Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1903-12-31


flight OF steps TRANSLATED degrees In
the English Biblel. Berosus was the
first To construct a sundial proper, in
b. c. 540--the first recorded in pro
fame history.
But sundials are only useful when
the sun shines; hence some other
measures of time became 4 necessity.
The Egyptians were successful In In.
venting such a continuance. They
called II the Clepsydrs tkleps. to
steal, and hudor. water). by which
tine was measured by a continuous
row OF water at q uniform motion.
The Clepsydra IL nrst mentioned by
Empedocles, who 6ourished In tina
nth century before Christ IL VAS
brought TO high degree OF perfec'
ton Ny . philosopher OF Alexandria.
named Ctesebius, and continued down
10 ths invention OF clocks. probably In
the fourteenth century. Watches fol.
lowed in due course. till they have
become an almost necessary requisite
OF everyds ? use.
Mos. people are under the impress
sion that the rotation OF the earth
has never varied from one complete
turn in twenty-four hours. But this is
an error. The motions OF both earth
and moon have not been inva.!abie.
There was "a time when the lunar
month was twenty-nine days instead OF
twenty-seven, as IL now Is (Sir r.
Ball; Time and Tidel. The synodicai
month. therefore, was between thirty
and thirty-one days. "a synodtcal
month is the interval from one new
moon to the next) So that primitive
man, reckoning the month as a synod
cal period. or lunation. may not have
been so inaccurate as we in our su
perior wisdom imagine.
Going back from this epoch To the
infancy of the moon, we come TO a
time when the day and month were
of equal duration-aboutf four hours
each! Going forward to the old age
of the earth, we come To an epoch
when the day and monih are again
equal. But this time, instead of being
four hours each, they will be 400
hours Just think of II! One day last.
ing 800 hours! When the day will
equal fifty-eight of our present days,
what will be the length OF the year?
But we must not stop at l .i00.hour
day Going still. forward In the far-of
future. we come to time when the
face OF the earth will be always
turned 10 the sun as the moons face
T.. % 80 nd An
will continue TO be. Then there will
be a perpetual day, for the sun shall
never set, literally fulfilling the words
Of the prophet: Thy sun shall no
more go down. neither shall thy moon
withdraw itself" lis. lx:20) The
romance OF timei How IL fascinates.
The new year has been observed
with festive ,rejoicings from remotest
antiquity Its celebration by religious,
as we'll as secular observances, pre-
vailed generally among the nations of
antiquity And Egyptians. Hindus,
Chinese, Persians, Jews, Romans and
Mohammedans. although differing
widely as to the time from which they
reckon the new year, all regard IT with
especial interest Of joyous kind.
In olden Roman times the new year,
which began in March, was inaugural.
cd by a festive procession, with the
priests OF Mars carrying the sacred
shield before the people. The people
wished each other good health and
prosperity and exchanged presents.
The Chinese begin the year at the
vernai equinox, and make II ono OF
the most splendid festivals. All
classes mingle together. and unite In
Thanksgiving for mercies received and
prayers for . seniai season and good
crop.
with the Hindus the fret day ~ tia
new year IL sacred so Ganesa. u 4
god cf wisdom. 10 whom Kids ard
Wild deer are sacrificed amid illumins.
tions and rejoicings Among the
mountainous tribes q buffalo is sac
riflced before vast multitudSs OF PEG
pie.
In ancient Persia prisoners were
liberated and offenders pardoned. The
Persian new year much resemblsd the
Sabbathical year OF the Jews