The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1891-01-02
ALMANACS OF LONG AGO.
SOME OF THE MILE POST REC
oRpS OF ANCIENT HISTORY.

Their origin anu orowtn-Dns'"E s'"oN
Over Thrco Thousand Years-EarlI Styles
and Dcviccs-I,uIit to Suit the Tastes Of
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 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 n pebble in n 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 q 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 notchcd sticks-thc
first double entry idca-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symbols or figures, superseded all other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 notchcd sticks only an
swcrcd the crude purposes of life that
took no account of yesterday or to.mor-
row. 1t was not possible for tho 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 Il thousand years as one day.
There was no intellectual growth, no
permanent escape fl ON the right of saw
agcry, so long rs 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, in 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 a
part was nothing unless rooted to the
whole, they were placed in the way of
harmonizing themselves with their ell
vironmcnt and accomplishing sane and
useful results. Time was invested with
apprcciablo value, and the procession of
the days took OH n practical purport.
Wings were provided for intelligence.
The Gagged reason cf the race secured the
soaring privilege, and its horizon widcncd
with every effort. First the pebbles were
cast away, then the notchcd 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 historics--wcrc of Arabian ori-
gin, and reflected the local genius of the
o-.--- ----~~---S4.-;i.6.,n ,yav Tbev
D,i;; hy 81 Such work is preserved - -
t;n,n MuScum, and dates back 70 ,i'o
,.I, VI hanesrs tho Great of Eo,...
my ii'cu l,"OO years bcforr ,Lo -; III,
Gnr'St 1t is written ON panvrms 'ii'h OF
~, n,N' ana covers period nf .; III red
,nnnio. , reilto TO religious cor,
,;rnn 10 inc fates of children Lorn
7m;a' u'ES, and to the rcpui,,inr " oi.
Ia ''.S" enterprises in accorlonco u'
~ ,I:y influences. "Do potb;na WI.
.Ie - .'''' oaf' is one of the w,r, DIT
VIII, ''i - Seest anything at all this .1,'.
"E' pc fortune" is auo,Lon ' uaE
.;.,' ION not at rat this dav,' w. r.iy.
rn water this day" and "Go 40. "n not
'''o naylight this day" ara sn, ' ou. !
~ '"''''"nal cautions. This oIn "o OF G
90 " round III an old tomb. and d'''lilc :"
,H'' TO have been buried u.:, sup
:! p'H'n owner when he w,s o,,' ." It's
{, nm ,nI nI',n'ly ',:y for future explorers 20 +
90 m an,, "'Iu ulSscct in the interest Of 60; ~ y
ox;',i. ~ .i''r Tins in point of ago o :,
re aroS 'nS specimens of ancient "is aI'''s LII
,,,n,. "On'e om composed i'm the r""n.i
;, -: lh"y are Roman church oni' o'." wi
~ ~ r',:S S',H'S inc names of the saint, , We
i'lSious information. Th" h"6 ana k;,
I;n,r % W, IL" were not vcrsed in n,n,'n,' .'c fol-
.'nS' mad calendars cneravnd dp"pyrus n 'e'
Vs. walking sticks and other or,; W AK yo'
use. The days wcre n",ai, M',cies Pac
-. q broad mark for SUNDAY Inrd' an1. .
.a. No. "i,S were symbolizcd in var;a ','e n.
r*' ,ss' such as harp for st. D,yir i.oos "0
r on Tor st. Lawrcncc's, lnrs, the
:, ,or 81. Valentines, and So on '',rr rl +. G
n a. almanacs are numerous n, on1 o Ihe the
- as well us ccclesios,;o, ton, Gist
.. IL Is possible to trace 1,'cai ~ M'C yous
oI;as H records all the changes of nons "eSe it is
to meet tho crr ney were pre- buy (
,Iaoa e: I" systematic story of wha. "t 0"'re
Iee a'", IN successive periods and h"a' ""' again
IL IL increased with tho roro,..: o" -
., we we owe to them most @ ftthTottVing Eve,
W ,ni me people for whom tbn~ b", I'VE We heckw
'omis @ 1E In mhom they were iniormsecGI' mcI' not cal
st.enstb OF waus aea.
. found 10y that walls loid ,n Neb. OF
,aIo cd burned bricks, in in mnrto "p Oh be'wee,
n