Ordeal by Cheque to start your year

An old set of materials worth sharing. I saved this lesson from my high school days in the early 80's. I imagine generations of teachers have passed it forward since it publication as a puzzle in Vanity Fair in 1932. This series of cheques tells a the story of a man's life from his son's birth. My teacher used it in a journalism course as primary source practice. I've used it in courses from grades 7-12 in social studies. Although there is no absolute answer-there are reasonable answers that can be discovered and argued. There are endless activities in humanities and applied math that can start with these clues. Hats off to this clever 20th century game writer.