The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-01-14
A SINGULAR FACT.
a Presidential Year which VIII Not Be a
Leap Year.
INashville American. ]

Nashville Americana
One evening, q short time ago, as a re.
porter Of the American found himself with q
party of friends, the conversation turned on
the fact that this was leap year. A middle
aged gentleman in the party remarked:
Thank goodness, it is nearly over"
Why" inquired the man OF the pencil.
Well, TO make long story short, some
years sgo, IN a leap year, beautiful, we'll
educated and altogether lovely young lady,
asked me TO marry her in a Jest. / said
PES as had long entertained a secret az.
lection for her. She meant every word she
said, and insisted that we should be married
at Christmas. | consented and We were
married A better wife man never had.
But, alas for nv future prospects she lived
but one short lear and now sleeps in Mount
Oli5et. Here is where my aversion to leap
year comes IN. am afraid that some d.
signing woman will propose to me IN some
leap year, and that l will be compelled 10
accept and, instead of getting helpmste
for life, will get vixen who will make
my life hell upon earth"
Then" said the scribe. "you have to
dread leap year for two reasons. The first
you have stated. The second is on account
Of the depression to business caused by leap
year always being Presidential year"
There you are mistaken. Every Presi-
Dental year is not leap year. III live till
the year 1900, as Ihave good prospects of do
ing. viii see Presidential year which is
not leap year, and still year divisible by
four"
This set the reporter to studying. He
could not make out how it was. His in
fcTmant left him in the dark, and he finally
consulted the authorities, with the follow
ing result. taken from Smiths illustrated
Astronomy" &3UA
SIT has been found by observation that
the earth revolves on its axis 1851 times
nearly while it Is making one complete rev.
olution around the sun, or while the sun
moves from either equinox to the same
equinox again. Consequently the solar
year upon which the seasons depend con-
fsiDs nearly 365H days. 1t will be seen
from this that the difference between year
of 365 days and the year as measured by the
sun amounts to one day In every four years
sothat in 40 years of 365 days the seasons
would fall back one whole month, and the
season for May would be In June, etc In
100 years the longest day would fall back
through the twelve months and would again
correspond to their present arrangement. In
order to keep the seasons to the same months,
and to make the solar and civil year CORE
spond, one day more Is included in February
every fourth year. This would always keep
the solar and civil years together II the earth
revolved upon its axis exactly 1851 times
While 1t Is revolving around the sun or dur
ing the solar year; but the earth revolses
from equinox 70 the same again in 365 days
hours, 4S minutes and 40 seconds. which
is IL minutes II seconds less than 1851
days; consequently in allowing one day In
every four years is allowing A min
utes, a seconds too much, and In l32 years
it would amount to "a hours, SO minutes, o
reccnds- The mode of reckoning time by
making every fourth year leap year Was