Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 September 1886 — A Geometrical Proposition. [ARTICLE]

A Geometrical Proposition.

There was quite a group of men at the Palmer Hous£ gathered about a portly, puffed-up arrival from Alaska a few nights since. He held his audience silent and fascinated. No one had ever been to Alaska, and as he bad he could.fie all be liked about it, and no one dared gainsay him. It was after he had bored his friends to death for over an hour, when a slab-sided, sharp-eyed tramp sidled into the rotunda, with a hungry eye to a stray dime or nickel. The Alaska arrival, much to his disgust, held the attention of the crowd, and it nettled him. “I’ll fix him,” he muttered finally, after listening to the wonderful recital of far northern wonders for a few minutes. The tramp walked abruptly up to the Alaskian. . me, my friend,” he said, “you seem to be pretty well posted.” —Alaska smiled complacently, - “I should remark so. I’ve traveled enough.” “Exactly. Well, how are you on mathematics?” “I am fully read, sir, on any branch of learning.” . “Ah, you are! Well, will you answer me a little geometrical problem?” The crowd was breathless now; the tramp looked vicious; Alaska a trifle flushed. “Certainly,” replied the latter. “Very well. Now, then, suppose you wanted to build a doorway that was eight feet high, four fe*et wide, an,<l ten feet four inches from the base of the floor to thfe top of the oval frame, how would , yon determine the radius of the arc of the circle?” Alaska hemmed, flushed, and looked uncomfortable. The crowd believed him downed, and hoped "to see him squelched. “Well,” he said finally, jangling a pocket full of coins with cool assurance. “I’d hire some carpenter to build it and let him find out.” . “Oh, you would. Well, I wouldn’t. I d ‘divide the base by the sectional cireumference of the width, estimate the diameter of the doorway proper, and subtract the radius of the top fiom the hypothenuse of The are of tire circle. ” Andas the tramp coolly walked off. the Alaskian sneaked softly away, the crowd murmured something about “a natural geometrician,” and not one of them realized that the tramp’s old chestnut was a ridiculous and impossible proposition in mathematics. So wise is the world! And “the hycoterion revolves around its own non-consistency,” as the tramp chuckled as he sped on his way. It was one of the genus knocked at the door o£ a a kindly looking w ßC^^ne JW hungry. I W/bb:.,-" iiothing*v<l<*a week back.” ’ IVW poor soul." said the geod woman, moment, ami I ll fiml somHhing And she gave him an old porous closed the door before he had thanking her. Felt goods, if you sit down on theni—bent pins and carpet tacks. Principal tools about a modem news-' paper office—the ho-ax.