Delaware State journal and statesman., 1867-06-21

A WEEK.-The division OF time into Weeks
of seven days was quite general among the
ancient nations, and was one OF the earliest
divisions known. The people OF India, the
Assyrians, the Egyptians, the Hebrews, the
Ph@nicians, the Arabs, and many other
nations, had this seven day division. The
Chinese, as well as the Monaghan races, had
a five-day division The ancient Mexicans,
also, had the fye-day division. The Greeks
divided their month into decades, OF perlous
OF ten days. The Egyptians divided the
month into decades, after 1t commenced TO
reckon time by the sun instead OF the moon.
The Romans had very peculiar arrange
ment Three days of the month had par
ticular names. The first was called the
calcnds. The 9Th of March, May, July and
October were called the MONIES, and the I'LL
teenth the ideS. In the other months the
nOnes was the fihh day, and the idss the
thirteenth. To distinguish any other day oil
the month, the Romans counted backwards
from one of these three days, calling the
day from which they counted the frat
Thus, the twenty fifth day of June, after the
Roman method, would be the seventh day
before tho calends OF July; the fourth Of
July would be the fourth day before the
aOnes OF July; and the tenth of June would
be the fourth day before the ides of June.
The division of the month into weeks is
general throughout modern Europe. The
French, however, after the revolution oil
1880, introduced new calendar Among
other changes they substituted decades in
place of weeks. But the new calendar was
abolished in few years, and old divisions
and old names were restored. The French
have word for week, but it is quite Gus
tomary for them to say eight days when
they mean a week. For example, a French
man will as frequently say every eight days
as every week. Two weeks we call fort
night, or fourteen nights. A Frenchman
instead OF saying every fortnight, says every
fifteen days.-0liUer Optics Magazine
! TELEGRAPH FAC SIMhEs.-Mr. Field ha
brought ont to this country number OF very
Q interesting specimens of the system OF tele
- graphing now in operation between Pari
Q and Lyons, and Paris and Bordeaux, b,
b which exact copes OF the message are pre-
duced at either extremity Of the liness solel
by mechanical means The message Is wri
ten on prepared paper, covered with Leaf
=, colored surface, which is non.c0nductor {
l. the electric fluid. The writing, Or drawing
II in the ink furnished for the purpose, chang
ID the points touched by 1t to the opposite ele
D. trical character. The pendulum IS swingr
at each end of the circuit in unison. Its u
H. per end is divided into points-say, like
tine-toothed comb. The message being pas
ed over these at one end, sends current
correspond with the writing or lines, al
produced an exact copy of the original up
the prepared paper held 10 the yitrati
pendulum in the distant city.
Thus fac-simile of writing and signatu
is furnished without any skill OF the ope
) tor. A drawing of the likeness Of a thief
absconding clerk is reproduced with mini
9 faithfVlness. Patterns of machinery, p
. terms for bonnets, lleroglyphics, messal
a in Chinese, or in an unknown tongue,
. copied with as little trouble as the simpl
% letters Of u familiar alphabet. Some mott
the Of this have been given in foreign journi
les but no mere verbal description can COM
full idea of the wonderful process. 7
, 90 90 Hibernan who insisted, some years q
! s. that the telegraph operator should forw
, GO his photograph over the wires to his sw,
,, 90 60 heart, was only little ahead Of his Q
J 20 since this can now be done without
~ .. slightest trouble, provided the likeness
81 taken on the proper materal.-JOurnal
Co,Danerce