Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-01-11
Our Calendar.

i rom the earliest ages OF the
world. some kind of tirne-reckoring
system las been lracticCd by every
nation making the smallest preten-
sion TO civilization. Befole the cul-
tivation Of astronomy, very rude
methods were in vogue among men.
The hcthIonemcut of one king and
the coronation OF another, the ami
vcrsary of great battle, or the birth
Of some eminent warrior, sage or
statesman, was often made the epoch
from which civil or sacred time was
rCckoned. Great national levolu-
tions often had the effect to over
throw one calendar and introduce
another. The rising and setting of
the sun, the changes of the moon
and the vicissitudes of the seasons,
were the first and most simple divi-
sion of time into such portions as
would subserve the common affairs
of life. The early Greeks had IL
ruds method Of noting their days by
the rising and setting of prominent
fixed STAYS and the larger constella-
tons. The introduction of the Olym-
pic Games, however, became the
most prominent and popular epoch
among the Greeks. Seven hundred
and fiftysix years before the birth
Of our Saviour, the Greeks began
their first period of four years.
These divisions were called "Olym-
riads," and when any particular year
was required to be specified, it was
only necessary to speak of the first
second, third or fourth year Of some
designated Olympiad. Thus, a
Greek, whose birth occurred twenty
five years after the introduction of
this system would say he was born in
the first year of the sixth Olympiad.
The earliest chronological method
among the Romans took for its epoch
the founding of their city by Romu-
lus, We next read of the year of Nu-
ma, consisting of twelve revolutions
of the moon, or three hundred and six
ty-fve days. This clumsy method con-
tinued until about half q century be-
fore the commencement of our own
system of reckoning time. In the for
ty-sixth year before the birth of Christ,
Julius Caesar, calling to his aid
some of bis most expert mathemati-
clans, resolved to establish new
calendar which should take account
Of the six hours which had, so far,
been entirely ignored by the previ-
Gus method. Had Caesar never been
otherwise known to the world, his
name has been immortalized by the
"Julian Calendar" He ordered.
that three hundred and sixty-fve
days and six hours should constitute
a mean tropical year. and then divid-
ed these days into the twelve months
as We use them at present, appor-
tioning to February twenty-nine
days every fourth year, Superior as
this calendar was to all of its pre-
decessors, its year was yet between
eleven and twelve minutes too long.
In the year 1882, these annual in
crements had amounted TO about ten
days; SO that each year seemed to
overlap upon the next succeeding
one, causing such o conflicting of
dates and other mischief in civil and
clerical affairs, that Pope Gregory
resolved to further improve the ex-
listing calendar. To do this, he or
dered that the fifth of October, 1882,
should be considered the fifteenth
of that month, and, also, that
bissextile should not occur erery
fourth year, but that such years as
were exactly diyisible by one hun
dred should be suffered to pass with
out the addition of the usual inter-
GALAXY day, Notwithstanding such
years might be divisible by four
without a remainder. This, then.
is our present. calendar. From
what We have said, the explanation
of the terms " Old Style" and" New
Style. will become apparent. Papal
and protestant countries observing
the correction of Pope Gregory are
said to use the 8" New STYLE" while
those people who adhere to the
Greek Church still use the former