Wabash express. [volume] (Terre-Haute, Vigo Co[unty], Ind.) 1841-186?, 1860-02-22
LEAP YEAR.


the reasons why it is so called. are in
teresting' The N. Y. Herald has compiled
the facts. aud here they are:
The year 1860 is Leap Year." and con.
sists Of sec days. one day being added 10
the shortest month, February, which " III i,
therefore. have twenty -rine days this year;
and on its last. or additional day. j. claim
ed by the ladies privilege which belongs
at all other times to the conference.-the
privilege OF popping the Question" Leap
year occurs every fourth year, and il SO
called because IL leaps over a day more than
does any ordinary year. For instance. in
other years, " Christmas day or New
Years day fall on Sunday. it will fall on
Monday Ia the following year; but ia Leap
Year &c will fsIl on Tuesday, being thus
two days later 10 the wesk. instead of one.
IL Is also csllei bissex .ile-from the Latin
ots, twice, and sexfus, sixth-meaning that
the sixth Of the cslends of March (corres
ponding to the oath of February.) was
rtckoned twice every fourth year by the
INTERPOLATION Of day. The necessity Tor
Leap Year arises from the fact that the so.
lar year does not correspond exactly with
The civil year, in consequence Of its not
ending exactly with given day. but with
traction of day. If it were not for this
arrangement, Christmas, IN course of time,
would be in midsummer, and the fourth OF
July in the depth Of winter.
The true year consists Of the time il
takes for the earth to make one revolution
around the sun, which is determined by its
coming back to the same point in the 20
dIac from which it started; and this Is &C
comPlished in 365 days and nearly hours;
but as tie calendar must consist of COM
Plete days, these six hours are omitted ADD
IN four years they make up whole day
when one is added to the year, making
what Is called a Leap Year This, howev-
er, is not strictly correct; for it is sscer-
tanned by accurate calculations that solar
year is exactly 365 days, 5 hours. rs min
utes and ST. seconds; consequently, in
putting on the hours, we add IL minutes
1914 seconds in four years. This in the
course Of 1884 years would amount to "a
hours, or Complete day. Every year tn,
number Of which is divisible by four with
cut remainder is a Leap Year, except tn,
last year of a century, which is LeaI
Year only when divisible by 400 without
remainder Thus the year 1900 will no
be a Leap Year.
HC 4AObdh cdE VI giudlIy Hdu DuL Tel
months, as may be seen in the meaning o
the name December, which is "Tenth.
month" March was the first month Of tn,
year 10 the time of Romulus. and Decem
Der was the last. But Numa Pompilus
who knew Astronomy better, added Jan
uary and February.
While Rome's great founder made the time hi
care,
Ten mSnths he choose to constitute the year;
But Numa. better skilled in astrol lore,
To Romuus' months adjoin'd two more.
The Egyptians were the first who sp
proximated to the real lesgth OF the year
which they made TO consist Of $50 days.
They afterwards added 5 days, IS wa
done by Thales, one of the seven wise mel
Of the Greeks. The Jews, Syrians, Ethio
pions. Romans. Persians, aud Arabs al
had years Of different length.
The day on which the year commence
is also different in different countries, bu
in all it is held in great veneration. Th
Jewish historical year commences with tn
new moon near the vernal equinox (MarcI
D. and the civil year with the new moo
near the autumnal equinox. The Mahom
edans begin their year on the day wher
the sun enters Arrives; the Persians in tn
month which answers to our June th,
Chinese and Indians with the first new
moon which happens in March; and tn,
Mexicans on the 23d of February, at which
! time the yerdure IN their country begins Il
appear. William the Conqueror haviD(
been crowned on the first day of January
gave occasion to the English to begin thei
year on that day, in order to make il cor
respond with the most remarkable date II
their history.
Though the historical year began in Eng
/ land on the festival of the Circumcision
or first day Of January, on which day tn
German and Italian year begins. yet tn
civil or legal year did not commence til
the day oil the AnBnncia;iOn Of The Virgin
the 25;h of March The part OF the yea
/ between those terms was usually expires
sed in both these ways: either ] 80 o
Ia 80. But by the act altering the styl
the civil year now begins with the lst o
January. The old style followed the a
liam method Of computing the year, by CHI
calendar established by Julius Ce >ar IL
which every fourth year consists of SCI
days, and the other year Of 365. This Ju
liam arrangement Of tirse makes, as ",
have seeb. eleven minutes and some sec
onds in year too much.
Pope Gregory XIII. reformed the calen
dar by retrenching ten days in October
1859, in order to bring back the verns
equinox 10 the same days as the Couhci
of ice. a. d. 325. This reformation wa
adopted bv act OF Parliament in Great Bri
tain in 1851. by which eleven days in Sep
tember. 1852, were retreBched, and tn
third day was reckoned the fourteenth
This mode of reckoning is called neN
style. Such was the faIaticism Of the Pu
ritans aud other Protestsnts at that time
that because the reform emanated from tn
Pope they denounced the change, and sal
eleven days were stolen from them. Man,
to the present tine keep "Old Christina
Day." or the day on which the festiva
would fall if the style was not altered
1t will be seen by this. that while lea
year continues foF twelve monihs, the 29tl
day of February alone is the time whe
thr ladies are expected to make PROPOSE
tions. If they were privileged to do thu
the entire year, there would not be singh
man left living, all of course would be ia
ken up like hot cakes Combining howeve
this privilege to only one out Of the 365
many old bachelors and incorrigible wild
ovors will escape. The 18th day of thi,
month the--next Wednesday week is tn
auspiciour day. when the ladies put OF
breeches and boots. and the men for tim
assume the hoops and the ribbons. o
course every man who does not desire en-
tering into the bonds hymeneal will max
himself scarce on that day, and the youn,
lady or the blooming widow who does
will be pulling the ropes.
~stsS
A NEw DISEASE AMONG CHILDREN
new disease has appeared 10 New York
and is now occupying the attention Of tn,
Academy Of Medicine. Diptheia, or dip
thetic Group, it is called. and is in almos
every case fatal, at the same time epidem
ic and contagious. Notwithstanding
learned discussion by all the savsns. no
OEe seems 10 understand the features of tn
disease or the proper treatment. The lit