The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-12-25
THE YEAR 1900,
a According to the Gregorian Cal
endar Will Not Be Leap Year.
Next Year VIII Be the Only Chance In
Eight Years for the Girls to Scoop
in q Husband-Some His
toric Data.

w
their time possible in the enjoyment OF
the especial privileges accorded to them
during the leap year of 1896, inasmuch
as they will lack another opportunity
until 1909, eight years later. The
maiden Of II can hardly hesl-
tate by reason of her youthfulness; she
will be o5 before she can again
usurp mans privileges and do the WOO
ing. The expectant spinster must mass
every effort for next years struggle;
eight years more would render her
hopelessly passe, says the New York
Herald. Indeed, the prospect is sad
from the feminine point of view, unless
the coming century ushers in the active
reality of women's alleged rights; IN
such case it will be sad, even sadder,
for man. Centuries are so long that
men and women forget that the regula-
ton of our calendar requires every
hundredth year-although divisiole by
four-not to be leap year. 1t was
also settled years ago. when the final
changes in the calendar were made
The primeval system of reckoning
time was based on the moons changes,
as is shown in our word month" BY
the ruling of the moon months were
rcckoned with either 20 or 80 days.
Soon the rotation of the season was
made to serve as standard. 1t soon
appeared, however; that the two sys-
tens did not fully agree. 1t was then
that it was found necessary to invent
some means Of adjustment. One Of the
earliest means devised was that in use
among the Egyptians. By their ar
rangement the year was made up OF the
seasons, and included 365 days each. In
order to fill out the lack arising from
this system of months FIVE supplement-
ary days were added at the end Of the
year.
The Jews reckoned their year as COM
posed Of 12 lunar months OF 20 and 80
days alternately, and the discrepancy
which resulted was relieved by the oc'
casional introduction Of a 18th month.
The Syrians, Nacedonians and
kindred peoples generally followed
the Jewish method. In pursuing this
reckoning years in a cycle OF
nineteen have this irtercalary month,
and the number of days in any year
varies from 353 to 3S5.
The ancient Greeks made their year
to consist of 12 really lunar months,
but Solon in 495 made a law for the
Athenians that the months should
comprise 30 and 80 days, with the ad'
dition of an intercalary period oc'
casionally. Afterward 8 times in {
years month of 80 days was added, by
which means the average length Of
each year was made to be 36+H days
Ancient Rome had but 10 months in
the year, but in the time of its kings
the lunar year was introduced, number
ing 355 days in the II months, an oc
casional intercalary month being
employed to make the necessary addi'
tions The Roman system Of comput'
ing time, however, was beset with
many difficulties, and the gross ig'
norance Of the priests caused them tc
commit innumerable blunders in Their
reckoning, until chronology was hope
lessly confused. Julius Cesar, in the
year 46 B. c., devised the calendar
which bears his name. In his system
the year had S65 days, save every
4th. which had 366, making the aver
age about 365A. Exactly reckoned,
the year was made up of 365 days,
hours. AS minutes and so seconds, OF
II minutes and 10 seconds less than
3654 Caesar gave also the current
number of days to the months, and his
calendar as a whole was SO excellent
and its errors were so slight that il
was generally adopted. Until the year
1882 A. D. no change was made in it.
but by that time the II minutes and 10
seconds Of error in each year had grown
to 10 complete days.
AS a result, the time of Easter was
shifted from its true place, and all the
movable feasts of the church, which
are reckoned from it. were thrown out
of the proper order. To remedy the
resultant annoyances Pope Gregory
Nil. ordered that October 5, 1882,
should be reckoned as October Is, 1882.
To guard against recurrence of the
t~ouble Pope Gregory also decreed that
every hundredth year should not be a
leap year save every four hundredth,
but that exception beginning only at
1000 \. D. The excellence Of Gregory S
computation shows that the total dis
crepancy by his calendar would amount
to no more than one day in 5000
years.
Italy, Spain and Portugal unhesi-
tatingly followed the pope's direction.
France made the change in the same
year, in December instead of October,
as did also the low countries The
protestants. in the fury of the Refor-
nation, refused to make any such
change. and persisted in refusing until
100, when the Lutherans of Germany
and Switzerland adopted the new
system. By that time the continuance
of the old error made it necessary to
make change of eleven days, instead
of ten. Scotland adopted the system
in 1600 England refused to yield
until 1751 When the bill was first in
troduced it failed, but prejudice was
not able to totally destroy common
sense. wherefore George IL, in 1751,
made the calendar of Great Britain
and Ireland to agree with the Greg
orian Russia, Greece, Roumania, and
the like races yet retain the old method,
as result IF which, when one sends
letter from one of these countries to
some region where the calendar has
been corrected it must be doubly
dated. as for example, in this fashion,
there being twelve days difference
now-January 1-13, or June 2O-July2.
Not one Of the least remarha BILE fea-
lures of the century year is that it
leaves those unhappy mortals to whom
something happened on February 30
without their anniversary for eight
years.
Let ConEeds In.
Il