As recollected from a Walt Kelly Pogo Cartoon in the NY Post in the early 1970s. Somewhere I have the original cartoon, which I will scan and post once I find it.
There are four panels to the cartoon. In the Okefenokee swamps, Pogo and his two animal pals are trying to set up a quorum to take a vote. Here is their conversation:
Pogo: The way to tell how many of us there is is by using algebra.
Pal 1: It says here to let x be the unknown… that would be Snorbert Zangox, from?Waycross, Georgia.
Pogo: He’s unknown?
Pal 1: The best. I’ve never heard of him.
Pogo: Me neither.
Pal 2: Nor me.
Pogo: Let’s see — I’ll put down a one for you not knowing him, and a one for you not?knowing him, and a one for me not knowing him. I adds up the ones, and I gets?three — so there must be three of us.
Pal 1: Man, that algebra’s a miracle!
I found the original:
