The frankfurter problem

Puzzle

Here is a financial problem pertaining to partnership relations, profit and loss or partial payments which I would not have to propose if that clumsy Dutchman had not placed his head so as to obstruct a view of the price of frankfurters.
It appears that three little boys from Harlem lost their way to school, and in their frantic efforts to locate the school, if it was to be discovered within the extended boundary of the metropolis, found themselves at the lunch hour wandering aimlessly along the Bowery at Coney Island.
When they all met under the long pier to discuss the various productsof the place it was found that Harry had secured four frankfurters and Tommy seven.
To pay for his part of the banquet Jim chipped in eleven cents, which Harry and Tom proceeded to divide between the two, so as to equalize finances. It has a puzzling look to the mathematician, but to these young boys, fresh from school, it was no more trouble to divide eleven between two than it was to put eleven frankfurters into three. In fact, it did not take them an in- stant longer than it did to decide not to harrow the feelings of their par- ents by mentioning their misfortunes. What they told their teacher would be too complex a question for our puzzlists.
The present problem is to show how eleven cents were divided equitably between Harry and Tommy, which you can readily do when you have figured out the price of frankfurters.

Solution

References

• Loyd, Sam [1914]. in Loyd, Sam, Jr.: Sam Loyd's Cyclopedia of 5000 Puzzles Tricks and Conundrums (in English). New York: Lamb Publishing company, page 57.