The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-01-24
MODES OF MARKING TIME.
The Calendars.

The Calendars.
Harold Tan iSdntpoord, in N. T. Observer.
New Years Day has been so long identi-
fed with the first of January that it will
be a matter of surprise to many readers of
the Observer to know that our forefathers
were accustomed to celebrate the day near
ly three months later in the season. In
deed, less than century and half ago,
when George H. was King of England, the
25th of March was observed throughout
the British Isles and in our own country
as the first day of the year. In 1851 an
act was passed by Parliament regulating
the commencement of the year and correct
ing the calendar then in use The act read
as follows
"PREAMBLE- Whereas, The legal sup
putation of the year of our Lord, accord
ing to which the year beginneth on the
18th of March, hath been found by expert
ence to be attended with divers inconve-
niences,
aEnactment-T throughout his Maj
esty's dominions in Europe, Asia, Africa
and America the said supputation, accord
ing to which the year of our Lord begin
meth on the 25th day of March, shall not
be made use of from and after the last day
of December, 1851, and that the first day
of January next following the said last day
of December shall be reckoned, taken,
deemed and accounted to be the first day
of our Lord, 1852, and so on from time to
time. The first day of January in every
year which shall happen in time to come
shall be deemed and reckoned the first day
of the year" etc.
In tracing the origin and growth of the
calendar it is curious to note the changes
that have been made in the divisions of
time The first makers of calendars were
the Phenicians, but it was Solon who
'scoined time" into synodical months.
Then came Melton, with his calendar, which
was engraved on golden tablet, and Cal
lupus, who declared it false and set up a
standard of his own.
"Yet did these vain distinctions now forgot
Bulk largely in the ilmy eye of Time
King Arthur, of the famous Round Ia
BILE, marked time by burning candles. The
first clock was invented by Ctesibus, 250
B. c., and was run by water. 1t must
have been poor clock to get up by in the
morning, for its hours were of unequal
length, and it required more regulating
than Captain Cuttle's watch As to sun
dials, it was during the first Punic war
that the first of these useful inventions was
set up in Rome. The day was then divid-
ed into twenty-four hours. Instead of
striking bell to proclaim the hour, an
officer called assensus, with stentorian lungs
bawled out at regular intervals the time of
day. Julius Caesar invented a new alma
nae that met with favor, and was SO bold
as to crowd fourteen months in one year.
But it was left to Pope Gregory XIII. to
adopt the system of time-measure, invented
by Aloysius Lilius, now in use. 1t is
doubtful whether we can improve upon the
Gregorian calendar and our present system
of measuring time.
But serious objections have been made
to "leap year. A few years ago repre-
sentative in Congress from one of the
Western States proposed to abolish by an
act of the Legislature our present system of
time-measure and substitute new calendar
in which the intercalary day in February
should be set aside, and the leap year be
made to die an ignominious death. The
plan was as follows: Beginning with the
first day Of January, each year was to con-
sist as now, of 365 days, except every ff-
tieth year, which was to contain 377 days,
and to be called "a year of jubilee, until
the FIVE hundredth year should arrive,
which was to be known as ''the great jubi-
lee, )" and was to contain 378 days. The
second section provided that the third
sixth and ninth months of each year
should each contain 35 days, and the other
months % days each, except in the years
of 'sjubilee," when one day should be added
to each month, and in the year of "great
Jubilee" when the last month should have
SO days. The third section prescribed that
the II extra days of ''the great jubilee
should be Sundays, and that in these years
every month should begin and end with q
Sabbath day. By the fourth section, the
Gregorian calendar and all laws relating
thereto, and all laws inconsistent with the
act, were to be repealed.
1t is unnecessary to say that Congress
did not pass the act Our law-maker'
were of the opinion that the present agt
had not outgrown its jacket; that it woulc
be unwise to change its tailor, or forfeit it
leap-year pocket for holiday attire many
of us would not live to see.