I’M JUST CURIOUS: A test of the mind #2

by Debbie Walker

As the title says this column is connected to last week’s test, it has the little quiz and the rhyme: St. Ives Travelers. Shortly you will read the answer but first the following was printed in the Weekly Magazine in Sept. 1779:

Why the deuce do you give yourselves so much vexation,
And puzzle your brains with long calculation,
Of the number of cats, with their kittens and sacks,
As you seem to suppose? – Don’t you see the cunning,
Old Querist went only? – the rest were all coming,
But grant the wives went, too, – as sure’s they were married,
Eight only could go – for the rest were all carried.

The answer:

The answer as well as the rest of the rhyme I found on Wikipedia. The answers are left to your interpretation, however the way I read it was:

The last line of “How many were going to St. Ives?” On the first line of the rhyming “As I was going ” and the next says, “I met ….”. To me that means only one was going to St. Ives. According to Wikipedia if you calculated all the numbers it would total 2,802. “You can find all of this on the internet on the Wikipedia website.”

Uses for Murphy’s Oil Soap

Insect repellent: combine lemon juice, vegetable oil, Murphy’s Oil Soap and water – put in spray bottle. Spray any area – around windows and doors.

Leather Cleaner: Put small amounts on dry cloth and wipe away dust and marks from leather.

Banister Cleaner: They can get very sticky, Clean that with Murphy’s oil soap.

Shines laminate floors: ½ cup Murphy’s, two gallons warm water. For bucket and mop use.

Permanent Marker Remover: removes marks on dry erase board.

All Purpose Cleaner: essential oils, two cups of warm water, a bowl and two tablespoons Murphy oil, mix well and put in spray bottle or just wipe surfaces straight from the bowl.

Sink Cleaner: wash away grease in your sink. Dry with clean cloth. Pour small amount of Murphy’s on a dry rag and wipe entire sink.

Bathroom cleaner: Mix soap with water – clean walls, sinks, shower and floor.

Remove grime from Hardwood finishes: Mix equal parts of Murphy’s and paint thinner to remove a thin layer of surface. Apply with a sponge, then wipe away with a sponge. Wipe away residues with a dry rag.

Clean and polish bridles and saddles. Also used to clean black-powder weapons.

Just a little history: Murphy’s Oil Soap recipe was brought to this country by a German immigrant. Murphy’s Oil Soap was run by the Murphy’s for 80 years when they sold to Colgate.

I just came across these little tidbits of information and decided to add them to today’s collections of writing, hope you don’t mind. It may be a subject you have discussed. Hope you enjoy the following:

When you are grocery shopping this article in Women’s World’s June issue may be of help to you, too. Have you ever wondered about those “Best if used by xx/xx/xx” dates on your groceries? Mom told me for years of her buying dented can foods that she did not go by the “Best if used by——” date. She looked for cans that bulged. If they did, she wouldn’t buy. The bulge is a warning, a sign of a bacterial problem. Of course, opening the can, the smell, the texture will tell the story for you. In the article they talked about eating things four years after the date. Wish Mom was still here to talk this over with.

I’m just curious about questions you might have. Let me know. Contact me with questions or comments at DebbieWalker@townline.org. Have a great week!