The Daily Herald

From the Boston Courier.
Yankee Cunning. The publishers of an Arithmetic, for the use of Schools, have offered a reward of fifty dollars for the best solution of the last question contained in that work. A paragraph, announcing this important fact, has appeared in most of our papers, and will probably find a place in almost every paper in the Union. The reward offered is considered a most liberal and disinterested affair. Probably not one editor in fifty is aware, that he is thus advertising the work in the most effectual manner possible, and that the publishers are thus economically saving the usual advertising fees. In addition to this, every schoolmaster will be sure to purchase or obtain in some way or other this book, in order to answer the question and secure the reward, which would be a very comfortable increase of a country master's emolument. This introduces it to the knowledge and notice of all the masters; and it follows of course, that it will be adopted in numerous schools, where, were it not for this circumstance, it would probably never been heard of.
This is not all. To obtain the reward, the solution must be the "best" of any that are offered. Now, it is probable that hundreds of solutions will be sent in all, correct, and all substantially alike, and of course no one of them will be the "best;"—they will be equally perfect. Ergo, nobody will be entitled to the reward, and the publishers will save their proffered fee, after obtaining their advertising and other advantages gratis. Yankee ingenuity can never be exhausted.