The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-12-25
NOT LEAP YEAR

the 4AotSs VIII make NoCe OF 1t
The Grsgorian Calendar of 1889
Makes 1900 = Common Year Be-
cause It is not Divisible by Four.
Although there has been no leap year
since 1886. there vii be none until 1904.
Most persons know that 1900 Is not a
leap year, but why this exception TO tie
rule is made few can explain.
We in common with European coun-
tries use a civil calendar borrowed from
the Romans. and great deal OF Jug
Cling was done with the calendar from
the time Of Romulus until Pope Greg
DRY Nil. fixed upon the present sys-
TEN.
The astronomical ye1r consists Of Ss5
days, hours, IS minutes and 4S Sec
onds, the length Of time necessary for
the earth to complete It's orbit about tho
sun. But the dificuIty in regulating the
length OF the year consists In making
the subdivisions OF the year depend up
on the moon, and at the same tina pre-
serve the correspondence between the
year and the seasons AS the year
consists Of something over 1866 days. a
number which is not Invisible by II, the
naonths canot be OF the same length IL
they include all the days Of the year
IS the year contains fraction more
than 365 days. II is impossible for the
years 10 be all OF the same length II they
Dtg!n at the same time
These Irregularities bothered the Ro-
INNS exceedingly. 'Romulus had year
OF aOl days divided into ten months, and
no one stems to know what he did about
the extra dayS The year began with
siarch, a fact stlll shown in the names
OF our months, September. 7th), Octo-
her, CSth). November (9th), and Decem-
Der. Q0thl month. Until July and Au-
gust were renamed In compliment TO
julius and Augustus Caesar they were
Quntiiius (6th), and SeXtilis (6th)
month.
Numa added two months to the year.
January at the beginning and February
At the end, which arrangement contln-
ued until 4b2 b. c.. when February was
placed after January. At that time the
months consisted of 20 and 20 days In al
formation. 20 that the year contained 3Si
days, but as odd numbers were thought
TO be more fortunate, u day was added
TO make the year 355 days. This stu
left ten days and fraction unaccount-
ed for, and to make this up an inter-
GALAXY month was inserted every two
years between the 22d and 24th OF Feb
ruary. consisting Of % and % days Ia
alienation SO that four years contained
IC5 DAYS. and the mean length Of the
year was S66 IA days. The extra
month was named Mercedimus because
wages (mercesl were usually paid At
this time Of the year
The year was too long by a day. and
had the complex arrangement that ev-
cry third period Of eight years, instead
of containing four lntercalary months
amounting to ninety days, should have
only three OF those months Of thirty
two days each In this way the year
was reduced to 365k days. But the au-
thOrity TO lnterpOlute more or fewer
days was left to the pOntlffs. who
abused their power in order to prolonS
terms OF office. or to hasten elections,
so that by the time OF Julius Caesar
there was difference Of three months
between the civil and the Astronomical
equlnoxes. and the winter months were
carried back into autumn and autumn
into summer.
Caesar accordingly abolished the
lunar year and the intercalary month
aud regulated the year by the sun. AS
sisted By SosigeneP. he fixed the length
OF the year at 3G6H days. and said that
every fourth year should have 3G6 days,
while the Others would have 365, In
order to get the vernal equinox back to
March % he had two months OF thirty
three and thirty-fOur days respectively
inserted in the calendar between No
vamber and December. so that that
year contained AS days and was refer
red to as the last year Of confusion.
The first Julian year began January
!. i6 3. c.. G0S years after the found
ing of Rome. For the months Caesa"
directed that they should have 81 and
80 days alternately except February,
which should have 90 days In common
years and 20 days every fourth year.
But when Augustus became emperor
he wanted his month (AugusD TO have
ns many days rs the one named for
julius Caesar (July). Accordingly a
day was taken from February and
given to August. and so as 10 avoid
having three months Of 81 days each in
| succession. to September and Novem-
! Der were given 30 days each and &C.
| tobcr and December 81.
That Ia why we have to say Thirty
| days hath September, April. June and
| November: all the rest have thirty
| one" etc, In order 10 remember the
| number OF days TO each month.
The extra day every fourth year was
| given to February because II was VI;