Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1903-12-28

. lures. 1t was pillar erected near q
flight of steps TRANSLATED degrees in
) the English BibleJ. Berosus was the
, first TO construct a sundial proper, in
: B. c. 540-the first recorded in pro-
: fame history.
! But sundisls are only useful when
the sun shines; hence some other
measures Of time became necessity
! The Egyptians were successful in in.
venting such a continuance. They
called 1t the Clepsydra (kleps. to
steal. and hudor. water), by which
! time was measured by a continuous
flow of water az uniform motion.
The CleDsydra is first mentioned by
EmDedocles. who fourished in the
! fifth century before Christ. 1t was
brought to high degree OF perfec-
ton by philosopher of Alexandria,
named Ctesebius, and continued down
to the invention Of clocks. probably in
the fourteenth century. Watches fol-
lowed in due course, till they have
become an almost necessary requisite
OF everyday use.
Most 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 invariable.
There was time when the lunar
month was Twenty-Five days instead OF
twenty-seven, as it now is (Sir r.
| Ball: Time and Tide). The synodical
month, therefore. was between thirty
and thirty-one days. "a synodicaI
month is the interval from one new
moon 10 the next So that primitive
man, reckoning the month as a synodi-
cal period, or lunation, may not have
been so inaccurate as we in our SUI
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-about four hours
each, Going forward TO the old age
of the earth, we come to an epoch
when the day and month are again
equal. But this time, instead of being
four hours each, they vii. be 1,4OO |
hours. Just think OF it. One day last. |
ing 1,400 hours! When the day will |
equal ffty-eight of our present days,
what will be the length of the year? |
But we must not stop at 1,400-hour
day. Going still forward in the far-off |
future, We come to e time when the |
face of the earth will be always
trr-r ~, he 81, s..
is now turned to the earth, and as she
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" Us. lx:20J The
romance of time, How it fascinates,
The new year has been observed
with festive rejoicings from remotest
antiquity. Its celebration by religious,
as well as secular observaHces, 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
interest of joyous kind.
In olden Roman times the new year,
which began in March, was inaugural.
ed by festive procession, with the
priests of Mars carrying the sacred
shield before the people. The people
wished zach other good health and ,
and exchanged presents.
The Chinese begin the year at the ,
vernal equinox, and make it one of ,
the most splendid festivals. All ,
classes mingle together. and unite In !
for mercies received and
prayers for a genial season and good
,rop. :
With the Hindus the first day of the :
lew year is sacred to Ganesa, the +,
god CT wisdom. to whom kids and :
Wild deer are sacrificed amid illumina- .
ions and rejoicings. Among the
tribes a buffalo is sac :
ificed before vast multitudes of peo- :
lie.
In ancient Persia prisoners were -
LIBERATED and offenders pardoned The ;,
Persian new year much resembled the
-
;abbothical year of the Jews. >,
The Sabeans held grand festival .
IN the day the sun entered Arus, one
f the signs of the Zodiac Priests :,
nd people marched to the temples =
nd sacrificed to the planetary gods. =,
In the British Isles the Druids be- :,
an the year on March 10th, with the :,
GLENN ceremony of cutting the mis- l.,
letoe from the sacred oak. On that -
ay two white bulls were tied by the 9,
orns. When a Druid, clothed in white 4,
obes, mounted the tree and cut of :,
he mistletoe, after which the sacri- -
ces were offered. =,
The Mexicans on new years day -
dorned their houses and temples
nd engaged in various religious cere- -,
lonies. On such occasion human n,
acrifice was offered to propitiate the ~
DDS. :.
In modern times it is also an occa-
on of social rejoicing and inter- ]