Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-08-23
ALMANACS OF LONG AGA
BONE OF THE MILE POST Or,
ORDS or ANCIENT HISTORY

Their Origin and Growth-Datins RAJ,
over Three Thousand Years-Early st,l..
and DevIces-BuIlt to Suit the Tn.,..
the Day.
The invention of the almanac was IL. I
beginning of history, In the sense tl.,
history is philosophy teaching by er
ample. Previous to that important onl
convenient revelation, there was nracti
rally no basis of comparison, no proces.
of marking the course of time, no mem.
of connecting the past with the presen,
and the present with the future.
The art of calculation, the whole pra,,
system of mathematics, had its oriain +
| the pebble device, used to count sheen
by dropping a pebble in basket f.,
each one as it passed until an entiro
flock got by, then enumerating anothe,
| flock in the same way, and finally da
termining the relative numbers of IN.
two by alternately taking pebble from
| each basket until one was exhausted
Next came the chalk marks, or straipb,
lines in blocks of five, the last bein,
drawn across the other four at an analp
which plan is still largely empoged
then the plan of two notched sticks-tha
first double entry idea-was evolved
then came the digit system, or countin,
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symbols or figures, superseded all other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. Therp
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 a life tina,
took no account of yesterday or to- NOR
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 as a thousand
years, and a 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 begar
to be men only when they acquired tina
advantage, and were able to connect tin
experiences of one generation with TIN
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 Who'll
, was greater than any part, and that
part was nothing unless rooted to I'll
whole, they were placed in the way
harnonizing themselves with their er
vironment and accomplishing sane an
useful results. Time was invested wit
appreciable value, and the procession O
the days took on a practical purport
Wings were provided for intelligence
The Gagged reason of the race secured tn
soaring privilege. and its horizon widene
with every effort. First the pebbles wer
cast away. then the notched sticks, the
the digital device; and thus the dawn o
! history slowly but surely approached.
EARLY ALMANACs.
!. The first almanacs-that is to say
Tue LlISt ltlStOl ito-h ctt vi al
- gin, and reflected the local genius of til
, people in very striking way. The
g, served as models in other countries 70
, hundreds of years. The oldest know
: copy of such work is preserved in til
:, British Museum, and dates back to tn
time of Rameses the Great. of Egypt
: who lived 1900 years before the birth Q
! Christ. 1t is written on papyrus, in re-
ink, and covers period of six years
+ The entries relate to religious cere
! monies, to the fates of children born O
Q given days, and to the regulation G
r business enterprises in accordance wit
7 planetary influences. DO nothing a
r all this day." is one Of the warning:
If thou seest anything at all this da
it will be fortune" is another entry
Look not at a rat this day. wash nc
s with water this day." and go not OF
Q before daylight this day" are some {
: the additional cautions. This almana
was found in an old tomb, and is SUI
! posed to have been buried with il
. Egyptian owner when he was converte
g Into a mummy for future explorers
: dig up and dissect in the interest of SC
ence and literature.
" Next after this in point of age anon
the existing specimens of ancient aim
t macs are some composed in the Fouri
century. They are Roman church calel
S dars, giving the names of the saints al
v other religious information. The Bait
l. nations, who were not versed in papyrl
making, had calendars engraved on G
helves. walking sticks and other articl
Of personal use. The days were notche
q with broad mark for Sunday, and Il
q saints days were symbolized in vario
Q devices, such as harp for st. Davids
|, gridiron for st. Lawrence's, a love-
J. knot for st. Valentines, and so on. I'll
q Saxon almanacs are numerous and CO
n tain historical as well as ecclesiastic
q entries. 1t il possible to trace in the
4 curious records all the changes of pop
= lar belief and taste. They were pr
: pared to meet the current demand al
= 10 constitute systematic story of VIII
}, took place in successive periods and ho
u knowledge increased with the revolvil
years. We owe to them most that '
know of the people for whom they we
made and-by whom they were indorse
. st. Louis Globe-Democrat.
r Kesemblances In Married Couples.
If AT a recent meeting of the Pilot
graphic Society of Geneva. Switzerlan
le Professor Il. Fol presented paper