GEOGRAPHICAL PUZZLE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 177, 28 July 1928, Page 7 (Supplement)

GEOGRAPHICAL PUZZLE.

THE PRIZE-WINNERS.

SEVEN FINISH EQUAL..

EACH WITH SEVEN MISTAKES.

AN INTERESTING COMPETITION,

Tlio interest taken in the "Star's" geographical puzzle was exceedingly keen. Over six thousand competitors entered for the prizes offered, and their solutions when placed under seal made a formidable pile.

After the claims of those who had ten errors or less had come to hand, in accordance with the conditions laid down in the competition, the whole of the sealed solutions were sorted under an alphabetical index of the names of the entrants, and then the work of checking the list in accordance with the list' of errors submitted for the claimants was undertaken.

Analysis and examination of these showed that the lowest number of errors submitted was seven, and, curiously enough, the number who achieved this minimum was also seven. About five hundred claims had to be examined to find the eventual winners, this being the number who had ten mistakes or less. Eight errors were made by a dozen competitors, and nine by fourteen, all the other claimants confessing to ten errors.

It was stated in the original conditions that the prize-money woifld be divided in the event of two or more competitors securing the same number of successes, and the prize-money will accordingly be distributed among the.seven who were most successful in naming the towns and villages. The prize-money offered totalled £10. This sum has now been increased to £10 10/, which will enable us to pay £1 10/ to each of the skilful competitors who nearly solved the complete series.

Cheques of £1 10/ each will accordingly beforwarded to the following:— C. F. G. Batchelor, No. 1, Rockfield Road, Ellerslie. Miss Mavis Imeson, 9, Thomas Avenue, Mount Roskill. Miss V. A. Willers, Costley Shelters, Auckland. D. Millar, Box 1095, C.P.0., Auckland. Miss Rae Schatz, 17, St. George's Bay Road, Parnell. • J. A. Maxwell, 14, Trafalgar Street, Onehunga. Mrs. John Denbv, Fraser Street, Tauranga. ° One or two others claimed a similar number of errors, but comparison of their lists with the original coupons sent in by | them showed that they had overlooked mistakes, and these seven alone qualified for the prizes.