The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-27
EARLY CALENDARS.
The Clog Almanac-The First Written
and Printed Almanacs.

From the Brooklyn Citizen.
Not every reader of these lines knows
why the calendar is 50 called, nor the reason
for naming one Of the most Indispensable
of modern handbooks, the almanac.
1t was customary in old Rome to proclaim
the first Of each month, that the people
might know the dates for the constantly
recurring religious festivals. A notice OF
the beginning Of each new month was also
affixed to a public place, and the first OF
the month took the name kalandae or
kalends, from the Greek verb meaning to
call, while to the posted notice was ap-
| piled the name Faste Calendars. Later a
book Of accounts referring to days was
called Calendarium, a calendar, and from
this we have derived our word, applied
nowadays not only to a CONDENSED almanac
or exposition of time divisions generally,
but OF late years to those dainty publlca-
ii ms loved so we'll by young women where
in each day of the year is provided with
passage from some fayOTlte author. An
old stone calendar found at POmpeii is in
the form Of a square block upon each OF
the four sides of which are registered three
months in perpendicular columns, the proper
sign of the zodiac heading each. Agricultu-
raj and religious information is given as
well as astronomical.
The name almanac was derived from the
Saxons, who, according to quaint chron-
icer named Verstegen, fused TO engrave
upon certain squared sticks, about foot in
length, or shorter, or longer, as they pleased,
the courses of the incomes of the whole yere,
whereby they could alwaies certainly tell
when the new incomes, full incomes and
changes should happen, as also their festl-
vail daies, and such a carved stick they
called almon-aught, that is to say, al-mon-
heed, to-wit, the regard or observation of
all the incomes" The Clog almanac de-
scribed by DE-. Robert Plot and found by
him i'll the Northern countries of Europe IN
1856 was probably modification OF the al
mon-aught. 1t was square stick or box
or other hard wood, on which the days and
months were designated by variously shaped
notcheS. Properly, 1T was perpetual al
manac, designed to show the Sundays and
other fixed holidays of the.year only.
the earliest written almanacs were those
of Solomon Jarchus, published in the
twelfth century. Pebrus de Dacia published
an almanac in the year 1900, and thereafter
they became more common with every
year. Astrology was always ezhaustvely
treated of in these early almanacs
The first almanac printed in Europe was
probably the kalendarium Novum, by
Regiomontanus, calculated for 1875, 1874
and 1913. 1t was published in Buda, Hun
gary, Richard Pynson, in 1897, printed
the first English almanac, translating it
from the French, and calling it The Sheap-
heard's Kalendarn
Almanacs were largely prophetic in those
days, and most readers of this will remem-
Der the patent medicine almanacs of their
younger days, in which would occur in
italic type, stretching half way down the
page, covering fully tortnight's time, such
predictions as these: About this time we
may expect hail, snow or rain, accompanied
by variable Winds" or Look out for clear,
calm weather, with rising temperature and
possibly violent thunderstorms.
In an almanac published in 1864, called
Poor Robin occurs this remarkable
humorous prognostication for January:
There will be much frost and cold weather
in Greenland Possibly Ben Franklin got
a suggestion for the tite of his famous
Poor Richards Almanac" from Poor
Robin