The times., 1899-12-21
The Twentieth Century.

1t IS the pathetic fate OF the human
kind once in a hundred years to witness
an intense and bitter struggle over the
question of when the next century is to be
sin. 1t has always been an open one in the
view Of all people unable to count accu-
rately from one TO hundred. OF course.
the matter is largely of sentimental i'm
portance. Except as a recognition of a
mathematical law of rather immutabIe
character, il does not particularly matter
whether we celebrate the end OF one cen
tury and the beginning Of the next on a
certain midnight, or hail the advent of a
fresh hundred added to the years Of the
world every two weeks Astronomers
chronologers and such merely academic
people may object to the taking Of liberties
with their sciences, but. if the official po-
Iitical social, or industrial world chooses
to do as it pleases, who shall say nay? II
a man, on the completion of his ninety
ninth year declares that he has lived a full
hundred, he may be open TO the charge of
mendacity, but there is no authority to ar
rest him for it.
With obvious truth the New York Sum
says: Belief in the idea that the TWEEN
tieJh century begins January /, 1860 seems
to be based on an unaccountabIe notion
that there was a year zero" Yet perfect
demonstration of the truth that one cen
tury does not commence until its pTede-
cessor has finished, has been lost on at
least two of earth's greatest influences.
We refer to the Bundesrath, or Federal
Senate, of the German Empire and 10 Mr..
KohIsaat, the eminent pie baker and lunch
counter magnate of Chicago. The former
does not waste any valuable time in argu-
ment, although in reality it has a whole
year. but settles the point out of hand by
/ decreeing that the twentieth century shall
1 begin at twelve o'clock midnight on the
thirty-frst Of December instant Kohlsaat
/ is more willing to concede something to
! adverse opinion. He condescends to argue
the question, and in a way that ought 10 be
/ entirely convincing to the sayants in St
I Eiizabeths. il TO no one else Here is the
argument.
"Q.-How is time reckuned.
/ "A-From the mCrIdian-by the hguEcs on
3 the dial beginning at u a. m
-Q-Whcu is the day Compclct
/ 'A-At Il:C0 p m.
/ "Q-How is it rcCkoned ia ycal5g
J ''A-From tiIe meridian that separates B.
! c. Cbefere Christi and a. D. (JnuO Domini-
! iu the year Of our Lord, that is to say,
{ from the birth Of Christ. The date of this birth
is purely conjectuu3l II is retained for the idea
! "Q-Hyw old was Christ at his birth;
J "A-Actually and theoretically the same age
IS other normal infants. lie opened his eyes On
[ the first year OF the first century az the early
age represented by cipher
/ "g-Iheu the years in and Of a century are
/ rcck0ncd in 0rdinal numbers, as first, second,
..A-Yaa have hit the nail on the head. Who
/ ever heard Of addressing century in cardinal
/ numbers.
/ Is ia its third yearf
I '-A-Prrrisely.
"Q-Apd when it Is ninety nine years old it
4 Is iu It's IDJth wear!
/ ''A.-CertaIHiy.
'Q-And when it has pissed its 1O0th mark
I it Is IN its second century
/ "A.-BcJoud a peTadventurc
Therefore We are in the Tooth year OF
! tse nineteenth century,
/ 'A-NOu are correct
With apologies for reproducing the pie
mans fippant references TO our saviour's
! birth. be argues that when Christ came to
earth his age was to be described by the
expression zero which is correct. He
/ opened his eyes on the beginning Of the
first year OF the first century" OF the Chris
tan era. as matter Of course. Humanly
I speaking be WIS not year old until the
thirty-hrst Of December. A. D. l. If he
had remained among men until the thirty
first Of December, A D. 90, he would have
/ completed his nlnety-ninth year. and would
have entered upon-net inished-his one
hundredth, on the first Of january, A D,
100. SO on the thirty-hrst of December
! =. D. 1899. we shall see the completion o,