WE clip from the Union Signal a remarkable “queer story,” joined to an arithmetical problem. The story has a moral well worth considering, and a “sum” worth doing.

“I hav of lait got at sum stubbun fax and figgers. 2 siggars a day, costing oanly a nikkle eech, for 20 yeers at 1st Site appeers to Bee a smol matter. Let us figger the cost. 10 sents daly for 365 daze reeches the sum ov $36.50. We will not rekkon interrist the first yeer, but the interrist on $36.50 for 19 yeers at 6 purr sent is $73.92, and the Totle ov prinsipple and interrist at 6 Purr sent, kompoundid yeerly, at the end ov 20 yeers maiks the neet little Sum ov $1,338.54. That izzn’t a grate eel, but it wood Bi 200 barrils ov good flower, and in Sum sekshuns ov the kuntry wood maik wun the oaner ov a good farm, with houce, barn, wel, sisstern, froot treeze and wood-lot on it, possibly a jurzy cow and sum Uther niknax throne into the bargin. But my expeeryunce has tot me that fax and figgers prodoose but a Slite impresshun on wun who has fully dessidid to maik bacon ov his Branes bi turning his mouth into a smoakhouce. He communly prefurs the hi and eggzaltid privvylige ov bloin smoak thru hiz noze to having enny uther erthly pozeshun.”