The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-08-22
s1,[ANAC VAGAR1Es.
INTERESTING COLLECTION IN
~ ' LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.

arIy AImanacs the Rage Since
w. sixteenth Century.
Of the most curious collections
.no library of congress is that OF
amocs These publications, which
M Irortising mediums are left at the
often TO be at once thrown care
iO'i -. into the wastebasket, have
liking and venerable history.
,,N' stiIl rontended by many author
that fine almanac of 1857 was the
i'9 snocimen of printing, and it has
iS rariously credited to Gutenberg,
pe, ,,ofro. and Pfister of Bamberg. DR..
'.trs celebrated in legend, whose
"an story has been immortalized
,forlove and Goethe, was the ac-
roditod author of almanacs containing
l,rolooical signs RETAINED at the pres
d9v, and necromantic secrets.
e ',m.or richards Almanac" the pro-
,,,otion of benjamin Franklin, is well
S.~ovn as treasury of homely wit
81 wisdom. one of the greatest of
d .,o1orn German authors, Auerbach,
en,t won his way to popular esteem
~ rsine the almanac as vehicle for
Ibis talents. c.,
4 poviomontanus, a famous German
..o+bnmatician. under the patronage of
4Mottbias Coryinus, king of Hungary,
.rhIisbed a series of almanacs from
liz TO 1906. and yearly almanacs be-
oor,a IN established custom in the SIX
f.oantb century. Henry III. of France
n 1579 enacted that the almanac
eborld moi be made the instrument of
rsrtisan politics by the introduction of
nronbccics against parties and indi-
yiduals in the state.
THE first almanac in the modern
sbape appeared in England in 1913. 1t
was compiled by Maurice Wheeler,
conon of Christchurch, Oxford, and
WAS printed in that city. The sale was
ca crpat that the booksellers of London
bought the copyright in order to mo-
nopolize its subsequent sales. The
"Almanac Royal" of Paris, 1897, con-
famed notices of pastimes, court recep-
ton days, fairs and markets, to which
were added soon afterward the gen.
ealosy Of the reigning house, etc.
In England James l. granted mo-
nopoly of the trade to the universities
and the Stationers' company, subject
10 the censorship of the archbishop of
Canterbury and the bishop of London
The universities accepted an annuity
from their colleagues, and resigned the
active exercise of their privilege into
the hands of the Stationers. Under
their supervision were conducted the
popular almanac1known as "Moore's"
and "rartrdges." the latter of which
was humorously attacked by Swift.
Poor Robins Almanac" published
from 1862 to 1928, may have furnished
a model, mt least in title, for Frantlin's
Poor Richard"
Popular superstititions and the eX-
trayaSances of astrology found room
in these almanacs, the Stationers, like
q genuine corporation or trust of
the time, having no personality of
their own, and exhibiting no special
bias except for what would sell, as
was particularly proved in 1924, when
they issued Il set of predictions in one
almanac and bitterly contradicted
them in another
The famous "Moore's Almanac" pur-
ported to be edited by Francis Moore,
physician. The original Francis Moore
died in 1924, but the publication was
still isued as if under his supervision,
and IN lII5 a vigorous rival arose in
another almanac claiming to be the
genuine Francis Moore. A great law
suit followed, which was decided
against the monopoly of the Station
erS' company. A bill to renew and
legalize the privilege was brought in
the house of commons by Lord North
in lII9, but Lord Erskine, the great
barrister, most brilliantly exposed the
absudity and even indecency of the
publication, and the bill was defeated.
Although the privilege was thus de-
stroyed, the Stationers purchased their
rival and continued to hold the field
with a but slightly improved style of
publication until 1898, when the Soci-
ETY. For the Diffusion of Useful Knowl-
edge published the British Almanac"
and demolished their predecessors,
with the able assistance of the daily
press which so vigorously assailed the
Stationers' publication that that COM
pany was constrained to follow the
new example in the "Englishman's Al
manac."
ne uniform price for an English al
manac for many years was penny,
but the monopoly increased the price.
and the imposition of the stamp taxes
after Queen Anne's time raised it still
more. In 1871 "Moore's Almanac" was
mnepence, two being for the stamp.
IN lt96 it rose to Is. i'd. and in 1916 to
IS. Sd.
An almanac was established by
ISAIAH Thomas in Worcester, Mass,
which gained and established an eX-
uaordlnary repute in 1850 from the
happy accident that. as it was being set
up one of the boys asked what should
De placed against the 18th of July.
MT, Thomas, in careless haste. an.
sWered: Anything! Anything" The
iad, literally obedient, set up Rain,
Haii and snow" The diligent readers
We're surprised, but when the day came
tne prediction was fulfilled-it really
uld rain, hail and snow on the 18th
vi mat July, and the fortune of the
almanac was made.
Inc Almanac de Gotha" is the best
Anown OF the German publications.