CLASS DAY

“Morning, lads,” beamed the Professor as he entered the classroom accompanied by a slight, dark, distinguished-looking man of fifty. “I’ve brought quite a celebrity with me. Boys, meet Inspector Marcel Guidont of the famed French Sûreté. Inspector, my young hopefuls.”

Introductions acknowledged, the Professor continued. “M. Guidont is properly known as the greatest homicide detective on the Continent, and is head of the Sûreté’s renowned school of criminology. I’ve told him what bright lads you are, but he is an extremely skeptical gentleman so I brought him along to prove it to him. M. Guidont has come over to assist me in the investigation of the murder of that beautiful young Parisian. You remember—the girl who won the international beauty contest recently at Coney Island.

“Perhaps,” continued Fordney, “I should apologize to the Inspector for the simplicity of the little problem I am going to ask you to solve for him, but…”

“Do not disturb yourself,” smiled the Frenchman. “And I have an idea, mon ami! Suppose we invite the young gentleman who solves your problem first to work with us on the LaLonde case!” A shout of approval went up from the class.

“It’s a deal!” agreed the Professor. “Ready? Here’s the problem: A friend of mine in the country recently received a generous offer for the property on which he had built a modest bungalow. As he liked the house and owned another piece of property not too far distant, he decided to move it. After some difficulty the movers got the bungalow on a large log three feet in circumference—on a gentle down-grade. The question is, had my friend pushed the log himself, how far would the house have traveled while the log made one revolution? Quickly now!”

What is your, answer? Turn page for solution.