TTTE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND, JANUARY 1, 1922
7
MARKING TIME DOWN THROUGH THE AGES TO THE PRESENT
From the Clay Almanac of Our Early Ancestors to the Elaborate and Ornate
Calendars of Today, Which Have Become Real Works of Art, Is a Long Step
'I
pi ; j -'
I ilk"'- J-'fy - . nt of the calendar isn't left to
' fx V VsT
The earliest manuscript almanacs pre
served belosg to the twelfth eeatvry.
la the fifteenth century they were
prilled fer a definite period.
Evan Jenkyn, the clerk, who could
read, knew better than to have the
welllngr on his neck lanced until
Oae month, on elog almanac.
BT OORRTNB ROCKWELL SWAIN.
ttc'VL GOING to send home-made
calendars to ell my friends this
year; they re so easy to mate
and my time Is so limited."
The pre-hollday remark sounds
perfectly reasonable nowadays, when
ready-to-etlck calendars abound at
stationery counters and drug: stores,
and when any amateur who Is sklll--ful
with camera brush or paste tube
can achieve wonders with the aid of
an Idea or two, plus a little finger
play, to use a kindergarten techna
callty. But if you had said a thing;
like that about the middle of De
cember back In the middle ages,
people would have eyed you with
surprise, perhaps touching; their fore
heads significantly and exchanging
the current "cracks" about squirrel
food.
For the fashioning of an approved
device for marking time, in that
period when everything was con
scientiously hand-tnade, was no
trifling task. The primitive form
then in use was called In England a
"clog almanao" and was usually cut
n the four sides of a block or "clog"
of oak, elm, box or fir wood, about
sight Inches long. It was called also
a "rim stock" and "prime staff" and
In Scandinavia a "Runic staff," from
the Runlo characters used for
umbers.
preserved belong to the 12th century,
and there is an old calendar in the
British museum ascribed to Roger
Bacon, whose cipher manuscript has the lancet symbol claimed the open
recently created such a sensation season for bolls.
among scholars. In the 15th century Political prophecies also flourished
almanac were printed for definite to such an extent that Henry III of
periods of years; In the lth, for a France and several other sovereigns
single year. The earliest printed prohibited their Insertion In almanacs.
the lawmakers, as It was In the time almanac is said to have been Issued Who can blama the kings or their
of the Romans, when the pontiffs had in Vienna In 1457 by Purbach, the associates? Wouldn't It make you
sole charge of the matter and cor- astronomer. The publication of al- feel creepy to glance over your nice
nipt officials used the power "un- manacs in an age rife with super- new almanao on a happy New Year's
scrupulously for the gratification of stitlon gave a splendid opportunity day and suddenly come upon a pro-
their friends or the annoyance of to astrologers and self-styled "seers" phecy by Nostradamus or-some ether
their enemies." They lengthened or Bna, "magicians"; one of these pref
curtailed the year, often that a aCed his almanac thus: "Prognoatlca
magistrate or farmer of taxes might tions of .the influence of the mone,
enjoy a longer or shorter lease of 0f peas) ana warre, and of the sky
office than was permitted by law nesses of this yere, with the con
and without regard to the "unsettle- stellaclons of them that be under
ment of the seasons," the VII pianettes, and the revolu
When Julius Caesar became dictator cions of kynges and princes, and of
he straightened out these abuses and the eclipses and comettes." Soma Job,
- with the aid of Sosigenes. an Alex- that!
statistics, etc. In London the Sta
tioners' company, which originally
enjoyed a monopoly of the printing
of books, claimed for many years the
exclusive right to Issue and sell
"almanacs and prognostications," and
their publications retained their
tandlng and popularity even after
other Dublishers shared the field.
The company formerly observed "Al
manao day" on November 22, whan
the almanacs for the ensuing year
were Issued. It was a notable oc
casion at Stationers' hall, and one
writer in 1941 describes vividly the
scene the great tables piled with
almanacs and the throng of porters
gathering them Into bags and rush
ing them off for shipment to various
points. The company's custom of
sending an early copy of each of
their almanacs to the archbishop of
Canterbury on publication day com
memorates a long-ago occasion, when
a master of the Stationers' company
rowed over to Lambeth palace to call
upon Cousin Edward Tenlson, then
archbishop, receiving a cordial wel
come and suitable refreshment.
In our day the almanac la a thing
Of real importance and dignity, full
of valuable Information and issued
by publishers of high standing. Every
leading country has seen the rise of
almanacs of this character, a few of
which may be named; here: the Alma
nac h. National, of France; the Alma
nach de Gotha, at first German, then
(under Napoleon I) French, and since
the Franco-Prussian war of 1871 pub
lished In both languages; Oliver &
Boyd's Edinburgh almanac, Thorn's
Irish almanao and the British Nautical
almanao. One cannot help feeling
that the present distaste for royalty
in various Quarters must curtail
somewhat the resources of such books
as the Almanach de Gotha, whose
leading feature has long been in
formation about the royal families.
