The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-01-02
ABOUT TIL:
10Th CENTURY
Many Important Things Are TO Occur
When the World Passes
It's Next MiIepost.
suNDAY-December 8

AS this Is the last OF the nineteenth cen
fury it lis but natural that the mind OF
man should turn with considerable inter
est to contemplate some OF the many
things that will be experienced by those
who live during the next hundred years.
OF course those who are alive to-day Will
not be present 9 to witness many of the
occurrences, but. in spite of that. It Is
! sonnet thing to be living ut the dawn OF
century and one should be pardoned for
taking more than passing interest IN
the things that are to happen
One of the most important events that
can now be predicted is that the Russian
government proposes to adopt q new
ca epdat put ttl.s case OF TITS new ve4fa
For Years the Russian authorities have
. been discussing this matter and the TACT
that they have finally decided to &C. upsu
! the suggestion is of the utmost import
! ance both in that country and elsewhere
The calendar that is now followed IS
twelve days behind that which is in UNI
versal use and this fact has proved
serious annoyance to Russians doing bus
mess with foreign countries as well as
with those who have had business reia-
taions with tradesmen in Russia Under
the present system it has been necessary
for those who were not in harmony. as
| TO dates to double-date all correspondence
and confusion has naturally resulted.
NOIE AN Las L
Those who are acquainted with such
matters realize that it is not an easy
matter to put new calendar into opera
| ton especially when the old one Is nearly
two weeks behind. Endless complications
will necessarily arise, commercial transac-
| lions will be all at sea, to say nothing
of the complca tons that will follow the
efforts to harmonic historical dates.
Just how the feat will be accomplished
/ L. L In S1I,.l1 ::
| tocratic country as Russia it may be pos
| sh,e to do this without much trouble. as
there are several ways in which the new
conditions could be brought about. For
| instance, Russia might follow the ex-
ample OF Gregory and call the ith Of some
particular month the 18TH, or it might imi-
! tate the British Parliament and decree
! that the third of some month should be
followed by the 18th. On the other hand
- might drop one day out of each year.
as was done by the Netherlands. until
the required number has been dropped:
| it might drop two or three days out OF
| each year.
! 1t is. quite probable that the first method
would present fewer obstacles and cause
less confusion. In any case the business
world will have to make the necessary
| adjustments of rents. commercial paper
! and all other financial transactions as
ire month ont Of which these Twelve
days are dropped will present itself da
| one containing period during which
! every activity was completely suspended.
1t will be period without birtns or
deaths and every one will be able to gain
twelve days on his next birthday with
out having lived an hour longer
THE LAST TO ACCEPT.
It has been year since this project
was first proposed, but the proposal has
met with little success. In adopting it
| now. however. Russia becomes the last
of the civilized countries of Europe to
| accept the universal calendar.
AS to the twentieth century itself there
are many points OF interest about 1t.
Strange as it may seem the question that
is most generally asked is. when will
the century basin?'' Why there should
be Iii fferent answers to this question is Il
little puzzling, as a few fundamental
facts ought to settle the controversy once
and for all. II one will look back to the
first century he will find that it opened
with the year 1. and closed with the year
100. In the same manner the second CEN
tury began with the year 101 and closed
the year 200. If this method OF computa-
! ton is. carried up to the present time it
may easily be seen that the nineteenth
century closes upon the last day Of 1900.
and that Immediately after midnight OF
December 81, 1900 the twentieth century
begins.
Another fact that Is not generally
| known IS that 1t takes some time for a
| date to pass around the globe. For in
stance, at the moment when the twentieth
! century dawnS upon the International date
! line the greater part of the world will
| still be living in the nineteenth century.
| Twelve hours later, however. it will have
| become the twentieth century upon one
| half Of the earth and with twelve hours
| more the nineteenth century will have en-
| tirely passed away. In other words 4
| full days time must pass before the new
| century can gain complete control of at
| fairs.
f! II any one will prepare a calendar for
| the next hundred years he will find that
| the twentieth century opens on Tuesday
| and closes on Sunday. 1t will also be
! seen that It has the greatest number OF
| leap years possible to that given period
! The first leap year. making twenty-four
! in all.
| Another peculiar fact is that on three
years February will have five Sundays: In
! 1890, 1913 and 1916. In 1901 Decoration
Day, Fourth Of July and Thanksgiving
| Day will occur on the same day OF the
week. and this will happen again at the
| intervals of s, II, II. 6, II. II. years ant
| so. on In the years 1912, 1910, 1869 and
| 1896 there are four holidays that will fall
| upon the same day of the week, During
| the next century Inaugural day, March
4. will fall upon Sunday three times, in
| the years 1917, 1915 and 1918
The same calendar that was used for
| 1895 can be put to second use In 1907, after
which it can be used at intervals of H.
S and II years to the close of the century.
In a similar manner the calendar used in
1891 can be recalled in 1913 and at inter
va's of II, II and 6 years; 1892, in 1904 and
at intervals of % years: 1890 in 1906, and at
intervals of 6, II, Il years: 1884, IL 1866, at
, intervals of II. 6 and II years; 1886 In 1.ss>
and every IS years thereafter: 1881 in 1862.
and at In .~rvals of 6. II and II years; 1895
In 1910. at intervals Of IL. 8 and Il yenrs:
1872 In 1912. and every 18th year there
after; 1876 In 1916; 1880 In 1920; 1851 In 1924;
1855 in 1928, the last four cases also besEs
at intervals of twenty-eight years.
DATE FOR EASTER.
| AS usual Easter will fall upon widely
diversified collection OF dates during the
next century The earliest date on which
Easter can occur is March %. Once, in
1915 this day of feasting fell upon that
date but this will not occur during the
twentieth century. The latest possible
date for Easter is April 25, and this viii
occur but once during the next century,
In 1913 Whenever Easter Is fixed for