The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-02-18


they will find American readers that will
buy their books. LACON.
Origin of Leap-Year.
This is leap-year. and the next one will
come in 1896. Then there will be no more
until 1904 After 1896 maidens must wait
eight years before Evolutionary law will give
them the right to pop the question to will
ing bachelors. Only century years that are
Invisible by 400 are to be clasSed as leap
years. according to the corrected calendar
ordained by good Pope Gregory in 1882. and
since adopted by every civilized country ex-
cept Russia, which is still as far behind in
its calendar as it is in everything else.
From the most ancient times mankind
divided the year into seasons. The Romans
had originally year of ten months instead
of twelve. Consequently September, OctO-
Der. November. misunderstanding. re-
spectively. seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth
month-closed the year just as they do now,
except that December. the last month, in
stead of being the twelfth. was the tenth,
as its name indicates. When the year was
UlVlu0u lIlCO LW0lV0 LQOUGuS tu0 OlU udm0S
were showed forward.
In the time of Julius Caesar there was
great confusion of the calendar. The year
was gradually slipping around till the Win
ter months were coming into SGmmer.
Julius Caesar righted the confusion to
great extent by the Julian calendar, which
ordered that 365 days should constitute
year, while every fourth year should have
366 days and be leap year. But it does
not take the earth exactly 1854 days to
move around in her orbit to the spot
whence she started on January 1. 1t re-
quireS eleven minutes and ten seconds less
than fourth of our day of twenty four
hours. Consequently, in counting full
quarter day each year. the calendar was
taking eleven minutes and ten seconds of
what belongs to the next year. In little
less than five years and half. thus good
hour would be sliced off the new year.
Taking this hour from the day next after.
it would in time throw the old day away
behind in its dates and make the Spring
months come in mid Summer.
The Julian calendar was adopted 46 B. C..
1t ruled the days and centuries till the time
of Pope Gregory in 1852. By that time
dates had gone ten full days behind. 1t
made Christmas come the middle of De-
cember and knocked Easter and other
count of these church celebrations there
was an absolute necessity for correcting the,
calendar. We owe the correction, there
fore, to religious and not civil requirements.
Pope Gregory summoned his wise men and
mathematician, and after long study these
decided that the wrong already done could
be rectified by adding ten days to the date
of the month. Thus October 5 became
October Is, and Easter and Christmas
would once more come at the right time of
the year.
But there was the ever recurring eleven
minutes and ten seconds too much which
had been reckOned annually in the year of
the Julian calendar. How could the days
be kept from again slipping back? After
more deep study and calculation the POpe's
wise men decided that to skip one leap year
each in three centuries would bring the
records about right. The Pope, therefore,
ordained that no century shall be leap
year unless it is evenly Invisible by 400.
The next century leap year will come in
1000. BY that time probably it will not
make much difference to us personally
whether it is leap year or not.
At the time the GregOrian calendar was
instituted there was a bitter feud between
Catholics and PrOtestants. and the Protest
ant countries would not adopt it. SwitZer-
out till 100. Then they had to add eleven
days instead of ten to their calendar. Last
of all. England. in 1852. came into the
GregOrian reckoning, but she had to add
twelve days to her count. General Wash
ingtOn. born in 1872. was therefore born
under the old style calendar. which would
make the date of his birth February 10 in
stead of the %.
The difference between the civil year and
the natural year has now been reduced very
small. There is still slight difference. but
by the Gregorian reckoning it will take
5 600 years for this difference to amount to
as much as day. which will be in the year
$3.50. If we happen to be here at that time
in some of our numerous travels. we can
easily fix things straight in the calendar
thanks to Pope Gregory. Selected.
The man seeking insurance may not,
have social aspirations. but he always de-