opera is mere adjunct
10 the ownership. II is the fact that
won. personally. own the box which Is
the acme of the whole transaction. II
means that your social standing is Al.
flawIess. 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 n nicely
that Is. we have the unqualified ap-
prevail Of the directors OF the opera.
the hardest quantity or all to obtain
Our known quantities are matter
OF record and easy TO obtain TO the last |
penny We find. then. rs follows: Our |
"a" is the value of the building: our
ID Is the value OF the land: our &C. is 4
the mortgage upon the property as I
whole And the divisor. -. is the
number or boxes in the parterre at /
the opera. OF which there can he just /
thirty fire. no more and no less.
So. we can now substitute figures I
for our aiGebraic symbols OF letters !
and work out the problem by simple /
The building is figured at
81 100000 and the land nj S:S.JO0.OOO
Resides this there ~ an equity in a
loft buiidin. where scenery Is stored.
which Is figured at 100000 You have
just as much Il share in the dinCy loft
rs you have I'm your brilliant red and
gold box ar the Metropolitan Opera
House. So the total real estate value
Is SI.GOO.OO0. From this you must sub
tract the mortgage. which is $1,000 600 !
Our result then is S3.G0OOOO Now.
divide this ny 30 We get S102. S37.
That is the cost price or box at the
opera. The balance is the sellers
profit
Look 10 this fact-the remaining Or
Ginai box holders OF thirty years ago
have QuIdrunled their money They
'hipped In $4,000 apiece then. and
now their individual holdings are $780,
100 each and growing every season.
Denth alone ever parts an owner from
MS box. aud then II stays IN the fam
~ nine times out of ten Why?
Simplest thing In the world-because !
he box is sure OF handsome income |
very year. man could live in style
rom what his bOS nt the opera would
ring him II he had TO.
Monday T. the gala night of the week ]
4 the opern. choice box-and they I
re nli choice except thar some are :
hoicer than the rest for ocular OF 6
udltory purposes-cnn he rented out :
I moments notice for $1,000 for just :
he twenty -four Monday night perform. 7
noes There are 40 nights and mat
nees OF operative performances
'eek for tvyenty-three regular weeks
nd an extra week. So ninety-six per
Ormnuces are still left after you have
AIKEN In your $1,000. Sell your tickets '
lrt cheap for these. say 500 for the six i
eatinSs. and you have $1,000 more. or I
IL GOO income in all. Throw or the u
GOO for commissions and you have a e
ct income OF $4,000 from your tick Il
Is. or $1,000 a month. New York a
forid- n