The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-25
People Born Leap Year Day Have Few Birthdays
ma JOHN ELrRErtI WATKINS.

y Z.
~ AIRING sone sudden skid by
X Dame Nature from the even ten
~ or OF her way, about 5000 babies
vii be horn within our land Thursday
next. And as Thursday next, Ihanke
TO Pope Grocery, lie Leap Yaar day
February 2a--these youngsters cannot
celebrate their arst birthday until the
year OF our Lord. 1916.
Upon their birthday cakes. when
they were sweet sixteen" they will be
entitled to light four candles. ard they
viii have 20 wait until the year 1919
FOR their twenty-iirSt birthday 20 come
around Such of them as are horn
great enough. who achieve greatness
enough or who have sufficient great
ness thrust upon them TO warrant tile
observance Of their one hlladredth
bifthday-as we this month observed
that Of DicEcns-they cannot expect
this celebration TO take place until
Ammo Dnuini 1894.
som. odd PnrnduNe-.
Indeed, some mighty odd paradoXes
WILL occur this coming week as re-
suit OF this most eccentric OF all the
da,z in our calendar.
For instance. over in Clapham. a SUBJ
urh of London. father Will celebrate
his eleventh birthday anniversary. and
his own daughter her twenty sixth.
both within the week. H. was born
February %, 1864, and She in Fcbru-
cry. 1856.
and in Marlborough, a suburb OF
philadelphia. there is courla who
sIl upon this coming Leap Year day
VIII celebrate three important events
-har twelfth birthday. his fourteenth
birthday and the seventh anniversary
81 their wedding. They were married
on his seventh and her fifth birthday.
II all came about in this way: On
February %. 1852 Herr James Sherer
vas born in Prussia. while on Fs.bru-
ary %, 1860. Fraulein Pauline Groas
was born in Baden Baden. The odd
date worked its magic upon them. for
destiny called them both to Wurttom-
burg. although neither, up to this
time knew the other. Her: fate
brought them together and the fac;
that each was child of Leap Year
day wrought an affinity between them.
In the late seventies they became en-
gagged. but still under the spell of this
odd date February %. they chose 1t
for their wedding day and waited im-
patiently for ii TO come around This
IL did in the leap year 1850, and their
nuptials came off 9 per schedule. Then
they einigra ted TO America where they
were happy ever aft erward. At their
receptions, celebrating their birthdays
and wedding ANNIVERSARIES. they limit
their list OF guests to twenty-ninr.
which has ever been their lucky num-
ber.
Icup Year Dn, .Twins.''
Another coincidence which may fur
thar convince some readers that there
Is an affinity between persons born
upon this vaEarions date was this:
February 90, 1880. that same date
upon which James Scherer married
Pauline tirons there was horn, In New
Jersey, baby christened John A. Bcr-
ry. and upon precisely tha same date
IN far-off Idaho. Frank w. Rowell first
saw the light, Although neither OF
them dreamed of the others existence.
their twin destiny called them both TO
the army. in which thay are now serv-
Ing s brother captains. Thursday they
will celebrate their seventh birthday.
If you will watch the army register
closely YOU Will note that all officers
retiring for age are placed upon tbs
inactive list upon their siNty-fourth
birthday But II the date of retire
,nent Of Captains Berry and Rowell fall
on their siNty-fourth birthday they
fun pay as long as they live, for that
event will not fall due until the year
2l62
Two other Leap Year day twins are
the Rev. Arthur Henry Fsber. Canon,
OF York Cathedral. England. and
Thomas Edie Ilill author. OF Chi
cago. Both We're born February %,
1892. and although they will he eighty
next Thursday, 1t vii he their nine
toenth birthday efr Hin tells me that
he has been too hnsy throughout his
lie to celebrate even one of his nine
yeen birthdays
II is an interesting coincidence tina
Tho Rev Mr., Faher should be Canon
Of York Cathedral which was once the
seat OF ST. Oswald. patron saint Of Leap
Year day Oswald, an Anglo Saxon
rteiate. bacame Archbishop OF York in
"72 and was canonized for his zeal in
reducing Thea anciept Church of Eng
lana 10 rte ,-ornplete domination of
Tome
&c was awarded Leap Year day on
sAe calendar OF the Catholic Church
Necsuss ne died on the day before The