The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-22
THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Begins at the End OF the Year 1900
Not at the Beginning.
altimore Americana

WaShington.-When does the twertiet Il
century begging? 1t is all very well to an =
swer confidently. lat the beginning of the
year 1900. and consider the matter set
tied. 1t isn't settled by a long way, and
the new century doesn't begin at the be-
ginning, but at the end OF the coming
year. according to learned men, who are
SJicklers for accuracy AS the end of the
century approaches, the question is likely
TO assume greater proportions and the
controversy to way hotter. The best
thing to do. therefore is TO quote the
opinion OF one of those wise philosophers
whose lives are occupied in keeping tabs
on the time and tide that, proVerDially.
wait for no man. Here is the opinion of
prominent astronomer, verbatim:
The next century Will begin on Jan. l,
being 1900. The present era begins with
the year a. ID. l. and the year before be-
ing 3. c. l; there being no year 0. This
is inconvenient for chronology, but it is
the accepted mode of reckoning. If his
torians had been content to start the era
with the year "naught," as astronomers
start the hour of the day with the cipher
tUs all would have been well. and we
should have TO face the inevitable par
adoX of talking about the closing year of
the nineteenth century. when we shall be
already dating our letters 1900. Scientists
and those who have to mark the lapse of
seconds, say in regulating the prolonged
exposure OF Photographic plate or the
printing of bromide paper. accustom
". i. - H.
but the popular method OF counting is to
begin stratghtaway, Il ?. g. by which
the first second is sDt to be much cur
tailed
A similar error took place in beginning
the Christian era-the year 0 having been
dropped for the convenience of chronicle
gists The present year has morally, no
more right to be called 1859. before Dec.
II next. than an infant of one month has
to be called Il year old before IL has COM
rleted its twelfth month. Accurately
speaking, the Christian era is in its lS99th
year, mich. obviously. is not the same
thing as the completed 1899 years of the
era. ard cannot be confounded with the
1et1th.
Another way Of demonstrating the truth
of the statement that the new century
begins =; the end of the year 1900 is TO
take the face of a twenty-four-hour clock.
a clock of this kind records the fight OF
seconds in one circle. and that of every
hour OF the day and night in third. 1t
is. therefore twenty-four hour clock
ais ~ or XIV. All three concentric cir
Giles begin with 0. Thus the outer one.
allotted to the minutes. is marked 0. ). 10.
Is. 20. %. 80. 81. 20. 10 80. 50. The inner
one begins with o. and proceeds |. III. III.
and so on. to XXiIi: and the innermost
circle. marking the seconds. journeys
from TO ~. 20. and so on. 10 80. Ii is a
little bewildering to find that stands for
MI and XII is where VI is usually plac-
ed. upside down. while the secondhand
points to o. when that of the ordinary
timepiece records %.
There viii probably be a great deal of
argument TO this although the question
was settled a hundred years ago beyond
dispute; but ii must be agreed that the
foregoing plainly and clearly shows that
the twentieth century will not begin next
New ears day. but when the year 1860
is ended.