Position of the Men
Cut a block from a board about 3 in. wide and 10 in. long. Sandpaper all the surfaces and round the edges slightly. Mark out seven 1-in. squares on the surface to be used for the top and color the squares alternately white and black. Make six men by sawing a curtain roller into pieces about 3/8 in. thick. Number the pieces 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7, and place them as shown in Fig. 1. The puzzle is to make the first three change places with the last three and move only one at a time. This may be done as follows:
| Move 1 | Move No. 3 to the center. |
| Move 2 | Jump No. 5 over No. 3. |
| Move 3 | Move No. 6 to No. 5's place. |
| Move 4 | Jump No. 3 over No. 6. |
| Move 5 | Jump No. 2 over No. 5. |
| Move 6 | Move No. 1 to No. 2's place. |
| Move 7 | Jump No. 5 over No. 1. |
| Move 8 | Jump No. 6 over No. 2. |
| Move 9 | Jump No. 7 over No. 3. |
| Move 10 | Move No. 3 into No. 7's place. |
| Move 11 | Jump No. 2 over No. 7. |
| Move 12 | Jump No. 1 over No. 6. |
| Move 13 | Move No. 6 into No. 2's place. |
| Move 14 | Jump No. 7 over No. 1. |
| Move 15 | Move No. 1 into No, 5's place. |
After the 15 moves are made the men will have changed places. This can be done on a checker board, as shown in Fig. 2, using checkers for men, but be sure you so situate the men that they will occupy a row containing only 7 spaces.
Contributed by W. L. Woolson, Cape May Point, N.J.
Gold Railroad Signals
Covering railroad signals with gold leaf has taken the place of painting on some roads. Gold leaf will stand the wear of the weather for 15 or 20 years, while paint requires recovering three or four times a year.