The world at present Is more inter
ested In cabbages than in kinRs, espe
cially in the hunger districts.
The earliest American almanao is
credited to William Bradford of Phil
adelphia, and was published In 1687.
Of oourse, the bright particular star
among American almanacs rose a lit
tle later, when Benjamin Franklin
began his famous "Poor Richard's
Almanac," 1732, in Philadelphia, and
won renown for Its wise and witty
sayings. The American Almanac and
Treasury of Fact, a meritorious pub
lication, began in 1878. The patent
medicine almanao has been with us
for many decades and Is still among
those present, though slightly modi
fied in form and matter.
Space and time are lacking for even
a small part of the interesting lore
which clusters about those common
place and literally everyday affairs,
the calendar and the almanac lore
that richly ropays the reader who
cares to look beyond the numerals and
the signs of the zodiac.
dark professor of dlabellcs, to the
effect that "A powerful ruler will
die by violence during the coming
year," or "A certain king's favorite wa sweeps the river to keep you warm
we niopa Its bmuul to llKnt you won.
An' we cruises ubout on our wet farm
Coal Swept From the River
Heats and Lights City.
Anthracite Carried by th Flood
aters of Simquehnnna Koundn
tlon for Not Inoomilderable llusl
laras.
will play her last part' in 'April,
especially If you happened to be one
of the parties alluded to?
Everybody loved the weather pro
phecies in the old almanacs; Indeed
it Is not so long since Americans
Workl .' wliera 'only the finhes run tell.
We're the flats, them coal suekin' flats.
You sen from tne winders of trains.
An.' be'ng prlit-, ,ve doffs our amuko cap
As ycu rushes by, knowing .none of our
ainis.
ndrlan astronomer, standardized the Predictions and astrological marvels read them with liks Interest and
"Julian" calendar, afterward used for blossomed with new luxurianoe, and faith In our native patent medicine HPHE very first miner who slammed
many centuries. There were occa- gave the almanacs seat and popu- almanao, hanging in the place of 1 a pick into a vein of anthracite
lonal hitches and tangles over the larity. They were cleverly contrived honor beside the clock shelf In the along the north branch of the Sus-
old leap-year fragment, which had to please and serve the- Illiterate by farm kitchen. Jenkyn and Hodge quehanna river In Pennsylvania began
been Incorrectly figured out. The the employment of symbols attached doubtless guffawed over the same old jaynK tn foundation for a not Incon-
rror accumulated, with increasing to certain dates. Thus when the Jokes, too, for the almanao "wheeze" ,..,,,. ,h , . ,,
botheration to church and state, and Wise Wizard gave Granther a potion Is a hardy perennial, and the prac- 'oerao18 Business mat was to nour-
in 1S77 Pope Gregory XIII Issued a warranted to restore kick to his tice of oomblnlng Jests with the lore 'Q 'n ths years to come. The storms
mandate to correct the error. Ths 1m- elderly legs, Granther had to keep of time and weather began long ago. which rushed down the narrow val-
proved forsn was adopted promptly tabs on the almanao and swallow ths The wandering merchants, of chap- lays of the river and Its tributaries
by the Catholio countries, more slow- draught when a rude drawing ef a men. sold ballads and vulgarized ver- as far up as Scranton carried mine
ly by the Protestants, but In 1751 phial announced the fitting phase of slons of popular stories bound Into refuge away, dropping the heavier
It became universal. After the French the moon. When Dame Alison decided "chap-books," and these collections uu aoon b'ut carryln tne nenter
revolution the first republic, enthus- that little Slmkln needed a pill, aha were often combined with almanacs. '
iastically abolishing old institutions, couldn't tuck it into his Jam that These story books were usually coarse C0Il, ln 'mB cases Ior ou nes r
tried out a new system in France, night and have It over with. No, and deleterious to public morals, and nro until the freshet spent Itself In
r- ...i.. nmnbi tn th nroiunt v.ar wan with a ten-dav week and new names she must wait until the pictured pill in France as late as 1852 a check the wide reaches south of Northum-
lOr IDS III UJl LX1B, DUb 1 V U1UU V W Ul IV DUI UtiWUaiCU 111V VlUVV Illva.
out satisfactorily and was abandoned propitious for pills. Toung Richard,
In 1806, under Napoleon, In favor of ambitious to captivate bouncing
the Gregorian calendar previously Bessy, must forego his overdue nair
form of calendar.
