Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-02-11
HMANACS OF LONG AGO.
GONE OF The NILE POST REC
ORos OF ANCIENT HISTORY.

Thar Origin and Growfh-Dasing Back
Over Three Thousand resrs-Eariy Ssytss
sd Dsv,ees-sasir to Suit tie -.sses d
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-
cally no basis Of comparison, no process
Of marking the course Of time, no means
Of connecting tine past with the present
and tine 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 a pebble in basket for
each one as il passed until an entire
hock got by, then enumerating another
dock in the same way, and finally de-
terrnining the relative numbers of the
two by alternately taking pebble from
each basket until one was exhausted.
Next came the chalk marks, 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 evolved:
then came the digit system, or counting
in ives 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 superseded all other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
10 count. il could have no history. There
was no way To record events or To ad-
Just and combine facts. The pebbles and
chalk marks and notched sticks only an
swered the crude purposes OF life that
took no account oil Yesterday or 10 NOR
row. II was not possihie for the aver
age mind 10 have any conception OF
dates or periods, distances OF localities.
The relation of what was 10 what had
been and what might he did not enter
into the prevailing order of Thought and
feeling. One day was as thousand
years, and thousand years as one day.
There was no intellectual growth, no
permanent escape from the right Of saw
agery. 81 long as the gift of measuring
space and time was absent; men began
to he men only when they acquired tlai
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 "hoie
was greater than any part, ana mat
part was nothing unless rooted 10 the
whole, they were placed IN the way OF
harmoniZing themselves with their en-
vironment and accomplishing sane ana
useful results lime was invested Win
apprecIable value. and the procession OF
the days took on a practical purport
Wings were provided for intelligence
The Gagged reason of the race secured tho
soaring privilege. and Its horizon widened
with every effort FIRST the pennies were
cast away, then the n"lched sticks. then
the digital device: and thus the dawn OF
history slowly but snreiF approached.
EARLY AI.MANACS.
The first ainiaih4cs--that Is 10 say.
thc first hi,torlvs-Wc5e ct Arabian orr
gin, and rejected the l"ca! genius OF thT
people IN very striking way. lhey
served as nl"1el' IN other countries fo'
hundr, ds Of years. Inc oldest known
copy OF such a work Is preserved in the
British 3useum, and dates lack TO the
time Of hncaes the Great. of Egypt
who lived leo years before the birth OF
Christ II Is written On papyIus, in red