Sam Loyd's Cyclopedia of 5000 Puzzles Tricks and Conundrums/Preface
PREFACE
The Cyclopedia of Puzzles presents to that legion of people, young and old, who delight in puzzle-solving, a comprehensive collection of puzzles garnered during many years of pleasant labor in the fields of Puzzledom. All the best of modern puzzle creations, as well as those of ancient origin, together with their solutions, are gathered in the Cyclopedia.
Almost every page may be regarded as a little family puzzle department in itself, containing as it does a variety of puzzles, simple and difficult, mathematical and otherwise. A lover of puzzles browsing through the pages, whether he be the veteran solver or the youngster who is just beginning to agitate his grey matter with riddles and word puzzles will find abundance to feed upon.
Puzzling is a pastime of very ancient growth, rich in historical associations, and embracing much that is romantic, as well as scientific. The Cyclopedia abounds in those classical tidbits which, collectively, give us as true a history of the art and literature of puzzledom as may be written.
I have always treated and considered puzzles from an educational standpoint, for the reason that they constitute a species of mental gymnastics which sharpen the wits and train the mind to reason along straight lines. As a school for cleverness and ingenuity designed to make of study a recreation, and as an aid to both scholar and teacher, I dedicate this work to the school-children of America.
SAM LOYD
NOTES
The Cyclopedia of Puzzles contains over 5,000 puzzles, tricks, conundrums, riddles, etc., of which about 1,000 are illustrated.
Solutions to the puzzles are printed in the last pages—from page 340 to page 384 in consecutive order. To find the solution of a puzzle turn to the solution pages, and note at the top the numbers of the puzzle pages to which they apply. It will then be a simple matter to locate the sought-after solution. For example: The first solution page, 340, as noted at its top, contains answers to puzzles appearing on pages 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14. Many of the charades and word puzzles throughout the book are accompanied by their solutions expressed in simple numerical cipher; that is, the letters of the alphabet are represented by numbers in corresponding order. For instance, the word "CYCLOPEDIA" would be expressed by 3, 25, 3, 12, 15, 16, 5, 4, 9, 1.
Such puzzles as are accompanied by their answers are not duplicated in the solution pages.
A PRIZE OFFER
A number of puzzles in the book have been selected as "Prize Puzzles," so of course their solutions are withheld.
A prize of one hundred ($100) dollars will be awarded to the person who sends in the best set of correct answers to these "Prize Puzzles" before the first of January, 1915.
A feature of the contest lies in the fact that each solver must in the first place discover the "Prize Puzzles," which can be identified through the absence of their solutions, so do not write and ask which they are. That is for you to find out.
As the reader proceeds through the book he should make notes of such puzzles as he discovers have no given solutions. If complete, that will be the list of "Prize Puzzles."
There are no conditions attached to this prize offer other than that a contestant's solutions must be sent collectively―the answers to the complete set of "Prize Puzzles" forwarded in one envelope, and posted not earlier than December 1, 1915, and not later than January 1, 1915, addressed to SAM LOYD, New York Press Club, New York City.
If you do not succeed in securing answers to all of the "Prize Puzzles," nevertheless be sure to send in your best efforts, for a number of complimentary prizes will be awarded among those who rank highest in the contest.
The first prize of $100 will go to the author of the best received. Best means best from every possible standpoint, correctness, method of expression, etc.
Mr. Loyd will personally superintend examination of all answers.
To be eligible to enter this contest it is not necessary to own outright a copy of the Cyclopedia of Puzzles. Several members of a family may send in their individual papers while working from the same volume.