The Monitor., 1890-04-11
ALMANACS OF LONG AGO.
SOME OF THE MILE POST REC
ORpS OF ANCIENT HISTORY.

and Oeyices-BuEt TO sais the "
the Day.
! The invention of the almanac was the
] beginning of history, in the sense that
history is philosophy teaching by ex-
ample. Previous to that important and
| convenient revelation, there was practi-
| callv no basis of comparisoS 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 III
| the pebble device, used to count sheep
:, dropping a pebble in basket for
| each one as it passed until an entire
| flock got by, then enumerating another
| flock in the same way, and finally de-
termining the relative numbers of the
Two by alternately taking pebble from
| each basket until one WAS exhausted.
Next came the chalk marks, OF 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 netched stieks-the
first double entry idea-was evolved;
then came the digit system, or counting
in fives and tens with the fingers; and
finally the Arabic notation, with its ten
symbols or figures. superseded all other
methods.
PEBBLES AND CHALK MARKS.
1t is easy to understand that, while
the world was thus slowly learning how
to count, it could have no history. There
was no way to record events or to ad-
Just and combine facts. The pebbles and
chalk marks and notc.ed sticks only an
swered the crude purposes of life that
took no account of yesterday or to-mor-
row. 1t was not possible for the aver
age mind to have any conception OF
dates or periods, distances or localities
The relation of what was to what had
been and what might be did not enter
into the prevailing order Of thought and
feeling. One day'was rs a thousand
years, and thousand years as one day.
There was no intellectual growth, no
permanent escape from the right of saw
agery, so long as the gift of measuring
SPACE and time was absent; men began
to be men only when they acquired that
advantage, and were able to connect the
experiences OF one generation with the
necessities of the next, or, il other words,
to grasp the doctrine of accumulation,
which is the source of all development.
When they came to see that the whole
was greater than any part, and that
part was nothing unless rooted to the
whole, they were placed i'll the way of
harmonizing themselves with their en-
vironment and accomplishing sane and
useful results. Time was invested with
appreciable value, and the procession of
the days took on practical purport.
Wings were provided for intelligence.
The Gagged reason of the race secured the
soaring privilege, and its horizon widened
with every effort. First Che pebbles were
cast away, then the notched sticks, then
the digital device; and thus the dawn of
history slowly but surely approached.
EARLY ALMANACS.
The first almanacs-that is TO say,
the first histories-were of Arabian ori-
gin, and reflected the local genius Of the
people in a very striking way. The.
served as models in other countries for
hundreds of years. The Oldest known
copy of such q work is preserved in the
British Museum, and dates back to the
time of Ramescs the Great, of Egypt,
who lived 200 years before the birth of
Christ. 1t is written on papyrus, in red
ink, and covers a period of six years.
The entries relate to religious cere-
monies, to the fates of children born on
given days, and to the regulation of
business enterprises i'll accordance with
planetary influences. ''Do nothing al
all this day." is one of the warnings.
''If thou seest anything at all this day
it will be fortune" is another entry.
"Look not at rat this day, "Wash not
with water this day and go not out
before daylight this day" are some of
the additional cautions. This almanac
was found in an old tomb, and is sup
posed to have been buried with its
Egyptian owner when he was converted
into mummy for future explorers to
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 in the Fourth
century. They are Roman church calen-
dars, giving the names of the saints and
other religious information. The Baltic
nations, who were not versed in papyrus
making, had calendars engraved on AK
helves, walking sticks and other articles
of personal use. The days were notched,
with a broad mark for Sunday, and the
saints days were symbolized in various
devices, such as a harp for ST. David's
gridiron for st. Lawrence's, a lovers
knot for st. Valentines, and SO on. The
Saxon almanacs are numerous and con-
tain historical as well as ecclesiastical
entries, 1t is possible to trace in these
curious records ell the changes of popu-
lar belief and taste. They We're pre-
pared to meet the current demand and
to constitute systematic story of what
took place in 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
made and 10y whom they were indorsed.
st. Louis Globe-D Democrat.