Daily Republican., 1889-03-06
two OLD ALMANACS.

The Historical Information They Con.
tain-Reacliing Back to the Days or
JRckson's Presidency - They Suggest
the Changes TO the Time oil tho Later
Harrison.
Old almanacs are always interesting TO
look over. There Is so much 10 them
that reminds living mortals of the flight
OF time, and we instinctlvely wonder who
at lives Of those who carved their names
upon hlstory's hcroll away back in the
years gone by. A couple of these al
mauac5 are at our elbow now. They
were handed to us by John II. Wiggles-
worth, who too has strong penehant for
treasuring up old relics. These two old
volumes that Mr.. Wigglesworth handed
10 us arc not so very old after all; one of
them was printed In Philadelphia by
Denny 4 Walker in 1881, and the other
was printed by Robert Porter Il Son,
Wilmington, Delaware in 1899. That is
only 81 years ago, and there are plenty OF
people living now who were boys and
girls then. Sill there was not q man in
public life then that is living now in VIII.
mington. 81 years why that was away
back before the days OF the railroads,
telegraphs and telepho res, when Presi-
dent jackson rode from Washington to
New York In stage coaches; when 1t took
Webster week to travel from Marsh
field, Massachusetts,, to Congress at
Washington, to answer Hayne, from
South Carolina.
1t don't seem very long ago, and yet 1t
was when our fathers were beginning to
talk about railroads; when some OF them
opposed railroads because they would
kill the business of raising horses for the
market. Even 81 years ago was away
back In the era when Morse was looked
upon as q rattle Drained fellow because
ho vsntured to predict that news would
be carried by telegraph from New York
to New Orleans In q day; IL was away
back when Calhoun's nulliners were
threatening to break up the Union; away
back when Thomas Garrett, of this city,
was commencing the underground rail-
road from slavery to freedom; when Clay
ton fret entered the political arena of
Delaware, and for many years kept the
little Diamond State In the Wing ranks,
and long before he announced his
Clayton Bulwer treaty; yes, 1t was away
back when President Andrew Jackson
received visitors at the White House
with his suspenders dangling about his
heels, and Mrs. Jackson INDUCED in th c
luxury of clay pipe and rubbed her
gums with snuff.
1t wasn't very long ago, was III Well,
novel;, yes, It was. All, me, how time
iliesl What wonderful nation we have
now. Will the next 81 years witness the
same that 81 years OF the past have
brought to usf Where will we DO If it
| doesl 1t almost makes the head giddy
| TO think about 1t.
This old Delaware almanac has hung
by some old-fashioned fire place over
andirons that held up backloss possibly
| eight feet long and foot In diameter. 1t
has witnessed young men and maidens on
Valentine night throw slips Of paper up
the chimney with the loved ones name
written upon them to see If they could
catch the right slip as 1t came down.
Valentine day is observed differently now.
Yes, we are living through a gilt-edged
era. And yet there lie not that arlstoeTatc
stiffness In these days that there was 81
years age, General jackson was inauRu-
rated President In a blue swallow-tailed
coat with brass buttons. His starched
| collar interfered with his ears, ard over
his head sat bell-crowned bat. General
Harrison was inaugurated President on
Monday in cutaway coat and soft
wool hat.
In the days of jackson etiquette, dress
and punctilious mslners made the man;
| now science leads the van and we think
less OF ourselves than our fathers did Of
| themselves.
Well. let us look at this old almanac
again. One page for each month is given
up to telling about the suns rising and
setting, the moons phases, when its horns
are up and when down, when to plant