Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-08-21
ALMANAC VAGARIES.
AN INTERESTING COLLECTION IN
THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.

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
| lcSsly into the wastebasket, have q
striking and venerable history.
1t Is still contended by many author
! tiles that the almanac Of 14J7 was the
| first specimen of printing, and 1t has
! been variOusly credited to Gutenberg,
! Schacffer and Phster of Bamberg. DR..
! FauStus, celebrated in legend, whose
| strange story has been immortalized
| by MarIowe and Goethe, was the aC-
! credited author Of almanacs containing
! astrological signs RETAINED at the pres
cnt day. and ncCromantic secrets.
| poor Richards Almanac" the pro-
! duction of Benjamin Franklin, is well
! known as n treasury of hOmcly wit
| and wisdom. one of the greatest of
modern German authors, Auerbach,
first won his way to popular esteem
! by using the almanac as a vehicle for
| his talents.
RcyiOmontanus, famous German
mathematician, under the patronage Of
Matthias Coryinus, king of Hungary,
published a series of almanaCS from
1475 to 1906, and yearly almanaCs be-
came an established custom in the six
tecnth 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-
yiduals 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
80 great that the booksellers of London
bought the copyright in order to mo-
nopoizc its subsequent sales. The
almanac Royal' of Paris, 1857, con
tanned notices of pastlmcs, court recep-
ton days, fairs and markets, to which
were added soon aftcrward the gen
CalOgy of the rCigning house, etc.
In England James |. granted Il mo-
nOpoly of the trade TO the universities
and the Stationcrs' 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
h,I OF IN
popular almanacs known as "Moore's'
and "partridge's," the latter of which
was humorously attacked by Swift.
Poor Robins Almanac" published
from 1862 to 1898 may have furnished
model, at least in title, for Franklin's
Poor Richard"
Popular supcrstititions and the eX-
travugances of astrology found room
in these almanacs, the Stationers, like
Il 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 'Moorc's Almanac pur-
ported to be edited by Francis Moore,
physician. The original Francis Moore
died in 1T24 but the publication was
still isucd as IL under his supervision,
and In 17I5 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
crs' company. \ bill to renew and
lcgaliZC the privilege was brought In
the house of commons by Lord North
in 1910, but Lord Erskinc, the great
barriStCr. most brilliantly exposed the
ubSurdty and even iudCccuCy of the
publications and the bill was defeated.
Although the privilege was thus de
stroyCd, the StationCrs purchased their
rival and continued to hold the field
with a but slightly improved style of
publication until lS2S when the SoCi-
city 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 assailcd the
Stationcrs' publication that that com
pauy was constrained To follow the
new example in the "Englishman's Al
manaC.'
The uniform price for an English al
manuc for many years was penny,
but the monopoly increased the price,