Part 7
A and B went to market with 30 pigs each. A sold his pigs at 2 for $1, and B sold his pigs at the rate of 3 for $1, and they, together, received $25. The next day A went to market alone with 60 pigs, and, wishing to sell at the same rate, sold them 5 for $2, and received only $24. Why should he not receive as much as when B owned half of the pigs?
ANSWER.—The rate of 2 pigs for $1 is 1 pig for $½, and the rate of 3 pigs for $1 is 1 pig for $⅓; the average rate is 2 pigs for $½ + $⅓, or $⅚, or 1 pig for $5/12. The rate of 5 pigs for $2 is 1 pig for $⅖. So it is seen that the reason A did not receive as much is that he sold his pigs at a less rate than when they both went to market.
Two hunters killed a deer and sold it by the pound in the woods. They had no proper means of weighing it, but knew their own weights—one 130 pounds and the other 190 pounds. They placed a rail across a fence so that it balanced with one of them on each end. They then exchanged places, the lighter man taking the deer in his lap, and the rail again balanced; what was the weight of the deer?
ANSWER.—Let the weight of the deer be denoted by D; then, by the principles of the lever, we have the proportion:
130 : 190 = 190 : 130 + D: Or, 130 (130 + D) = 190 × 190; Whence, 16900 + 130 D = 36100: Or, 130 D = 19200; And, D = 147-9/13.
Who can solve the following problem?
A hundred and one by fifty divide, And next let a cipher be duly applied, And if the result you should rightly divine, You’ll find that the whole makes but one out of nine.
EXPLANATION.—CI, CLI, CLIO (Clio, the muse of history, one of the _nine_ muses).
Suppose the figure to represent railroad tracks, C D and E F being each the length of a car or locomotive, and _a_ and _b_ each representing a car on the track and _c_ representing a locomotive on E F. Now how can the locomotive change the relative position of _a_ and _b_ so that _b_ will be on the track where _a_ is and _a_ will be on the track where _b_ is?
[Illustration: line drawing]
ANSWER.—The locomotive _c_ backs _a_ down and out toward A, then runs over toward B and backs _b_ up on E F, then runs back toward B and goes over toward A, then runs up C E and draws _b_ down on C E, then runs over toward A and gets car _a_, draws it over toward B and backs it up on D E. It can also be readily done by first backing _a_ down on A C and drawing to and leaving it on C D.
TALKS
BY GEORGE THATCHER
The Celebrated Minstrel
140 Pages Paper Binding 25 Cents
This unique volume supplies in a most satisfactory way the want that has heretofore been but indifferently met by the so-called Stump-Speech books. Mr. Thatcher is without doubt the most popular man in minstrelsy, his name being known among mirth-loving people everywhere, not only in America, but beyond the seas. It is most fortunate that the services of a person so distinguished have been secured for the preparation of this book, especially since he has put in it his own original matter exactly as he uses it nightly to convulse his audiences with laughter. The book contains all his Monologues, Parodies, Songs, Sketches, Poems, Speeches, Jokes, etc., etc. It will be found invaluable to every humorous reader, to amateur and professional minstrels, and in addition will prove interesting reading to any person who is fond of the lighter vein of literature.
JOKES
GATHERED BY
HENRY FIRTH WOOD
The Popular Humorist
ILLUSTRATED
150 Pages Paper Binding 25 Cents
This attractive little volume is a collection of the brightest, funniest, and most catchy Jokes of the day. They are all short, some of them occupying only six or eight lines, but they are as pointed as short, and all are fairly bristling with wit and humor of the keenest kind. There are no old ones among them, the collection being the very latest crop.
They are classified, according to their character, under such headings as “Womankind,” “Youth,” “Bald and Tough,” etc., ten sections in all, and each headed with a peculiarly appropriate illustration.
The author is widely and favorably known through his humorous lectures and readings, and both publicly and privately is recognized as one of the genuinely funny men of the day.
It is a book that can be picked up and enjoyed at any time, and if read aloud to a company will afford an infinite fund of mirth and merriment.
FULL OF FUN
250 PAGES PAPER BINDING 50 CENTS
The suggestive and peculiarly fitting title of this attractive volume faithfully describes the character of its contents, as it is packed full of fun from the beginning to the end. It is composed of three popular titles, TALKS, by the celebrated minstrel, George Thatcher, containing all his monologues, songs, witty sayings, etc.; JOKES, by the popular humorist, Henry Firth Wood, comprising a multitude of bright and bristling comicalities; and CONUNDRUMS, by Dean Rivers, embracing the latest and best in the line of Conundrums, Riddles, and Puzzles, and including also a number of most complex Arithmetical Puzzles. The different authors and compilers are deservedly popular and prominent as representing the keenest and freshest in everything that is bright and witty, and are a sure guaranty that the volume possesses all the merit that is claimed for it.
The collection as a whole will afford excellent amusement for the fireside, will prove a splendid store-house from which to draw material for anecdote or illustration, is valuable for public reading or entertainment, and will be found enjoyable reading for private perusal, while as a cure for an attack of the blues it is unfailing.
Sold by all Booksellers, or sent, prepaid, upon receipt of price
DANCING
By Marguerite Wilson
A complete instructor, beginning with the first positions and steps and leading up to the square and round dances. It contains also a full list of calls for all of the square dances, and the necessary music for each figure, the etiquette of the dances, and 100 figures for the german. It is unusually well illustrated by a large number of original drawings. Without doubt the best book on the subject.
PRACTICAL PALMISTRY
By Henry Frith
There is to-day probably no more popular character study than that of Palmistry. Many more people would be interested in it if there were a convenient book that came within their comprehension and that was reliable. This volume furnishes full and trustworthy information on the subject, and with a little practice any person will be able to read character, recall past events, and forecast future occurrences, upon examination of the hand. Fully illustrated.
THE PENN PUBLISHING COMPANY 923 Arch Street, Philadelphia
------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE
WARNING: Some of the puns may contain elements that we would today deem stereotyping by race, ethnicity or gender.
Punctuation has been normalized. Variations in hyphenation have been retained as they were in the original publication. The following changes have been made:
draws and colors beatifully —> beautifully {43} vingt quatre —> vingt-quatre {133} cerque —> cirque {133} difference —> différence {133} parse qu’el —> parce qu’il {133} Carthagenois —> Carthaginois {133} Romans —> Romains {133}
Quand un gant resemble-t-il an numero vingt cinq. —> Quand un gant ressemble-t-il au numéro vingt-cinq. {134}
treeze —> treize {134} Un felon peut-il prendu —> Un félon peut-il prendre {134} j’etais —> j’étais {134} que je suis —> ce que je suis {134} maitresse —> maîtresse {134} Je ne suis par —> Je ne suis pas {134} in the margin of —> below {140, ind} in the margin —> below {148, 149 - 3 instances} divide the result by 6, add 25 —> add 20 {141}
The following arithmetic problem in the original publication did not contain a solution:
“Suppose it were possible for a man in Cincinnati to start on Sunday noon,” {page 145}
Repeated chapter headings have been reduced.
Italicized phrases are presented by surrounding the text with _underscores_.
Decorative use of letterspacing has not been represented in this version of the book.
Words and phrases presented using mixed small capital in the original are presented in this version using all capital letters.
Superscripted characters are indicated by preceding them with a caret (^), as here: 3^3 - 3 = 24.
End of Project Gutenberg's Conundrums, Riddles and Puzzles, by Dean Rivers