Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-02-04
THE EVENING NEWS.
Poor February.
"Thfrty days hath September,
April, June and November;
February hath twenty eight alone

April, June and November;
February hath twenty eight alone,
And all the rest have thirty-one.
Why should February have only twenty.
eight days, while all the rest have thirty and
thirty-onei In order to explain this, the
reader must go back with the writer long
long time, even into the reign Of the first
king Of Rome, Romulus. He divided the
year into ten months, supposing that it con-
sisted Of only three hundred and four days
He made December, as its name signifies,
the tenth and last month Of the year. When
Numa succeeded Romulus, he resolved to
add ffty-one days to the year, that il
might conform more exactly to the supposed
movements Of the sun. Fifty-one days added
to three hundred and four, would give year
of three hundred and ffty-fve days. In in
creasing the length Of the year by fifty-one
days, a difficulty arose, inasmuch as they
could not divide this number into two equal
months, as they would be two short for the
other months nor could they leave the fifty
one days intact as one month, as there would
still be great inequality between its length
and that Of the other months. It was there
fore decided to take a day from six Of the
original months having thirty days; for the
first four Romulian months had each thirty
one days, and the remaining six had thirty
days. By this means they obtained fifty
seven days, which they divided into two
months, naming them February and Janua-
ry. They assigned twenty-nine days to
January and twenty.eight to, February and
now arises the question, why did they give
the lesser number to February and not to
January. The reason is curious. About
the time that February would occur, it was
customary to hold solemn festival in COM
memoratfon Of the dead, and an Italian
genius called Februs presided over it. Odd
numbers we're by the ancients considered
lucky, even ones the reverse; and as they
could not divide tifty-sevcn into two equal
months of whole days, they determined to
give the even, and therefore unlucky, num-
Der to the month in which the rites Of the
dead took place; they called this month after
Februs, the god of death. Thus poor Feb
ruary was a gloomy month from its birth,
and therefore was destined to be the unfor.
tunate one in which all future changes
would fall. When February was first intro
duced into the year, it ended it, while Janua-
ry was made to begin it. This was, however,
afterward changed, and instead Of ending
the year, February became the second
month of the year, as it now stands; thus
throwing the last four months of the year in
to different order than their names imply,
since September, meaning the seventh, is
now actually the ninth month, and SO on
with the remaining three. Numa had now a
year consisting of twelve months, but this
still being too short, and therefore not in ac-
cordance with the seasons, it was resolved to
add yet another month to every second year.
luis nhon.n '1. wac naieI IL $500 ...I a snJ
every attelhaH yeu nau 1 ."e h au
t"entG-;hIee uays' an: Ss WSn'
poor reolutly wa iea; ; ~ 'm va a;aaSasad au
uolius .u Mas lnauuu'eu n1 .n.y M - Tnhr,.
parts 'nus, e,elt @ 'er nd Maroadar;ns W .
course was sloPt, anu mereeuonius mas S
squeeLea M ustMeth .ne s"e EnLu.., u..u
twenty -louLth uay VI Ine u1naPy
"llice Mus h1merSL "tto"I " nun ns ,,,Sai nS
oe1 oI uay atet MeieeIous eS EaS ~, a..",
lug heA' rrnPol'annt .I i th.. az ~ .s,,a
alcu lioin oeeaii "no I 49, ns oesi a",.S
ien9th OF year was pSiivSu ~ " ooG4 uay ..
nat was " oe uohe WIN 'nis tieou . va
the trouoiesome quesuon' ~ aPPuIeI'
tnat iourtns OF uays were must a"AMaiu w .Iat.
CGsar, assuming uha' each one VI uese
fractions was equal 70 tne quarter OF q Gay,
decided 10 subtract II rom every year uurlhg
a Perloo OF tniee years, anu 70 a9u .nese
thrce qSarseis 70 tue atto1 III VI 'ne ,orssa an
year, wmcn woulo nake in'S nIy ,oul.n yeai o une
9a! iongei thsn , euen " .ne S hss orss % .;no"
rms ms aalsoe an,l Tnnn onr So namsS @ AN hecanSe @
oeen AnoMh - hGap hea, ~ U IN DS;oh \,
y is supposed 70 lump u.nrr oser !. y,;ns ano ~
Goes not oh ,;S, ane eo,.ar 'EahsS"ars ~ Se than
S@sar, dos,nro mOfe moe bad h.en JecIa1ea that that
stS rsharw p.suehId sho~Id have twcnty-nine days for
ao,,,uar vaar. onJ n,orsoyer annort;o3ed IN
So,hom !. .hn adS;,;ansi d.x wb;cb occ,rred every
fourth = 'rs uear thns aIv;na II thirty days for
Tsan yssrs Cpsar died lust one wear after
he decreed these changes. and his death was
nm nm fortnnate for moor February, which was
Joou,sd On be robbed AT once. Tho primary
uOU .OO,o ~ the month On;ntiI;s had been NJ
,nroJ 70 that of Cnsar's ,Juiius. and had
,S;rtv-one davs in II. His successor.
smn,stms intent on like honor beinu done
~ "hannoJ Tho name NJ Seytilis To his
n' rhanse % onr my names Jnlv and AnoustI
oM oN5 ;Ss;S,sJ that !, sbonld NOT have less days
=. aiH !. n .Snn Snsar,S h.S dav WAS there
foro ~ ~ .uhs,rsc,od ,Ia from February (of course)
and ass;oneS to August. leaving the former
month @ only twenty.eieht for Common and
twcntr.nine for Lean Years. Il is incom-
prehensible that SO simple an arrangement
C-I.- ol,a,,lJ h,,o hoon ,,;snndorstood