A Brilliant Idea

1895

A German paper tells an amusing story of Cumberland, the thought reader. On a journey from Vienna to St. Petersburg he entertained his fellow passengers by guessing their thoughts. One of the travelers, a Polish Jew, who took the whole thing for a hoax, offered to pay Cumberland the sum of 50 rubles if he could divine his thoughts. Visibly amused, Cumberland acceded to his request and said: "You are going to the fair at Nijni-Novgorod, where you intend to purchase goods to the extent of 20,000 rubles, after which you will declare yourself a bankrupt and compound with your creditors for 3 per cent."

On hearing these words the Jew gazed at the speaker with reverential awe. He then, without uttering a syllable, drew out of the leg of his boot a shabby purse and handed him the 50 rubles, whereupon the great magician triumphantly inquired, "Then I have guessed your thoughts, eh?" "No," replied the Jew, "but you have given me a brilliant idea."


Trivia

Several flutes, still perfect and capable of producing musical tones, have been taken from the Egyptian catacombs.

New London, Connecticut, was at first called Tawagog.