The Coolidge examiner., 1935-01-18

prophecy and. much 10 Franklin's delight, played
into his rivals hands by answering him. IL was
the best sort of advertising for the new venture
and Franklin took care 10 keep the controversy
alive. II lasted Tor eIgh, years and ended only
when leeds did finally die Bot by that time
Poor Richards Almanac" was well started on
the road 20 the amazing success which IL en-
toyed for the next quarter OF "A century.
Begun as a o4puge booklet and sold at three
shiilngs six pence per dozen tseven cents
copy), after i1sT Il was Increased 20 30 pages
decorated with pretty woodcuts. given more
and more elegant tone and called Poor Rich
ards Improved" Since the price was not In
creased even with these improvements. Frank
Inns little book dened all competition and II Is
not TO be wondered at that II sold as many as
10000 copies annually.
OF course It had plenty OF imltators-a veri-
table host Of Poor Joseph's" Poor WINS
poor Toms" Poor Jobs" Poor Rogers and
Poor Thomas's." one almanac publisher OF
Philadelphia called hls book Abraham Weather
wise" and a New York printer brought out
a book called "C0perulcns Weatherguesser." one
OF these early alnanacs deserves lasting fame
n for no other reason than that IL was the first
publication 10 give currency TO Washlngtons title
OF The Father OF Ills Country" In i7T9 an
almanac. published 10 German and issued by
Francis Bailey In Lancaster. Pa. appeared with
Z
which were depicted several symbolic figures
In the upper left-hand corner OF the drawing
was shown Fame as an angel. bearing In one
hand n medallion OF Washington with a laurel
wreath upon his head and ia the other a
trumpet from which comes the words "Des
Landes Water" (The Father OF His Country
Although amanacs increased In number dur
/ ing the early days OF the republic. many OF
them passed out OF existence after brief career
because better educational facilities and a more
widespread scientific knowledge made the COM
mon people less dependent upon the almanac as
a source OF Information. But there Is one sur
/ vlyor OF the colonial tradition which has had
an unbroken existence OF more than 40 years
and which is today the nearest approach we
have TO poor Richards Almanac" That is "the
Old Farmers Almanac" established in 1892 by
Robert Bailey Thomas. who was said TO have
resembled Franklin In 'the profession and prac-
/ tice OF a certain homely philosophy OF life. .
/ Franklin, 10 be sure, was a genius and Thomas
was simply OF talent who knew how TO
make the most OF the talents he had"
THE Farmers Almanac was the first to ex-
clude from its pages "the man OF signs or
-the moons man." the figure OF anatomy that
hitherto adorned all almanacs. Each sign OF the
zodiac governed" organ or part OF the body,
and in selecting day to treat any allment, or to
]
not the moon was In that sign.
AS time went on the theory Of the close
relation between mans body and the signs OF
the zodiac fell into disrepute. and the anatomy
became a laughingstock. Still the people de-
manded their time-honored monstrosity and al
manac- makers until the Farmers appeared) con-
! tinued TO include the moons man." but often
with apology.
Published in Boston. "The Old Farmers Al
manac" is still family Bible" in many a New
England home Ut has ciculation of more than
2J0O00) where the coming Of the little yellow
backed book at the beginning of each year is
an event 10 be looked forward TO. The cover
design has remained but little changed through
the years II bears tha portrait of its founder,
Robert Thomas. displayed In arabesque oppo-
site that Of Benjamin Franklin, similarly ex-
hibited, and the familiar pictures of plowing
haying. harvesting and watering the stock at a
frozen watering trough, are shown in the corners
to represent the four seasons, just as they have
for generations.
By Western Newspaper UNI