The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-01

OF his administration. ard referred 70 tho
outcome of certain city elections in the half
WEAR and half humorous manner OF dying
man that can appr eciste joke against him
self. But Realization was not discouraged.
! She replied that there were going to be IL
elections In this State before January ]. 1897.
including tho 80 elections Of tho towns, the
five city elections. the State election on April
Fools Day. and the presidential and congress
sionai election on November 8.
'There is ono thing ! am proud Of" de-
clared the Dying Spirit; Providence has put
up over So, 00o, 900 worth OF buildings since l
took up my abode here. and Fire has only Go
stroyed Sl39. 4&i.53."
-awellr do-better- than that. said the
new conner.
"But few murders in the city have marreo
my record" said Realization. lone Devil
Worshiper was drowned with an iron weight
tied around his neck. and hostler was killed
on Christmas night by drunken companions.
don't care to talk about my burglaries and
safe robberies Well, good bye. and good
luck. There's the Grace Church chimes and
am out Of IL"
Anticipation crossed the hands of her pre-
| decessor, placed silver dollars on his eyelids.
,, and then began business by looking over the
years preliminary program. She discovered
a good many interesting things-frst, that II
is a leap year, and an unusual one at that,
because it's a long tune before there'll be an
other. In relation to that. the records OF
calendar makers were as follows:
The introduction of additional day into
the calendar once in four years is necessary
to prevent the average year from heing too
short. At the same time IL makes the average
year little too long. This additional length
Is SO slight that il accumulates very slowly.
Nevertheless, it does accumulate. and by the
end of n century 10 amounts to nearly day.
For that reason once in a hundred years the
additional day which marks a year as lesp
year is omitted. and the average length OF the
years IL reduced.
The English law determined in l75l on re-
forms in the calendar. and from those We
draw and use. The original determination Of
the calendar was made by the Pope, and after
ward IL was adopted by all the countries ex-
cept Russia and the East. From January IL.
1852 the civil year was made to begin on that
date. and not on March /, as many had It. In
the same year IL days were dropped from the
calendar. from the third TO the thirteenth.
inclusive SO that what would have been the
fourteenth became the third
With this change effected the remainder OF
the calendar followed it's usual course. BY
this change the day which would have been
December 25 became January 5. 1t was from
this that the latter derived It's name OF Old
Christmas Day.
The further regulation OF the calendar oc-
CURED in omi.ting the year 1900 from the
number OF leap years. Therefore, ia 1901,
nav falI m Jannary e. xnu
from that time until this that is the day Of
the month called by that name.
In Riders "British Merlin" for 1901 we find
| it stated that 1900 is not to be leap year,
while 1901 is to he the Fifth year after bissex
tile or leap year, and tho first year of the
twentieth century. For this century the first
leap year was 1904. which is described as such
| in tho slmanacs which were then current
One old almanac for ls00. Moore's. names
the year as the fourth after bissextile, or leaI
year. and then states that in spite OF it's beinr
the fourth year from leap yenr 1885, the month
| OF February had only 2s days. Following
this fashion. 1892 is called tho sixth year after
bissextile. and 1903 the seventh.
Curious as all this appears to us, IL is pre-
cisely what we will soon do. Throughout
seven years there will be no. February 20 after
| lotu. MI OF tne DlTtns anu olHeI cstn's
which occurred on that unfortunate Gay oi
the month viii have no opportunity to cele'
hrate their annivcrshry. A hat eccentric date,
| February ~. Will then have an opportunity
| for renown brought on by its absence.
The calendar adjustment by which these
| matters wore arranged reaches forward 10 n
distance that is startling 90 one whose term
! of life II the 20 years Of man. 10 declared
| that the years 1900, 1900, 2lO0. 200. or airy
! other huBdryth year In time TO come shall
, courist o. 85 days and no more. But the fact
! also remains that this adjustment of the
| calendar was not quite accurate. Tho one
| day omitted once ~ the century maze the
sverago year vtrY little too short
10 remedy this asfcct the adjusters N al ,
| the following exception 20 tho rule making
| ths bundrcdth ysars % 361 DAYS. except every
! fourth hundredth4 yesr BEGINNING with the
ycar s0DD. Thcscs,vearg will b~ leap years.
that Il The years 900 2fOl. 80 $40. will nave
| a Fchruary r. Hat thsir days aro not Of
grent concern 90 ua
| : A. 20 the holidays for lSa0. she discovered
fnaT fD6y raff Oh mo fUffUwruV JfuTs uf rfrr
week: New fesrsss Wednesday: Washington =
| BIRTHDAY. Saturday: Memorial Day. Satur.
day: FOurth ~ July. SATURDAY Thanksgiving,
Thur.dsy. Novrmher 20: Christmas. Friday
New Years. iS95, Friday
All Fools Dav, Wednesday tho first day OF
Lent is Wednesday. February % aud Easter
sunday occurs April J.
Then after a hssiy glance over the List ot
Local Events already scheduled. Anticipation
rugged and healthy. snd the inaugursti0p Of
the New lesr was effected.