Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-12-15
When The Century Begins.

Chicago Tribune)
- o+f.nut-more or less seriOus-Of
,. esteemed contemporary, Wlheu
.r-..d miles away, 90 demonstrate that
r.rrv ends with IT'S ninety-ninth year
r-. imusiug than convincing. IL says
practical people ana bicEcllsls
uat The twentieth century brslns
ra.ght. Dec "a, lsyy, where Jan. l.
.g-ious that in this enlightened age
.r. should be any cOnfusiOn--eVen SUI
..r-t f0 hang joke upOn-as 10 Wnen
... century ends and another begins.
I'D. POINT has been so thoroughly eA-
Ta.4.l JOB tbs primary schoois 'ndt hloat
r..s.us cannot remember Wheh they Hlst
tff.sf e. The idea that the nlnelteHlh
.t1rrf ends before the completion OF Us
... .uldredth year needs only 10 DC
stated ln order 20 contradict itself
h. dialogue between himself ana MS
better elf the editor OF the esteemed 'A-
.fare- succeeds in carrying the argument
his subject 20 an exactly correct con-
.u nd then be calmly appends the
wrong one. Having agreed win himseu
char after q century IL ninety mine years
s Ir IFS ltJtn ycGr-WlDcn IS true
Dr. tluys TO tho false cOnCllslOn' iHtl
l.r. We are now ga the Tooth year or the
nineteenth century" But the century is
..t vet Linety-nine years ola. II VIII ne
.l ol tle completion OF the year 1873. Inc
author Of this amazing bit OF farce-cOine-
.l logic and arithmetic holds tnet "a cen,
uy begins and ENDS on each lOy marx
I'd then friumphently clinches his error
lg asking whether bicycle century rlder
bias fo pass nc iOlst mile post before ne
completes century run In this ne ae-
states nothing except SURPRISING
faculty f0r muddled thinking. There Is
Oh. question Of a l0lst mile post, but DlcN-
li-fs and everybody else-exccpt the hu-
M1r0us writer Of that article-resdrd IL
es neceSsary 20 pass the Tooth mile post
iore q century OF any kind can be
caled complete
bicycle rider who is making a century
Tlu does not think be has cOmpieted his
course when he begins his one huudredth
mla even though it has the two ciphers
FL. q when written in the "Ordipal NUM-
r On which this public enNghtencr in
se lu large capitals IN like manner,
when Che world is running a race with
D timer Time TO complete nineteen centu-
tI.s l cannot be said that the world has
Won The race after completing only 1889
The Confusion IN the cycling COMPARE
r is caused by forgetting that the mile
0l. stands al the end Of the mile and
40 its beginning. The confusion re-
fa'i.lg the years arises ffOm the custom
I naming the centuries with Ordinal nu-
.trals. which look forward, denOting
r.ma.h.ng 10 be completed. while the
l.e post. with It's cardinal numerals, de-
-..s something completed When once II
reached
Nlety-nine years are not century ana
years are not nineteen centuries py
t one year We shall have 10 wait I'M
Z Ian !. 1871. before the twentieth cen
iy begins.
us that fact has been hammered into
On. minds OF am practical people" BIZ
CYCLISTS included. they cannot be persua-
ID the contrary. Were any Of them 70
D. SD uuwary as 20 adopt as their own
most ~ the statements put I'm their
.s.rs boy the author Of the dialogue re-
ir0l 10 he might turn on them and say
vas not I'm earnest but was simply
tealg 20 find ont how credulous they
Do Doe. But q paper should not jest
in rs half educated readers after that