The Meeker herald., 1896-01-11
THE YEAR 1900.
According to tho dregorian Cal
endar VIII Not Be a Leap Year.
Year VIII BE the Only Chance In
Eight Ysars for the Girls to Scoop
n . Huskand Some His-
toric Data.

the especial privileges accorded to them
during the leap year of 1895, inasmuch
as they will lack another opportunity
until 1904, eight years later. The
maiden Of II can hardly hesi-
tate by reason OF her youthfulncss; she
will be % before she can again
usurp mans privileges and do the WOO
ing. The expectant spinster must nlnss
every effort for next years struggle;
eight years more would render her
hopelessly passe, says the New Yorl,
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-
tion Of our calendar requires every
hundredth year-alshough divisible by
four-not to be leap year. 1t was
also settled years ago. when the hnal
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
reckoned with either 30 or SO 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
rangemcnt 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 Ave supplement
ary days were added at the end Of the
year.
The Jews reckoned their year as COM
posed of 10 lunar months OF 90 and 30
days alternately, and the discrepancy
which resulted was relieved by the oc-
casional introduction of 18th month.
The Syrians, Macedonians and
kindred peoples generally followed
the Jewish method. In pursuing this
reckoning 2 years in a cycle OF
nineteen have this intercalary month.
and the number of days in any year
varies from 1853 to 1856.
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 so days, with the ad-
dition of an intercalary period oc-
casionally. Afterward times in s
years month of so days was added, by
which means the average length of
each year was made to be 364li days
Ancient Rome had but 10 months in
the year, but in. the time OF its kings
Al
ing 355 days in the 1o 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 to
commit innumerabic blunders in their
reckoning, until chronology was hope
lessly confused. Julius Caesar, in the
year 46 B. c., devised the calendar
which bears his name. In his system
the year had 335 days, save every
4th, which had SG6, making the aver
age about 1854. Exactly reckoned,
the year was made up of S85 days, 8
hours, 4S minutes and so seconds, or
II minutes and 10 seconds less than
3o5k. Cesar gave also the current
l
calendar as whole was SO excellent
and its errors were so slight that it
was generally adopted. Until the year
1854 A. ID. no change was made in it,
but by that time the II minutes and 10
beconds of error in each year had grown
to 10 complete days
As result, the time Of Easter was
shifted from its true place, and all the
movable feasts of the church, which
are peckoned from it. were thrown out
of the proper order. To remedy the
resultant annoyanocs Pope Gregory
XIII. ordered that October s, 1889,
should be reckoned as October Is, 1882.
To guard against n recurrence Of the
trouble Pope Gregory also decreed that
every hundredth year should not be q
leap year, save every four hundredth.
but that exception beginning only at
1000 A. D. The excellence of Grcgory's
computation shows that the total dis
erepancy by his calendar would amount
to no more than one day in 5000
years.
Italy, Spain and Portugal unhesi-
tatingly followed the popc's direction.
France made the change in the same
as did also the low countries. The
Protestants, in the fury OF the Rcfor-
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 1t necessary to
make change Of eleven days, instead
Of ten. Scotland adopted the system
In 1900. England refused to yield
until 1851. When the bill was first in
troduced 1t failed, but prejudice was
not able to totally destroy common
sense, wherefore George H., in 1751,
made the calendar Of Great Britain
and Ireland to agree with the Greg
orian. Russia, Greece, Roumnnia, and
the like races yet retain the old method,
~ result Of which, when one sends =
letter from one Of these countries TO