West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-01-04

lunar year aud the intercalary month
and regulated the year by the sun. AS
sisted by Sos.genes, he fixed the length
OF the year at 800 Ia days, and said
that every fourth year should have
366 days, while the others would have
305. In order TO get the vernal equi-
nox back TO Mach 25th he had two
months of thrty-three and thirty. four
days respectively inserted in the calen-
dar between November and December,
so that that year contained 445 days
and was referred To as the last year OF
confusion
The first Julian year began January
!, 46 Il. c., 70s years after the founding
of Rome. For the months Caesar
directed that they should have 81 and
30 days alternately, except February,
which should have 20 days In common
years and 30 days every fourth year
But when Augustus became emperor
he wanted his month (Augnst) To have
as maBytiavs as the one named for
Julius Caesar lJulY) Accordingly a
day was taken from February and
given TO August. and 50 as TO AVOID
having three months OF 81 days each
in succession, 20 September and Noy-
e,Dber were given 80 days each and
October and December 81.
That is why we have 70 say Thirty
days hath September, April. June and
November; AL the est haye thirty
one" etc, IA oder to rcmemter tile
number Of days 20 each month
The extra day every fourth year was
given TO February because IL was the
shortest month and was placed te-
tween the 24th and 25tb days. II Is
still SO placed in the ecclesiastical cal.
cndar.
But the pontiTs had not glasped the
Julian intent clearly, and put in the
extra daY every third year instead Of
every fourth. When this blunder was
detected Augustus directed that all
the years from the tbi-tY-seyenth TO
the forty-eight OF the era, inclusive,
! should bc common years. thus rectify-
ing the error.
The Julian method supposes the
year 90 long by II inmates and "a
seconds. in consequence OF which the
equinox in a few centuries retrograd-
cd toward the beginning oil the year.
/ When the Council OF Nice vas held. in
3e5 the equinox had dropped back
from the 18th % the Dist Of March. and
in 1892 II had reached the 1i,h Of the
/ Sane month.
| An arrangement was then made
which is the reason sor 1900 not being
a leap year Pope Grcgory XIII. or.
dcrcd ten days 10 be suppressed N the
calendar at that time. and as Il had
been learned that tire Julian iutercala.
tiou made au error ~ three DAYS 80
every four hundred years. che intercal.
sti0ns were ordered 90 bc omitted in
all centenary years which were not
divisible by four hundred. SO that 1900
becams leap wear. but 17OJ. 1900 and
1850 were common years Two tboos
and again viii be leap year.
Pope Oiregory's brief abolishing tic
ancient calendar and subs utuHug Tie
one n0tv 80 renerai use. called tho
Grcgorian Calender or new style. was
issued IN March 1852 Tic sy. cm
was due To Aloysius Liiius, learned
Neapolitan astronomer. AMI Clayius.
who completely developed &c..
To restore tbe be1nnin4 OF Che
year 10 the placein the seasons that IL
had had before GREGORY appointed the
day following the feast Of ST. Francis.
Che 5th oi October to bc reckoaed the
18Th la this way the gcrnal equinox
was made 10 fall upon the 21st of
March. iustead Of tho iith.
The Gregorian Caicndar went into
effect 10 Portugal, Spain. ana q part ~
Italy the same day as in Rome. France
adopted in the December following.