Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-25
RARE OLD ALMANAC
INTERESTING VOLUME GIVING
EVENTS FOR YEAR OF 177e.

A relic of bygone days of more than
! ordinary interest has been procured by Mr.
! 3. II. Collins of sci 18th street northwest,
! this city, for presentation to Mrs ]. A. T.
Swami The relic is an .'afmanack'' which
was published IN the year 177e, so memoir
| able in American history, and which will
be added to the historical collections in an
| old building at Rocky Hill. near Princeton
| y. j., which was used during the revolu-
tionary war as Gen. Washingtons head
| quarters. The ancient structure has been
| purchased by Mrs. Swami, wife of eA-Gov.
/ Swami, and In its thirteen rooms. each
| named after original colony, will be
! placed revolutionary war collections and OBJ
| jects of unique historical interest of that
| period for each Of the thirteen original
| states. The almanac Is intended to be
| added to one Of these colonial rooms.
| The queerly printed little volume is age
| yellowed and almost crumbing as a result
/ OF Its existence of nearly 130 years 1t is
| considered rare relic of the away-back
days when this country was ruled by
| George III of England, just before the
dawnlng of American liberty. Its title page.
| printed in the quaint old English type, pre-
SCENTS an Interesting contrast with The ar
| tfstic twentieth century styles of letters
70 read over its almost illegible pages is
| IKE peering back into the colonial DAYS
| when American progress was but beginning
| 10 take shape for advancement along the
| lines which has caused the United States
| 10 forge ahead through complicatio ns and
! dlscord and at last take its place as the
| foremost nation of the earth.
The title of the little booklet is given as
| lie North American Almanack and Cen
| tleman's and Ladys Diary for the Year of
our Lord Christ, 1I76, being Bissextile or
| Leap Year, and the 10th Year of the Reign
| OF George the lid. Calculated for the
Meridian of Boston in New England"
Following the above is the table of con-
| tents, including:
THE Lunations Eclipses of the Id,ynin-
aries, Spring Tides, Judgment of the
Weather, Feasts and Fasts, Friends Meet
1ngs, Courts in the Four New England
Governments, Sir Richard RUNS Advice to
the Soldiers, showing the good effects of
spurious liquors when they are used with
moderation, and their perncous effects
when used to excess, with cure for
drunkenness, etc, ETC. The name of the
publisher is given as Samuel Stearns, Stu
dent in Physick and Astronomy
On the title page appears this quaint
poem:
Heaven is guard and innocence its care
Nor need the just the worst of dangers fear;
1t pities the defenseless poor mans grief
Its arm, the surest succor, and the best,
Delivers and revenges the DISTRESSED"
On the second page of the venerable
pamphlet appears "a short history, which
sheweth how the charters of the city of
London, with other parts Of Old England
and the British colonies in New England,
were taken away in the reign of King
Charles the Id" Then follows "a list of
New England governors from the beginning
of the English settlements to the sur
render of the charters" Next comes IAN
account of the commencement of hostilities
between Great Britain and America in the
province of Mnssachusetts-Bay, by the
Rev. Mr.. William Gordon of Roxbury, in
a letter to gentleman in England
"A Description of the Ancient Wings
states that this name was first applied to
some of the people in Scotland, whose COM
mon diet was sour milk when they held
their meetings in the fields in the times
of persecution; which name was afterward
applied to those who were against the
court interest in the times of King Charles
and James the I'd, and to such as were
against 1t in the succeeding reigus'
Describing the ancient Tories the al
manack says: This name (Tories) was
first given by the Protestants in ireland to
those Irish robbers and murderers who
stood outlawed for robbery and murder.
and since that time 1t has been applied as
a nickname for such as call themselves
high church men, the partisans of the
Chevalier de St George
Scattered through the pamphlet are sew
eral ancient poems, including IAN Ingenious
Bacchanar' and "All is Well That Ends
to the principal towns on the continent,
etc, from Boston, with the names of those
who keep houses of entertainment" also
schedule of stages from New York to
Philadelphia.
The calendar arrangement is of the old
STYLE which is still followed by the Hagers
town and a few other almanacs. The
principal ingredient mentioned in the cure
for drunkenness is vinegar, used both in
ternadly and externally. with some blood
letting by means of leeches.
All in all, this quaint relic enjoys added
interest, not only on account of its ex-
IRENE rarity-but the uses to which it is to
be so periodically applied.