The evening world. Newspaper, January 14, 1922, Page 20

iB i Ea a THE EVENING WORLD’S FICTION SECTION, SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 1922. Good at Checkers? PLAY WHITE——BEAT BLACK BLACK HAS FIRST MOVE First of a Series of Checker Problems —-— Originated by —-— “Gentleman Jack’’ O’Brien Author of “Live and Grow Young.” Mr. O’Brien Playing the Black Has Picked His First Move to Defeat the White Mr. O’Brien is a checker wizard and has originated several He Says the White Cannot Possibly Win Against His Move— Can You Beat Him? knotty checker problems, which he will present to readers of The Evening World for solution, In each one the side he plays is apparently very much weaker than his opponent’s. Yet with one move, he says, he destroys his opponent's every chance of winning. The problem presented to-day is the first one for you to study. Note WHITE'S apparent strength and BLACK’S weakness. Mr. O'Brien's first move with BLACK, which, he claims, renders winning with WHITE impos- Crystal Gazing at Home. HERE is no more impressive and ; mystifying part of the magi- eian’s art than that practiced by those who pretend to read the thoughts of members of the audience by peering into the depths of a crys- tal. The trick, for trick it is, is very difficult and for various reasons it is out of reach of the parlor enter- tainer, If he is possessed of a little resourcefulness the parlor entertainer can, however, present a crystal gaz- ing act that is as mystifying as that presented upon the stage. First, he will need a crystal. An excellent substitute for the real thing is one of the silver balls used on the Christmas trees—the larger the better. He will also need a confederate. \ piece of velvet a foot square will add to the professional appearance of the stunt. Before he presents the trick, the crystal gazer writes a question, signs it with his confederate's initinis, and hides it under the sweatband of'a derby hat. An excellent question is: “Will I ever become rich? {WH Bi” Slips of paper are distributed to the eudience, Each person is asked to write a question, fold it and put it in the hat which the performer passes around. The confederate does not put anything into the hat although he pretends to put his question in. The performer polishes the crystal with the velvet and soberly peers into it, pretending that the conditions seem very poor and Indicating that he is not confident that the experiment will be entirely successful Then he takes a paper ont of the hat, holding it so that the andjence can see that he does not unfold it. Peering once more into the crystal and not failing to polish it frequently, he slowly and with much hesitation says: “IT see a question signed B. W. and an H. Yes, the signature W. H. BR Will the person who signed a question W. H. B. please stand? You have asked whether or not you will ever become rich. My answer is that you will be rich when you have a lot of money." The confederate acknowledges that the question has been correctly read. The performer opens the paper, ap- parently to verify the accuracy of his reading in the crystal Really he is reading What actually is on the paper. He mernorizes the (uestion and initials and throws it to one side (not where the spectators can get it) and reaches into the hat for another. This he reads by telling what was on the paper he has just examined. He continucs, Making the performance as impressive as posetble, alwavs having in his hand one question ahead ‘ what he seems to he reading When he comes to the last question he gets trom under the linipg of the hat thr question he put there. Then, if one wants to examine tite) pil rt papers he is at liberty to do so The exumination of the papers to verify the reading must be done as care- leasly as posisble in order, that the @peciators attach no signi® wece to it I see ‘orld (Copyright, 1922 by Jack, O’Brien, All rights reserved.) * sible, will be published in this section of The Evening World next Saturday, together with another knotty problem, and see how you would work it out. 5 WEEKEND TRICKS*PUZZLES Clip Cut; Paste on Cardboard or Heavy Paper and Save With Others for Binding in a Book Can You Solve This Problem? [a8 GON TRACTOR built three houses; the three shown in the above illustration, Each house had to be supplied with gas, electricity and water. The sources of supply, of the three necessaries, were located as the dia- gram shows, one directly opposite each hase. The contractor’s prob- cr lem was to lead a water pipe, a gas pipe and an ‘Underground electric cable to each house, without any of the three crossing at any point. Let pencil lines represent the two pipes and the cable and see if you can draw a solution to the problem. You'll find it cannot be done and then you'll have fun getting friends to try it. The Nine Coin Puzzle. INE coins are placed on the N table and those who don’t know how the trick is done are requested to arrange them s0 that they will make ten rows of three coins each. It is obvious that each coin must have a place in more than one row—but how is it to be done? Answering the first question that will be asked those who try are in- formed that it does not make uny difference how far separated the coins are. The jilustration ciearly explains just how the coins should ve ar- ingedL It may he necessary, in order to convince doubters, to draw a diagram paper, numbering the lines which ndicate the vows As in all puzzles of this sort, it is not well for the person showing it te Es = be in any hurry about providing the solution, A puzzle is a form of ex- ericse for the wits and there is littie exercise in it if the solution is given before the exerciser has an oppor- tunity to exhaust all of the (appar- ently) possible ways of doing it. The Mysterious Cigare‘te. HIS is an excellent after-dinner T trick that can be performed by anyone who smokes cigarettes. All that is needed is a cigarette and a glass of water. Calling attention to himself, the performer blows a puff of smoke into the air, takes the cigarette out of his mouth and touches the lighted end to the water. There is a sizzle and the cigarette is “dead.” Replacing it in his mouth, however, he smokes away just as if he had not drowned the smoke, The fact of the matte? is that the eclgarette is lighted at both ends, This can be done while attention {s diverted by some other diner'’s story With reasonable care, one of the lighted ends can be placed in the mouth and the cigarette smoked just as if there was nothing unusual about it. When the performer takes the cigarette out of his mouth he hides with his hand the end that comes out of his mouth. His hand also hides the reversal of the ends when it is replaced ia his mouth, TRY THIS PROBLEM Meanwhile, study to-day’s problem The Two Squares. . T will be noticed that all of the puzzles presented in this de- partment of The Evening World have this In common; They can be presented by the reader fee the entertainment of his friends and require only the use of a little “know how” and articles which can be obtained anywhere. A puzzle in which coins, matches and other odds and ends are used is far more effective than those manufac- tured puzzles which appear to he exactly what they are. Here is a puzzle in which twenty- four matches are used, It will puzzle your friends quite as much as any mechanical affair and it has this ad- vantage, After you show how it is done, your friends can puzzle their friends with it, just as they were puzzled. PROBLEM. Seanad SOLUTION ee See a Re eae a The twenty-four matches are ar- ranged to form nine squares as in the illustration. The object is to take away eight matches and leave two squares, The second illustration which matches should remain. Try the puzzle once or twice bes fore presenting it im public shows — re ae wir a