Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-07-23
AN OLD ALMANACK.
Different from the Flimsy Thing OF
To-day.
Edited by a Former Editor of The Bel
mont Chr onicle-Its Statelinss, So
hdity and Air of Permanence

THE CHRONICLES mention of old
papers printed at this place, has brought
to light pamphlet, which. although not
SO venerable as either our copy of the
Belmont Repository or of the Western
Post, is yet something beyond half
century old, and is quite interesting as
a small and accurate picture of those
times. 1t is copy of an 'almanack" for
this region, printed in 1882. No man
would be so rash as to claim the author
ship of modern almanac, but this is
boldly said to be "by William Brown" :"
William Brown has other claims on
Immortality, for during the forties he
was editor of THE CHRONICLE.
A paragraph in the preface says, "The
space usually occupied by trifiing pictures
is now filled with matter that will be
useful to somebody" That was the
utilitarian age. The preface proceeds,
"The calculator, GlICGgS unwilling to
speak or write falsehoods, and especially
when the certainty of being detected
stares him in the face, has declined giving
the 1Ce0ther place in his almanack; but
he has given at the end of the ephemeris,
DR.. Herschelrs perpetual weather table.
which those who are fond of being de-
ceived, and can brook disappointments.
may consult" An almanac was then a
serious thing. 1t was not the fiippant.
medicine advertisement of to-day, full of
bad jokes, worse recipes, testimonials
and cuts of "befOre and after taking"
1t was then one of the family and fireside
books, and was supposed to furnish
profitable reading for winter evenings.
There is enough astronomy in this volume
to equip a modern text book on that
science. The zodiacal signs are repre-
seDted by the modest cut of a hOmely |
man, undisfigured by the unsightly dis
embowelling to which we are accustomed. |
Where the modern stale joke is located. |
this author puts philosophical reflections.
The pictures representing the months are
interesting. The men are dressed in odd
makeshifts and pot hats, the latter
square topped and looking much as if
made on the latest Youman block. The
implements of husbandry were yet prim-
tive, for in June our ancestors are rep
resented as cutting hay with scythes; in
July as harvesting with sickles, hauling
and plowing with oxen, and threshing on
the barn floor with fails. A sower, too,
casts his seed by hand after the manner
of Millet's sower. In November there is
an engraving of cider mill that makes
ones mouth water.
A profound essay on comets, occupies
a score of pages and is then "to be con-
tinued," showing that the almanac was
a book that was preserved. This learned
dissertation talks familiarly of Newton,
HALEY, Herschell and other astronomers
and mathematicians. and sports like
eviathan with heavy Latin and heavier
equations. 1882 was the cholera year,
and the event is celebrated in poem of
excellent rythm and reason, apostrophiz-
ing the Mother of Pestilence, Jessore." I
Then as sort of "thrown in" or given
'to boot" is poem on "a Wife," and
some digniied Anecdotes" {" both in those {
earnest times considered uproariously &
funny, but entirely too stiIted and stately !
for the smart laugher of o-day. i