Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-12-19
The End Of the Century.

How many years are there in a
century? II there are 100. as most peo-
PIE will agree. the end OF the present
century viii only come with Dec. 81.
1900: and yet some people, who usually
have fun possession Of their senses.
have assumed that the end Of the 18th
century viii occur with the end Of the
present month. and that January J..
1859. viii be the first day 81 the goth
century. Some people. forgetting their
early training IN mathematics. have
tried 20 show that this year closes the
century: and some papers have taken
the same view Of the matter. probably
without going TO the bother Of the
simple calculation that would convince
them Of their error.
In reckoning the age Of child we
call IL a year old when 3G5 days have
child should live through 100 such
periods IL would be 100 years old. Its
century Of life would end with the close
Of the Tooth year. If we can conceive
Of a person living through 10 centuries.
II would follow that the 18th century Of
his life would end with the l900th year.
In reckoning time we follow the same
process. assuming that Christ was
born on January / of the year one
Therefore the Goth century begins Jan.
I, 1901. We afe now in the 99th year
Of this century, and at midnight Dec
81, 1899, we will pass into the Tooth
year of the 18th century.
Those who try to explain their rea-
sons for saying that the 18th century
ends with the present year, hold that
the first year of time after the birth
OF Christ should be called the zero year.
or the year 0. But why? There is no
zero year in a persons life, any more
than there is a zero yard in the dis
lance Of 100 yards over which athletes
sprint. Why should not the first II
months following the birth of Christ,
the date from which we reckon time, be
called the year one, just as the first II
months after our birth is called our
first year? What rule of mathematics
will justify the statement that a GEN.
fury consists of 80 years plus the year
o? When a bicyclist has completed 10
centuries, has he ridden 1899 miles or
1900 miles? Who ever heard of a zero
year or zero mile, anyway? 1t sounds
very ridiculous, and Yet some good
people have tried to argue seriously
along this line in support of their con-
tention that this month sees the end
has been recently directed to this ques-
ton by decree of the Pope. 1t was
enormously reported that he had de-
cIared the coming year to be the first
of the 10Th century. and had consc-
quently recommended a universal celc-
bration on the night Of the 31st Of this
month. This statement was an error,
as is clearly shown by the following
official translation of the opening lines
of the papal decree. The Pope said:
In order that the approaching year,
1900. may begin happily through the
supplication of the assistance of God
and His only begotten Son, our Re-
deemer and that it may end, after n
prosperous course, by ushering in a
still more happy century, as it is right
for US to expect; our most holy Father.
Leo Kill, graciously comedies that,
etc, etc.
Thus it is plain that the Pope ac-
cepts the common belief of all scholars,
namely. that next year. not the present
one. is the closing year Of the century.
There is nothing difficult or doubtful
about the question. 1t is a matter of
simplest mathematics, and it is a Won
der that some persons of the age OF
understanding have become SO con
fused over it.