PERPLEXITIES. 
With Some Easy Puzzles for Beginners. By Henry E. Dudeney. 
146. WATER. GAS. AND ELECTRICITY. 
There are some half-dozen puzzles, as old as the 
hills, that are perpetually cropping up, and there is 
hardly a month in the’ vear that does not bring 
inquiries as to their solution. Occasionally one of 
these, that one had 
xL 
fwj 
d 
JL 
& 
Cb 
hoped was an ex- 
tinct volcano, bursts 
into eruption in a 
surprising manner. 
For some quite un- 
known reason I have 
lately received an 
extraordinary num- 
ber of letters (four 
of them from the 
United States) re- 
specting the ancient 
puzzle that I have called “ Water, Gas, and Electricity 
It is much older than electric lighting, or even gas, but 
the new dress brings it up to date. The puzzle is to lay 
on water, gas, and electricity, from W, G, ; and E, to 
each of the three houses, A, B, and C, without any 
pipe crossing another. Take your pencil and draw lines 
showing how this should be done. You will soon find 
yourself landed in difficulties. My answer next month 
must serve as a reply to my many correspondents. 
147.— AN OLD THREE-LINE PUZZLE. 
Here is another old stager about which people are 
always writing to me. There are two different ways 
in which the puzzle is 
presented, i. Draw the 
simple diagram herewith 
in three strokes of the 
pencil without ever going 
over the same line twice 
or lifting your pencil 
from the paper during a 
148.— CURTAILMENT. 
You need me not ; my office is 
To wait upon the dead. 
Remove my tail, lop off my ears. 
But do not touch my head. 
I’m often silent now— but stop. 
For mercy’s sake don’t let me drop 1 
most of all. Mrs. Brown bought 21 yards more than 
Bessie — one of the girls. Annie bought 16 yards more 
than Mary and spent £3 os. 8d. more than Emily. 
The Christian name of the other girl was Ada. Now, 
what was her surname ? 
stroke. 2. Draw the diagram on a slate and then run 
it out in three rubs. 1 believe Houdin, the conjurer, 
was fond of showing this to his child friends, but it 
was invented before his time — perhaps in the btone Age. 
Solutions to Last Month's Puzzles. 
140. — THE 
FORTY-NINE 
STARS. 
The illustration 
shows how all the 
stars may be 
struck out in 
twelve straight 
strokes, beginning 
and ending at a 
black star. 
141.-NEW 
MEASURING 
PUZZLE. 
The following 
solution in thirteen manipulations shows the con 
tents of every vessel at the start and after every 
manipulation : 
142.— THE 
NEST OF 
RECTANGLES. 
T H E correct 
answer is 225 
rectangles, in- 
cluding the 
large square it- 
self. Add the 
number of cells 
in the side of 
diagram to its 
square, divide 
by 2 and square the result. 
10-quart 
io-quart 
5-quart. 
4-quart. 
10 
10 
0 
0 
5 
. . xo 
. • 5 
. 0 
5 
10 
. . T 
4 
9 
10 
.. I 
. O 
9 
. . to 
.. O 
. t 
4 
. . to 
*• 5 
r r 
4 
4* ro 
.. 2 
4 
8 
. , TO 
, , 2 - 
. 0 
8 
.. JO 
0 
' '■* 
8 
8 
.. o 
4 
8 
8 
. . 4 
. O 
8 
4 
4 
4 
8 
4 
• • 5 
. 3 
10 
4 
3 
• 3 
25) is 15, whose square is 225. 
Thus, half of (5 added to 
I43 _CURIOUS NUMBERS. 
The three smallest numbers, in addition to nte 
1,680, 57,120, and 1,940448. R Wl11 be toun ' r ll N 
1,681 and 841; 57.121 and 28.561; 1,^ 
970,225, are respectively the squares of 4 T and ,9 • 
239 and 169 : 1.393 and 985. 
144.- 
, 49 _ FIND ADA’S SURNAME. 
Tins puzzle bears a family likeness to “ Hie 
Dutchmen’s Wives” (our No. 16). It was recent '> 
submitted to a Sydney evening newspaper that 
indulges in “intellect sharpeners,” but was rejected 
with the remark that it is childish and that they only 
published problems capable of solution gt e ladies 
accompanied bv their daughters, bought cloth at t ie 
same shop. Each of the ten paid as many farthing 
per foot as she bought feet, and each .moth** spent 
8S sld. more than her daughter Mrs. Robinson 
spent 6s. more than Mrs. Evans, who spent about a 
quarter as much as Mrs. Jones. Mrs. Smith spent 
-A WORD SQUARE. 
RECANT 
EVENER 
CENTRE 
ANTHE A* 
NEREID 
TREADS 
* T- L. Hatton’s setting of Herrick’s words, to 
Anthea.” 
i 4S .— THE MINERS’ HOLIDAY. 
Bill Harris must have spent thirteen shillings am 
sixpence, which would be three shillings more than the 
average for the seven men— half a guinea. 
