Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-01-29
LEAP-YEAR.
A SeasOn which AecortIs Special
Privileges to the Ladies---Orig-
in OF the Leap-Year Customs.
Washington Star.

WdsnlugtOu OIdIs
The advent of the leap-year season has
had the effect of again starting inquiry
as to the origin Of the customs which
allow women during leap-year to assume
a privilege which, during the other three
years, is the sole prerOgative of men.
70 trace the origin or foundation of this
custom is work of no small magni-
tude, every step is beSet with difficulties
formidable and seemingly insurmOunta-
BILE, days, weeks and months have been
spent, and very little gained to repay
the expenditure. Old lnusty and dust
laden toomes have Oeen |, PATIENTLY exam
ined in the effort to lind something
upon which to base a theory in the abb
sence of any tangible faci, but without
success. Those who possess ever so lit
tie knowledge of antiquity are aware
that its current of thought differed very
much from its tendency i'll our own pc
riod. This instructive feeling is by no
means without basis in fact. If it be
true that the same motives ruled men in
all former ages as at present, it must
still be allowed that the sources of their
knowledge have been unknown to us,
and that something infinitely more po-
tent than imagination originated the ira
ditions and monuments that have come
down to our time. Modern philosophy
and all our habits of thought supposes
the progressive development of institu-
tions,and Herewith of arts and sciences.
At the same time. however, it can not
be denied that certain fountains of
knowledge have been allowed to dry up,
as the wells of Abraham were filed
with dust. What these were are clearly
indicated by the missing links in the
chain of events, which alone can fur
nish information as to the origin of
many Of our customs and traditions.
After all, it seems to have been one of
those mythical legends. which after long
years is accepted as fact, and that the
ladies have greater privilege during
the three hundred and sixty-six days of
leap-year than during those that contain
only three hundred and sixty-five.
CHANGES IN TUE CALENDAR.
The want of uniformity in the calen-
dar was for long time source of
trouble to the earlier astronomers. The
POpes and Emperors were continually
issuing DEGREES in regard to it, lengthen-
iLg the months, taking days from one
month and adding them to another, that
it was with great difficulty earlier histo-
rians were able to agree as to the time
an event took place; but, thanks to that
monument of human patience and la
Dor, al Art de Verefier les Dates" we
are able to bring order out of chaos, and
fix with reasonable certainty the date of
other transactions. In early times the
Roman pontiffs regulated the civil year
so imperfectly that in the time of Juli-
us Caesar the spring occurred in what the
calendar called summer. Caesar, with
the help of SOSigenes, reformed the cal
endar and introduced the present ar
rangement of having three years of
three hundred and sixty-five days follow
ed by one of three hundred an sixty-six,
dividing the year into months nearly as
at present. Previous to 1882 the year in
most countries commenced on the 25th
of December, but this was not uniform !;
some had the 25th of March and others
Easter day. In England, for long
time, they had two different dates. The
confusion which arose from there being
two modes of computing dates in one
kingdom must be sufficiently apparent to
every one. Remarkable examples of the
confusion produced by this practice are
afforded by two of the most celebrated
events in English history. King Charles
|. is said by most authorities to have
been beheaded ON the 30th of January,
164S, while others with equal correct
ness assign that event to the 30th of
january, 1649. The revolution which
drove James III. from the throne is sta
ted to have taken place in February,
-16SS, by some writers in February, 1850.
These discrepancies arise through some
historians using the civil and legal year,
and others the historical. In former
times September had thirty-one days and
August only thirty; but the Emperor
Augustus, not liking the idea that Ju-
Illus C@sar's month (July) should have
more days than his, took one from Sep
tember, and to keep up the alternate
character of the months, took one from
November and gave it to October. The
custom of dating time
FROM THE BIRTH OF CHRIST
Was first proposed by Dionysius Exig-
nus, learned monk, about the sixth
century. Thus the calendar stood until
1882, when it was discovered that thro'