Evening journal., 1907-07-18
OLD ALMANACS
TELL A STORY
Long Ago They Belonged to
Bennett JefferiS a Farmer
Of CentreViIIe

It's pages yellow almost TO brown
ness, the edges somewhat ragged but
still preserving a god degre Of mar
gin, file of almanacs dating from
1909 composes an interesting volume.
Ninety eight years ago the first num-
Der of the file was fresh and clean. It's
long verses We're quite In fashion and
that II Is still in condition to be easily
read shows that this was literature
that was priced and carefully handled
The aged volume is the property
now, OF William b. Jefferis Of West
Chester, but It originally belonged TO
his grandfather, Bennett Jefferis, who
lived for many years at Centreville.
Delaware.
Mr.. Jefferis died there at a very
advanced age. about 1850, and among
his belongings were found almanacs for
many years all showing careful. but
diligent use
The oldest file dates. as has been
said. from 1909. The first number is
entitled the "Rittenhouse Almanac"
but later. although evidently the same
publication 1t is called "The Column
blan Almanac"
Last century's Magazine.
In glancing through its pages one
can easily see how IL took the place OF
the modern magazine in the household
OF a hundred years ago. IL contains
besides the pages devoted 20 the time
of the rising and setting OF the sun.
the ebb and flow Of the tides and the
signs of the zodiac. much miscellan-
eous Information, poetry stories and
essays on patriotic or religious SUBJ
jects The inquiring reader was told
] NT. e..
ious methods, how to make a fly trap
which would prove eflicacious and was
assured that freshly sliced cucumbers
applied TO infected portions OF an in
habited bedstead would infallibly drive
away vermin.
Among the poems is a bright little
screed on carpet rags in which the poet
of long ago Describes the condition Of
his home when his wife becomes pos
sessed by the passion for new carpet
The imaginary picture is an amusing
one proving that all housekeepers Of
"auld lang syne" were not models Of
systematic and immaculate neatness,
as we of today are apt TO imagine.
Two Years Late.
Although almanacs are In the file for
the years Of the second war with Great
Britain. 1t is not until 1914 that any
reference to the struggle Is found. The
almanac for that year IS different from
the other, being entitled, "The United
States Naval and Miscellaneous Al
manac," printed by Robert Porter in
Wilmington. It contains a table of dis
tances from various towns and settle
ments and the seat Of war. (Fort Dear
borne, and the district about Lake Erie
and Quebec) and several pages are de-
voted to accounts Of naval victories, IN
the form Of the official reports OF the
now famous commanders, Isaac Hull.
Stephen Decatur. James Lawrence. O.
II. Perry, and Captain Jones. who. by
the way signs himself Jacob Jones'"
A Cold Summer.
The year 1916 seems to have rivaled
this one for unreasonable weather.
There is a tradition that people wore
overcoats all that summer. though the
almanac does not say so. There is,
however, marginal note in clear. firm
hand writing which says. THE 23d OF
this month (June) 1 planted corn in
the garden"
Another note of similarity TO modern
times and ideas is a short article in
quiring into the principal causes OF
the decrease Of marriages" These
causes" seem to be much the same
as those today held responsible for the
plentiful supply of spinsters and bach
elors; false pride on the part of young
women, who demand a fortune in early
married life, and an equally false pride
on the part of parents who bring up
their children In a manner which un-
fits them for duties of married life,
President Roosevelt's ideas would have
been quite in vogue with serious mind
ed persons of 81 years ago.
Value Of Dollars.
In the almanac for 1915 are tables
showing how pence and shillings were
to be reduced TO cents, and another
giving the value of dollars in compari-
son with pounds, shillings and pence
also a table OF interest on the six per
cent. basis, all of which would indi-
cate that il was at this time that the
coinage of the country was made uni
form and Of the present standard. This
is only a suggestion OF the many quaint
and curious features Of the old hle
which continues down to 1925.
The Women's Share.
That the ladies of long ago were not
wholly dependent upon the almanac
for their reading is evident from the
fact that with this ancient file was
found an issue of "The Album and
Ladies' Weekly Gazette" for July 5th
1926.
II was the predecessor Of the modern
sstory paper and is interesting IN show
/ Ting the difference in style between the
Romantic literature of the past and the
Z kore matter Of fact, realistic type OF