Amador ledger., 1902-10-03
ALMANAC VAGARIEs.
AN INTERESTING COLLECTION IN
= THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.

| Noted Men Who Are Credited with
Being the First Almanac Makers
Yearly AImanacs the Rage Since
the Sixteenth Century
One of the most curious collections
at the library of congress is that of
almanacs. These publications, which
as advertising mediums are left at the
door, often to be at once thrown care
lessly into the wastebasket, have a
striking and venerable history.
1t is still contended by many author
tiles that the almanac of 1457 was the
first specimen of printing. and it has
been variously credited to Gutenberg,
Schaeffer and Pfister of Bamberg Dr..
Faustus, celebrated in legend, whose
strange story has been immortalized
by Marlowe and Goethe, was the ac,
credited author of almanacs containing
astrological signs (retained at the pres
ent day. and necromantic secrets.
Poor Richards Almanac" the pro-
duction of Benjamin Franklin, is well
known as treasury of homely wit
and wisdom. One of the greatest of
modern German authors, Auerbach,
first won his way to popular esteem
by using the almanac as vehicle for
his talents.
Reyiomontanus, famous German
mathematician, under the patronage Of
Matthias Corvinus, king of Hungary,
published a series Of almanacs from
1475 to 1906, and yearly almanacs be-
came an established custom IN the six
teenth century. Henry III. of France
in 1879 enacted that the almanac
should not be made the instrument of
partisan politics by the introduction of
prophecies against parties and indi-
viduals in the state.
The first almanac In the modern
shape appeared in England in 1913. 1t
was compiled by Maurice Wheeler,
canon of Christchurch, Oxford, and
was printed In that city. The sale was
so great that the booksellers of London
bought the copyright in order to mo-
nopolize its subsequent sales. The
Almanac ROyaP' of Paris, 1897. con-
tanned notices of pastimes, court recep-
ton days, fairs and markets, to which
were added soon afterward the gen.
ealogy of the reigning house, etc.
In England James L. granted a mo-
nopoly of the trade to the universities
and the Stationers' company, subject
to 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 almanacs known as "Moores"
and "Partridge's," the latter of which
was humorously attacked by Swift.
"Poor Robins Almanac" published
from 1862 to 1928, may have furnished
model. at least in title, for Franklin's
"Poor Richard"
Popular superstititions and the ex-
travagances of astrology found room
in these almanacs, the Stationers, like
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 a 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 1775 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 1779, but Lord Erskine, the great
barrister, most brilliantly exposed the
absurdity 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 1928, 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."
The 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 1881 'Moore's Almanac" was
ninepence, two being for the stamp.
In 1896 it rose to Is. 4d. and in 1916 to
rs. Sd.
An almanac was established by
Isaiah Thomas in Worcester, Mass,
| which gained and established an ex-
traordinary repute in 17S0 from the
happy accident that, as it was being set
up, one Of the boys asked what should
be placed against the 18th of July.
Mr.. Thomas, in careless haste, an
swered: Anything! Anything| The
lad, literally obedient, set up "Rain,
hail and snow" The diligent readers
were surprised, but when the day came
the prediction was fulflled-it really
did rain, hail and snow on the 18th
of that July, and the fortune Of the
| almanac was made.
The almanac de Gotha" is the best
known of the German publications.
! Whittaker's is the standard English
publication Of the kind, while in this