New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1916-11-08
ONE REMARKABLE EXCEPTION
TO OUR ARITHMETIC is EX-
PLANNED
PRACTICE BEGAN WITH RACE
LIVING THOUSANDS OF
YEARS AGO

Willie VIC SOuIAC Ny CCAAo, AAuAAOACuo nA1u
thousands the objects of which we must
give the number, there is one very re-
markable exception. Instead of count
ing by 10, we here count by the dozen
and instead of counting 100 minutes to
the hour, we count only go and so Sc
conds to the minute.
From Another Civilization
An archeologist would suspect i'm
mediately that the division of time does
not come to us from the same ethno-
graphic source as our decimal arithmetic.
He will be led to believe that the civil
cation to which we belong has borrowed
it from another civilization-he would
even say, from a civilization more ad-
vanced than that to which we are the
heirs, but on the other hand, much be-
hind the development of our 10th
century. In all this the archeologst
would be justified His doubts will
find substantiation by the historical
data discovered, 20 or 80 years ago,
with regard to the ancient communities
o. occidental Asia and their usages.
The counting of hours by IL and OF
their subdivision by so was begun by
the Accadians, who lived in the Meso-
potamian country more than 40 centuries
ago. It was adpoted in Greece at a
time when the people of that country,
who counted by tens simply because
they counted upon their fingers, were
still quite barbarian. Since then this
early manner of counting the hours has
remained. It is curious fact this per-
sistence with which usages once estab-
lished perpetuate themselves and with
what tenacity they hold to their anoma-
lies and imperfections.
Today we know why the dial is divided
into H.
Men had observed that there were
about IL lunar seasons in the year, and
Consequently divided the course of the
sun over the celestial sphere into IL
stages or months, in each of which this
lminary met the moon. At night
they had observed those parts of the
sky from which the sun had for the
tine disappeared and had noted the
chief stars.
Chief Star is Designated
rs result of these observations they
had grouped together, extending over
tie entire area OF the zodiac zone, IL
constela ions, in each Of which they de-
s ignated as the chief or leader some Ger
tain star, the star which, by it's rising,
would Indicate the beginning of the cor
responding hour. Before the period in
which mechanical clocks were invented
men watched for the rising of these in
dicatcr stars. at night, and the watcher
when he saw one rising, announced the
Lcur.
It was found however, that the in
tervals Of one twelfth of the diurnal
period were a little too long. They
were accordingly cut in two, and thus
were obtained, on the one hand, what
were called ''double hours, numbering
IL, and, on the other hand, single;
hours, numbering "a. The use of the
former spread, and it is this which we
have preserved. They were employed
not only in Nineveh and Babylonia, but
also in Egypt. An astronomical figure,
dating from the 18th century before our
era and sculptured on the ceiling of a
royal Egyptian tomb, indicated, for the
full duration of one night, the IL stars
which by their appearance upon the
horizon of Thebes marked the beginning
of the II several hours from nightfall
to dawn.
Origin is Plain
1t is clearly seen, therefore, how this
duodecimal division originated. In
early antiquity it spread to Chaldea and
Egypt Il was adopted by the Greeks,
who handed it on to the Romans, whom
we in turn initiated. But to this hearth
of civilization it remained confined and
has never possessed universal character.
It is the creation of one observing and
advanced people, but not a natural
creation, compulsory, so to say, as was
that Of the decimal system, which arose
from the simple fact that men happen
to have 10 fingers. The Chinese, more
logical than we, count 10 hours where
the Accadial1s counted IL. Other
people of the extreme east of Asia
divided the diurnal period into so parts.
The Mexicans divided the day into eight,
and the people OF Mayen divided it into
.16 parts. We see, therefore, that there