Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-04-02
.LdANACS OF LONG AGO.
Some OF the Mile Post Records of
Ancient History.

Ancient History
The invention of the Almanac was
the beginning of history. in the sense
that history is philosophy, teaching by
( example Previous to that important
and convenient revelation, there was
practically no basis Of comparison, no
process of marking the course of time,
no means of connecting the past with
the present and the present with the
/ future.
/ The art OF calculation, the whole
great system of mathematics, had its
origin in the pebble device, used to
count sheep by dropping pebble in a
B basket for each one as it is passed, until
an entire flock got by, then enumerat-
i ing another flock in the same way, and
I finally determining the relative numbers
of the two by alternately taking a peb-
] ble from each basket until one was ex-
/ hausted. Next came the chalk marks,
I or straight lines in blocks of five, the
last being drawn across the other four
/ at an angle, which plan Is still largely
/ employed; then the plan of two notched
sticks-the first double entry idea was
yolyed; then came the digit ) ystem, OF
counting in dves and tens with the fin
/ gers; and finally the Arabic notation,
with its ten symbols or figures, super
seded all other methods.
II Is easy TO understand that, while
} the world was thus slowly learning how
10 count, 1t could have. no history.
| There was no way TO record events OF
10 adjust and combine facts. The peb-
bles and chalk marks and notched
: sticks only answered the crude purposes
( OF life that took no account of yester-
Z day or tomorrow. 1t WAS not possible
I for the average mind 10 have any con-
/ ceptiOn of dates or periods distances or
| localities. The relation of what was 10
what had been and what might be, did
not enter into the prevailing order of
| thought and feeling. One day was as
a thousand years, and thousand years
/ as one day.
There was no intellectual growth, no
I permanent escape from the tight OF saw
I a.ery, so long as the gift of measuring
\ space and time was absent; men began
I 10 be men only when, they acquired that
| advantage, and were able 10 connect
I the experiences of one generation with
| the necessities Of the next. OF, III other
words, 70 grasp the doctrine of accumu-
I laiOn, which IS the source of all deyel-
| opmeut- When they came TO see that
/ the whole was greater than any part,
| and that a part WAS nothing unless
ToOteI TO the whole, they were placed
III the way OF harmonIZIng themselves
| with their environment and accomplish
ing sane and useful results. Time was
invested with appreciable value, and
| the procession of the days took on q
| practical purport. Wings were provId-
| ell for intelligence. The Gagged reason
| Of the race secured the soaring priyil
Z IL
every effort First the pebbles were
| cast away, then the notched sticks,
then the digital device; and thus the
dawn of history slowly bIt surely ap-
! preached.
The first almanacs- is TO say.
! the first histories-were OF Arabian orr
| gin, and reflected the LEGAL genius OF
| the people in very striking way. They
I served as models In other countries foI
| hundreds of years. The Oldest known
] copy or such work IS preserved in the
| British Museum, aud dates back TO the
time of Rameses the Great, of Egypt,
! who lived ], 2UO years before the bIrtl
| of Christ. 1t IS written on papyrus, in
| red ink, and covers a period of six years
| The entries relate to religious ceyemo
| MES, TO the fdtes OF children born OIL
I given days, and TO the regulation oi
| business enterprises in accordance will
| planetary influences. do nothing al
! all this day" IS one of the warnings
'lf thou seest anything at all this day
| it Will be fortune" Is another ENTITY
''Look not at lat this day. ''Wast
J not with water this day." and $50 noI
out before daylight this day" are some
| of the additional cautions. This alma
nae vas found III an old tomb, and i:
| supposed to have been buried with II.
Egyptian owner, when he was converted
into a mummy for future explorers tC
dig up and dIssect In the interest of sci
ence and literature.
Next after this in point of age, among
the existing specimens of ancient alma
macs. are some composed III the Fourtl
century. They are Roman church cal
endaTs, giving the names OF the saint.
and other religious information The
Baltic nations who were not yerSed il
| papyTus making, Lad calendars engray
ed on AK helves, walking sticks anC
other articles of personal use. Tie day
| were notched, with a broad mark fol
| Sunday, and the saints days were sym
| bOIIZed III various devices, such as :
| harp for ST. David's, a gridiron for st
! Lawrence's, lovers knot for st. Val
| eutIne's, and 50 on. The saxon ALMA.
macs are numerous and contain histori
| cal As well As ecclesiastical entries. Ii
is possible TO trace in these curious rec,
Ords all the changes OF popular belief
and taste. They were prepared to meet
the current demand and 10 Constitute Z
systematic story of what took place il
successive periods and how knowledge
increased with the revolving years
We owe to them most that We know OF
the people, for whom they were mad.
| and by whom they were endorsed.