Post Puzzlers: January 4, 1873

Try your hand at these vintage anagrams, word squares, and charades from 1873.

Old professor

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Each week, we’ll bring you a series of puzzles from our archives. This set is from our January 4, 1873, issue.

Note that the puzzles and their answers reflect the spellings and culture of the era.

RIDDLER

MISCELLANEOUS ENIGMA

WRITTEN FOR THE SATURDAY EVENING POST

I am composed of 49 letters.

My 21, 12, 44, 32, 5, 17, was the name of the Spaniard who first discovered that America was not a portion of the Eastern Continent.

My 25, 14, 18, 11, 46, 25, 49, 45, is the name of a planet.

My 4, 28, 41, 47, 8, was the birthplace of Columbus.

My 48, 22, 10, 6, 24, 36, 48, 16, 27, 20, is the name of a city in the United States.

My 25, 40, 13, 17, 34, 31, 39, 7, 12, 29, 28, 38, was the name of a celebrated American general during the Revolutionary War.

My 11, 26, 25, 16, 19, 49, 37, 17, is the name of a high, rocky island noted as the place of exile and death of Napoleon Bonaparte.

My 34, 23, 45, 19, 33, 38, 25, 40, 11, 6, 43, 44, 31, 23, 38, was the name of a Roman king.

My 38, 29, 3, 12, 42, 27, 14, 10, 46, 16, is the name of a river in North America.

My 48, 17, 15, 9, 38, 47, 10, was the name of a President of the United States.

My 2, 23, 46, 30, 49, 34, 35, 33, 11, was the name of a celebrated Roman poet.

My whole is quite a true maxim.

Seaboard, N. C., EUGENE.

 

ANAGRAMS

WRITTEN FOR THE SATURDAY EVENING POST

NAMES OF AMERICAN CITIES

South America.

  1. See, a boy’s run.
  2. Move on tide.
  3. Gay Laura.
  4. Race Lad.
  5. Spare pilot.

North America.

  1. Hill had a pipe.
  2. We met Sir Ned.
  3. Worn key.
  4. Labor time.
  5. Try to sew.
  6. No more.

Seaboard, N. C., EUGENE.

 

CHARADE

WRITTEN FOR THE SATURDAY EVENING POST

My first is often found in my second;

My whole a beautiful plant is reckon’d.

Fort Totten, D. T. GAHMEW.

 

WORD SQUARE

WRITTEN FOR THE SATURDAY EVENING POST

  1. Part of a vessel.
  2. A tree.
  3. A female name.
  4. Used for music.

Fort Totten, D. T., GAHMEW.

 

CHARADES

WRITTEN FOR THE SATURDAY EVENING POST

I.

My 1st is an instrument of punishment.

My 2d is one-third of an ell.

My 3d is often seen in newly-mown meadows.

My 4th is one of the blessings of the night.

My whole is one of Scott’s characters.

II.

My 1st is a personal pronoun.

My 2d is part of the human frame.

My 3d is a product of farms.

My whole, an improving study.

III.

My 1st is a title of respect.

My 2d is part of the verb to be.

My 3d is what we do when taking our tea.

My 4th is a popular dish.

My whole is a State in the Union.

IV.

My 1st is man, expressed in a foreign tongue.

My 2d is the author of many crimes.

My 3d is something we all have but have never seen.

My 4th is a common article.

My whole is the birthplace of many great men.

 

PROBLEM

WRITTEN FOR THE SATURDAY EVENING POST

If the sides of a triangle be bisected, and perpendiculars be drawn from the points of bisection to the circumference of the circumscribed circle, they will measure 10, 34 and 98 rods, respectively. Required—the diameter of the ciroumseribed and inscribed circles, and the sides of the triangle.

An answer is requested.

E. P. NORTON, Allen, Hillsdale, Co., Mich.

ANSWERS

MISCELLANEOUS ENIGMA—Ill got gains are dearly bought, retribution soon will come.

ANAGRAMS—1. Buenos Ayres; 2. Montevideo; 3. La Guayra; 4, Caldera; 5. Petrapolis; 6. Philadelphia; 7. West Meriden; 8. New York; 9. Baltimore; 10. West Troy; 11. Monroe.

CHARADE—Shad-dock.

WORD SQUARES—

SPAR
PINE
ANNE
REED

CHARADES—1. Roderick Dhu. 1. History. 3. Mississippi. 4. Virginia.

PROBLEM—170 rods the diameter of the circumscribed circle—56 rods the diameter of the inscribed circle—90, 186 and 168 rods the sides of the triangle.

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Comments

  1. These ‘puzzlers’ from 145 years ago are tough (even with the answers!), but they’re interesting and a good learning experience. Mentally though, I was kind of in that 1800’s one-room-schoolhouse they have at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, not far from Disneyland.

    Here’s a puzzle for you: What song do you NOT want to get stuck in your head, and you only have to hear it once in the vicinity of this attraction? IASW. I think you got it.

    I heard ‘You Spin Me Round’ 3 different times today by accident, so it’s stuck now. That’s okay, it’s a favorite ’80s classic. ‘Walking in L.A’ another fave, a couple of weeks ago. In December I did NOT hear ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’ even once—–thank God!

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