Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-07-22

| Middle Ages the foot in Geneva became
la.2l inches, and one foot has been dis
covered actually 2322 of our inches in
| length On the other hand the foot was
81 inches in Pytha, and only SIS inches
| in Sicily.
The Germans, a few centuries ago, at
tempted to secure better unit by taxi
ing the average of a number of feet. A
surveyor of the 18th century prescribed
this rule: "Stand al the door of a church
on a Sunday and bid IS men to stop, tall
ones and small ones. they happen to
pass out when the service is finished: then
| make them put their left feet one behind
| the other. aud the length thus obtained
shall be the right and lawful rooa to
measure and survey the land with. and
| the sixteenth part of it shall be the right
| and lawful foot
The foot thus selected. though undeubt-
| eddy capable of considerable variation.
| was less elastic than the inch of our
early ancestors. 1t was provided by law
| In 1924. during the reign of Edward IL,
| that the inch should have the length OF
| three barley corns round and dry, lald
| end to end. Barley corns differ much in
length, even if round and dry. therefore
| it must have been possible to vary the
| inch at will. Strangely enough, however,
| this old unit based on the barley corn
persists to this day III the numbering OF
Shoes Number 3 shoes a third of an
inch-that is one barley corn-larger than
| No q and SO with other sizes.
Our yard. which comes from the Eng
| lsh. represents another unsuccessful at
tempt to find satisfactory unit IN ma
ture In the 18th century Henry l. de-
creed that the yard should be the as
lance from the end of his nose to the emu
of his thumb; we are not certain, now
ever, i'm what position he held his arm
and head when the measurements were
taken He went so far as TO nave
metal bar of the proper length made'
and then copies were prepared. stamped
and declared to be royal measures.
The earliest yardstick now in existence
| was nrenared near the end of the l9th
| century in the reign of Henry VII rms
stock made of bronze measures 35,92i of
| orr modern inches in length. and was
used as the English standard until l'Se.
| The new British standard, of 1888, was
called the Winchester yard. 1t was haoe
| of brass. and remained the legal staroafo
/ until 1876. The bar is In existence too's,
| and offers ample evidence OF the ,ruth VI
~ ropo,t made by a commissioner who
/ examined il in 17i2: IA Kitchen pehssl
/ filed at both ends, would make as soou
standard 1t has been broken. ana re-
| nairoa so clumsily that the JOINT Is near
| Nv az loose as that of a pair oil tohs9'
| Nevertheless the British ofliciaiS worried
| along with it until 1876, for the si'i'pie
,oason that they could not agree upon d
1 new standard. -,
| rhe belief became common in the io'"
] century that such perishapie 'ui'e9
| tho Kings arm made unsultapie s'a"",
ards: but 1t was thought that ui,e -
| nature might be found in the penn ui 'i..
| Tharefore IA committee of faflldii'eH.' -
| t7so had John Bird prepare a s'a"''' -
.,bicb measured 100000 Of our lnches' M's
not adopted for more than eo Se"'S'
| al,y in 1924 1T was provided t''at pl a.sa
y,rd shonld become the legal sea'o''. =
an the first day of January lo='-
rhe pritish had not yet learned ~"
mat accurate standards are h"i'
| - make. and that once maue my
| ,,orth careful attention III 'ne -
| , o,dop fire of 1884 the newly !,
rt,naara was so badly damaged '''"e
aa.,,,od worthless Moreover II SUI. - :,
/ FA
.nneared completely. and was i'o'
~ 1891 No copies had been itlaoe anu
.h 80 English were again without an ao-
| eurate standard. ,.,,o tho
| bird had left directions for rep,ae."e mt
standard. if ever it should be los'. w
afearent scientists following tnese :,
49,. nrodueed sticks varying wioeS ~
,anetb Therefore new stahaaio W."
waved. as nearly like the ola as pos
sit,,s In 1855 Parliament adopted say
standard yard that remains 10 ''.' ..tna
:, Tnpland. 1t is provided that
! .,,,iqht line or distance between ''e
80. of the transverse lines IN 'i,e ~
.,a,d mugs in the bronze bar deposieeo 49, =.
! a., office of the Excheauer shai oe :, 80 :.
Genuine standard yard at 62 desieee :.
Accurate copies were deposited III Vs. 80,
..anarated buildings, and two were 'ei@
To the United States. ,a.ea,e
/ l., this country the yard mas ul'ei ee'l1
a,most as many changes as in hns'ana'
when the 10 colonies became leoepenu
ont Congress was given the right 10 IN
the standards of weights and measures.
Congress, however, never definitely au-