Part 22

Which is the tallest gentleman of the three appearing in adjoining figure?--Many would imagine the last to be the tallest, and the first the shortest, whereas the reverse is the case--the last is the shortest, and the first the tallest.

It is surprising how the eye can be deceived, when dealing with areas or circles. Place on the table a half-crown and a threepenny-piece; let these be, say, 9 or 10 inches apart, and ask a friend how many of the latter can be placed on the former--with this proviso: the threepenny-pieces must not rest on each other, nor must they overlap the outer rim of the half-crown; they must be fairly within the circumference of the larger coin. Many will answer 6, 5, or 4, others who are more cautious 3. Try for yourself and see how many you can put on, and you are sure to be surprised.

ARE THESE LINES PARALLEL?

The “herring-bone” figure here illustrated is yet another proof that our eyes are faulty. The horizontal lines appear to slant in the direction in which the short intersecting lines are falling, and would give one the idea that they would meet if continued, whereas really they are parallel. The illusion is more striking if you tilt the leaf up.

HOW DID HE DO IT.

115. Once there was an old tramp who had to go through a tollbar, and before he could get through he had to pay a penny. He had not a penny; he did not find a penny, nor borrow a penny, nor steal nor beg a penny, and yet he paid a penny and went through.

116. Find a number which is such that if four times its square be diminished by 6 times the number itself the remainder shall be 70.

117. A man has a certain number of apples; he sells half the number and one more to one person, half the remainder and one more to a second person, half the remainder and one more to a third person, half the remainder and one more to a fourth person, by which time he had disposed of all that he had. How many had he?

TEACHER (impressing one of her protégés)--“Be brave and earnest and you will succeed. Do you remember my telling you of the great difficulty ‘George Washington’ had to contend with?”

WILLY RAGGS--“Yes, mum; he couldn’t tell a lie.”

118. Two numbers are in the ratio of 2 and 3, and if 9 be added to each they are in the ratio of 3 to 4. Find the numbers.

PAYING A DEBT.

In an office the boy owed one of the clerks threepence, the clerk owed the cashier twopence, and the cashier owed the boy twopence. One day the boy, having a penny, decided to diminish his debt, and gave the penny to the clerk, who in turn paid half his debt by giving it to the cashier, the latter gave it back to the boy, saying, “That makes one penny I owe you now;” the office boy again passed it to the clerk, who passed it to the cashier, who in turn passed it back to the boy, and the boy discharged his entire debt by handing it over to the clerk, thereby squaring all accounts.

A TESTIMONIAL.

“How do you like your new typewriter?” inquired the agent.

“It’s grand!” was the immediate and enthusiastic response. “I wonder how I ever got along without it.”

“Well, would you mind giving me a little testimonial to that effect?”

“Certainly not; do it gladly.”

(A few minutes’ pounding). “How’ll this suit you?”

“afted Using the automatig Back-action a type writ, er for thre emonthan d Over. I unhesittattingly pronounce it prono nce it to be al even more than th e Manufacturs claim? for it. During the time been in our possession e. i. th ree monthzi id has more th an than paid for it£elf in the saving of time an d labrr?

John £ Gibbs.”

STATE OF THE POLL.

119. In a constituency in which each elector may vote for 2 candidates half of the constituency vote for A, but divide their votes among B, C, D and E in the proportion of 4, 3, 2, 1; half the remainder vote for B, and divide their votes between C, D, E in proportion 3, 1, 1; two-thirds of the remainder vote for D and E, and 540 do not vote at all. Find state of poll, and number of electors on roll.

120. Three men, A, B and C, go into an hotel to have a “free and easy” on their own account, and after sundry glasses of Dewar’s Whisky got into dispute as to who had the most cash, and neither being willing to show his hand, the landlord was called upon to umpire. He found that A’s money and half of B’s added to one-third of C’s just came to £32, again that one-third of A’s with one-fourth of B’s and one-fifth of C’s made up £15, again he found that one-fourth of A’s together with one-fifth of B’s and one-sixth of C’s totalled £12. How much had each?

THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

VISITING CLERGYMAN--“What’s a miracle?”

BOY--“Dunno.”

V.C.--“Well, if the sun was to shine in the middle of the night what would you say it was?”