The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1899-12-19
PERSISTENCE IN kRRoR.
a Chicago Newspaper That Enjoys
Being Ridiculous.

Snleago Newspaper That Enioys
Being Ridiculous.
The Chicago Times Herald, probably
alone among American newspapers, has
taken upon itself the superflous task Of
championing the error that the Goth
century begins this coming January. It
has just reiterated its proiessed belief as
follows:
For more than year the Times
Herald has been in recent of letters
discussing and settling when the Goth
century begins. Some theorists say
january |, 1901, while all practical peo.
pie and bicyclists know that il begins at
midnight December 81, 1899. where
January |, 1900, begins. As soon as we
cease writing the as" in our date lines
we will be through with the ''lgih. Z"
How this is arrived at may be best II.
lustrated in the following dialogue.
%. How is time reckoned2
"A. From the meridian--by the
figures on the dial beginning at ~ n. m.
~. When is the day complete?
"A. At II go p. m.
u. How is it reckoned in wears?
From the meridian that separates
'B. c. Before Christ and "A. ID. .'(Anno
Domini-in the year OF our Lord that is
TO say from the birth OF Christ. The
date Of this birth is purely coniectural.
II is retained for the idea.
20. How Old was Christ at his birth9
A. Actually and Theoretically the
same age rs other normal infants. lie
opened his eyes on the first year OF the
first century at the carly age represented
by cipher.
20. Then the years in and of a cen.
tury are reckoned in Ordinal numbers
as, First, Second, Nineteenth etc3
"A. You have hit the nail ON the
head. Whoever heard OF addressing a
century in cardinal numbers2
20. Then when a century is two wears
old IL is in its third year?
"a. Precisely.
20. And when It is % years old il is
in its Tooth year?
"a. Certainly.
q, And when 1t has passed its Tooth
mark Il is in its second century?
"A. Beyond peradyenture.
20. Therefore we are now in the
Tooth year Of the 18th century,
"A. Iou are correct.
Qs hhh " nllhiitkilL vi lftctmDtF 81,
ls99, We will pass into the Goth century?
"A Unless We reckon the Christian
era from one year after the birth OF
Chaist.
80. Then a century begins and ends
at each 100 mark
III you doubt IL, ask any century
rider II he or she has to pass the i0lst
mile post before he completes a century.
20. Then there will not be two more
Christmases before the 20th century
dawns?
"a. Not ON your Ammo Domini.
The century begins liz third year
when II is two years old, and It's Tooth
year when II is 90 years old to he sure.
But 1t is only years old at the end Of
the year 2, and ~ years old at the end
of A. ID. 09. SO the era il only 1879
years old at the end OF 1899, II will be
1900 wears old, or 10 centuries old. De.
cember 81, 1900. We are not "now in
the Tooth year OF the 10th century" but
in the 99th. The first year was the year
A. ID. !, the a9th was A. ID. 80, fand
l9OOth will be- A. d. 1900. The century
has not 'passed It's Tooth mark" until
the close OF the year 100. The bicycle
rider reaches his Tooth mile post at the
end Of his Tooth mile; but the Tooth
century is numbered as soon rs il be.
gins. The designation Of the century is
not mle.post, only adopted at the end
OF the mile, but character assumed ~
soon rs the mile or century is entered
upon.