e.

Few realize the rapidity at which a loan increases, accelerating in
geometrical progression as time passes. Any loan will double itself at
three per cent. in twenty-three and a half years; at seven per cent.
in ten and a fourth years, and at ten per cent. in seven and a third
years. One dollar loaned for one hundred years, at three per cent.,
would amount to nineteen dollars; at seven per cent. one thousand
dollars, and at ten per cent. thirteen thousand.

The island upon which New York stands was bought from the Indians for
the value of twenty-four dollars by Peter Minuits in 1626. Yet, if the
purchaser had put his twenty-four dollars at interest, where he could
have added it to the principal at the rate of seven per cent., the
accumulation would now exceed the total value of the entire city and
county of New York.

M. Jennet quotes the elaborate calculation of an ingenious author to
show that 100 francs ($20) accumulating at five per cent. compound
interest for seven centuries, would be sufficient to buy the whole
surface of the globe, both land and water, at the rate of 1,000,000
francs ($200,000) per hectare (nearly four square miles). From this we
can gather that $20 at five per cent. compound interest for 700 years,
would buy all the earth, mountains, and swamp lands, and water, at $80
per acre.

Another mathematical genius says, had one cent been loaned on the first
day of January A.D. 1, interest being allowed at the rate of six per
cent. compounded yearly, then 1895 years later--that is on January 1,
1895--the amount due would be $8,497,840,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (8,497,840,000 decillions). If it were
desired to pay this in gold, 23.2 grains to the dollar, then taking
spheres of pure gold the size of the earth, it would take
610,070,000,000,000,000 to pay for that cent. Placing these spheres in a
straight row, their combined length would be 4,826,870,000,000,000,000
miles, a distance which it would take light (going at the rate of
186,330 miles per second) 820,890,000 years to travel.

The planets and stars of the entire solar and stellar universe, as
seen by the great Lick telescope, if they were all in solid gold,
would not nearly pay the amount. A single sphere to pay the whole
amount, if placed with its centre at the sun, would have its surface
extending 563,580,000 miles beyond the orbit of the planet Neptune,
the farthest in our system.

It may be added that if th