The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-02-07
ONLY "a WORKING DAYS
Holidays Sprinkled Thru to
Make Good Measure.
Augustus Caesar Responsible
for Mixup in the Dates.

Despite the fact that il is the short
est month in the year. February has a
fund Of interesting lore and historical
data attached to it.
Il is said the Romans were respon-
si6le for framing up the calendar
which has survived to the present day
with few changes Starting with Feb
ruary having 30 days. every other
month was given thirty days Julius
Caesar was born in July. He liked
the month and named it after himself
Some time later Augustus Caesar was
chief OF the Romans. He had a fancy
to name a month. August was his
birth month so he named it after him
self. August, however. was shy day.
Il did not have so many days as the
month belonging to julius Caesar
Augustus could not stand for an in
equality OF Importance OF only one day
between himself and Julius so he
figured the only thing to do was to
steal q day from some other month
and have it fall in at the rear OF
August's array OF dates
February was Unpopular.
no one AAhE4 T EBA A1AJ fEAJ
anyway. II was a bad month. Cold,
ice. rain. sleet, snow. everything
mean was blamed on February II
stin is that way too According 10
records from the office OF s. D. Flora,
state rneteorologist. the worst weather
Of the year occurs in February. The
pet aversion Of telephone and tele-
graph companies is February p.
Washington's birthday. On that date
for about five out Of the last six years,
the day has been celebrated by
heavy wind storm bearing ice. sleet
and freezing rain. playing general
havoc with the wires OF the company
No one had the slightest objection TO
seeing February shortened So Au-
gustus simply swiped day from
February.
men figured the year had one too
many days. There were Sss days.
They desired to drop a day. 1t IS be-
.ieved they either Tipped a talent or
shekel or made a pass or two with
dice to find out which month TO take
the day away from and kick II out OF
the calendar altogether. The odds
were against February. 1t lost an
other day Hence the es-day month,
except every four years when the DAY
kicked out of the calendar gets TO
come mack for a twenty-four hour
blowout
Leap Year Tradition
The Leap Year tradition comes
down from an old custom in force
many years ago in the British Isles
During Leap Year a woman who had
not made the old ship 'Matrimony,
could 20 out and grab any unattached
he specimen and lead him 70 the
altar. He was stuck for the drinks
There were two avenues Of escape
open. Either he had to prove that he
was already in love with another
woman or he had to support the wo-
man who nailed him. He was as bad
This was indicative OF the so-called
modern tendencies of the sex in an age
when they were supposed to have no
other interests than caring for the
home
However. a few hundred years later.
Bernard Shaw. an eminent Britsher'
went TO considerable length to prove
that women were always the aEgres-
sive ones and that no man would will
fnglv. of his own free will and ac-
cord. submit to marriage unless he
were tricked. rushed. pushed or wo-
r1au-handIed off his feet before he
could collect his wits to retreat or
prepare for self defense.
February has 90 days when the
numbers OF the year are divisible by
four. except in centennial years as
100000. These must be divisible
by 400.
Five Sundays This Year.
February this year has five Sun
days This will occur only seven times
in = period Of 200 years. The years in
which this occurs are 1Ts4-1s24-1S52-
ISS0-1S20-1s4S-197 It has thus been
forty years since February had five
sundays.
Il also has Valentine Day. February
"A; Lincoln's birthday. February Il;
and Washington's birthday. February
-. This year the 22nd is on Sunday.
All except government employees and
street. car men are beaten out OF a
holiday. Lincoln's birthday and
Washington's birthday are legal holi-
DAYS
The month has the smallest number
OF working days OF any month in the
year - twenty-four days. Lincoln 5
birthday never seems TO be recognized
as an excuse for cessation from the
everyday grind
Valentine Day-Wel. what man can
not remember the time in his dim
hazy past. when upon the advent of
the first valentine in store windows he
did not haunt the down town district.
Inspecting. approving. rejecting until
he found The Valentine for Her.
You then tore home to find out II
she sent you one-and found cut the
next day that she sent IT to another
fellow It's a hard cruel world. ali