He Invents Puzzles

When Sancho Panza, of Don Qnixote celebrity, uttered his famous benediction, "Blessed be the man that invented sleep," it was reserved for an individua] of far more modern antecedents to invent something that has caused the banishiaent of sleep f rom the eyes of hundreds of bis victims, who have at various times beoome martyrs to bis inventive genius. The person referred to is a mathematician, a cheas expert, a ventriloquist, a a prestidigitator and a journalist. He is also a member of the New York Press club, and has provided entertainmenl for hundreds of thousands of persons. His genius, however, is more especially employed in inventing puzzles, both of a mechanical and mental kind. His name is Samuel Loyd. He has during the past twenty-five years invented over 50C various problema, the names of the leading games having become famous throughout the length and breadth oi the United States and even in Europe. This gentleman is the inventor of the celebrated 14-15 puzzle, parchesi, the pony puzzle, the trick donkey puzzle, the pigs in clover and many others. He has recently copyrighted his latest invention. which he calis "Wind luck," and which he pronounces to be the best of them all. HOW HE THOUGHT OP ONE. Mr. Loyd recently gave several interesting particulars in relation to his many games. Parchesi was invented in 1865, and the idea carne about in rather a curious way. A Broadway merchant hac bought a quantity of gayly tinted paper remarkably cheap, and not knowing whai to do with it had suggested to the puzzle inventor that the colora might be utüized in making up an attractive game. In a few hours the various combinations ol colors were deftly utilized and "parchesi" was the resnlt. In 1869 the "trick donkey" came to light. This was developed by accident. The inventor's father and himself were crossing from Europe in the company of a distingtrishedPennsylvanian. Thelatter's daughter, Annie, then a litüe giri about 12 years old, being in need of some amusement, the inventor took a pair of scissors and a rough silhouette outline of a donkey, cut it away from the body of the paper, and lef t it to little Annie to put together again. With a few later improvements the puzzle assumed the form made familiar to many thousands of young people. Although this happened twenty-five years ago the reporter saw a letter written quite recently by a New Jersey firm requesting that 140,000 copies of this puzzle be sent to them. Of the three puzzles considerably over 2,000,000 each were sold at a profit of about 100 per cent. HIS LATEST DTVENTION. "Pigs in clover" was introduced about twenty-five years ago, under the name of "la petite bagatelle," and it had quite an extensivo run. It was copyrighted, but af ter the expiration of the copyright some enterprising individual named it "pigs in clover," and its popularity revived. The famous 14-15 puzzle was originally designed as an advertising medium, and some 10,000,000 were utilized for that purpose before it was sold as a game. His latest invention is "blind luck." It has occupied the originator eight years of study, and has passed through some hundred. various forms before the present one was finally selected. lts name is a peculiarly happy one, and itis the most simple looking affair it is possible to imagine. There is nothing mathematical in its appearance. The jame consists in placing half a dozen little sticks upon numbers from one to sil, arranged upon a horseshoe design. The numbers have the appearance of the 'ace of dice, there being four ones and so on until four sixes are reached. The game is to try and make fifty-one or prevent your opponent from making it. Each player plays altera ately. The mystery in the game is to explain why it is that the more you look at it and study it, the greater is the certainty of your being beaten by one who plays ïaphazard and depends entirely upon lis luck to win. P. T. Barnum invested thousands of dollars in advertising his show through ,he medium of the pony puzzle and the lick donkey puzzle. So did many others, ;hough not on the same colossal scale. fhere is scarcely a novelty publishing louse that is not more or less familiar