fixed upon, though, it was not stand
ardized for soma centuries; and it
the old Indian stories. Our primitive Isn't yet settled to everybody's eatts-
Sometlmea the almanac was made forebears also noticed after a while faction that leap year is the best
f brass, bona or horn, but according that tha seasons came around pretty solution of the .left-over hours,
to Dr. Plot, a 17th century historian regularly, and a period roughly cor-; It is lucky for us that the ad-
who fouad It still ln use among tha -
common people of England, It was
usually 'V square piece of wood, con
taining three months on each of tha
Sour ad'gas. Tha number of days In
them is "expressed by notches, tha
first day Vy a notch with a patulous
stroke turned up from It, and every
seventh by a large sized notch. Some
are perfect, containing the dominical
letters as well as the prima and
marks for tha feasts engraven upon
was set upon the publication
almanacs for that reason.
used.
The
The rise of the almanac of tha bet
ter sort began In ths 18th century.
cut until the almanac scissors showed when English and Scottish almanacs
earliest manuscript almanacs the proper time for cutting hair, first contained useful information.
of berland. Year after year, every
t spring and frequently In the fall, the
READING SIGN By Kenneth B, Clarke
terly simple and so devoid of outward in the open doorway with heir arms
ardor that the Intensity of his feeling intertwined, "If it wasn't, after all,
end tha open avowal .in his confession the kindling spark that sent me ever
(Continued From Paffe I.)
Barclay watched Helen in silence for
a few moments, then rising restlessly
he sauntered ever to tha fireplace and
stood facing her.
"The same old habits, I sea, of or-
thern, and such axe our prima staves derly method of recording," ha re
in the museum at Oxford; others lm- marked. An Indifferent gesture indl-
perfeot. having only tha prime and cated the cards as Helen looked
Immovable feasts on them, and such around toward him.
are all those I met -with In Stafford- "An Illustrative point, by the way."
hire," he added, a little too pointedly to
There were also special symbols make tha opening appear incidental,
to represent tha new moons through- "Habits endure habits of thinking.
wars swept ln upon Helen slowly.
lie back there. J want you to coma until ha found himself out on tha They oame to her with the submerged
back to them." veranda with Barclay's crumpled fig- power of a wave that looms upon a
Lanham was riding along tha edge ura hanging tortured in the wrench- swimmer, first as a barely percep-
of a barranca when a hall from a Ing grasp of his hands, rutuely na tible motion on the distant surface,
rise on the opposite side brought him wondered what he was to do with the then wUh tn llfUng. thrust of m0unt-
iacing aDouu xia saw iJiu w iuiuu wan.
slithering his horse down - the far smith e
bank, and presently tha foreman without any
scrambled up to his side. v fore him he walked the shaken crea
that trail t,wo thousand miles te find
you!"
"And I wonder," Helen replied, "if
the western art of reading signs Isn't
greatly overrated!"
A stealthy movement of the black-
.f.thf "h!. uditin nS 'oro untll wlth heart-etopping amlth shop oor caught Lanham'. at
r:'yCadenlt.r.nUo't!i?: alp aid a mighty h.ave. there U a tent.on. Tha top above tha canted
Budden ecstatic overwhelming. She rUP, .w.,.a
The sunny stillness of a lazy after
noon hung about tie ranch house as
Lanham rode in.
Barclay's team stood by the hitch
ing rail.
ture to the little shop and thrust him stood swaying slightly toward 'him.
inside.
Impatient pressure from within. Then
the lower corner bulged outward and a
out the year. In the days of old,
people were not urged to speed up
their Christmas shopping, as they
are in our seething times, but surely
It behooved the maker of gift clog
habits of doing, and particularly
certain attunement to lifelong en
vironment." Whatever Itupresslveness Barclay
Intended to convey seemed to have
floods freighted themselves with coal
to make sandbars as black as a
crow's wing far down the river.
As the river shrank, usually reach
ing Its lowest ebb late in August, the
thrifty farmers along its banks saw
these black bars. They looked like
piles of coal; the farmers experi
mented and found the black sand was
coal. The fuel problem in those days,
especially in the country, was not a
pressing one, and It remained for a
city man to profit by the fuel so
thoughtfully transported, by the river.
Almost immediately the Idea of using
an arrangement like a sand dredge
suggested Itself and the coal sucker
resulted. Any old. thing answered for
boat; even a big raft with sides
high enough to breast the wash.
Engines that do duty In the autumn .
on threshing machines furnish the
motive power when belted to .a sort of
water wheel rigged at tha stern. They
almanacs to sharpen the family ax glanced off unnoticed.
Pliuilns , V. A aam llnnA hltTV - - , . . . a a
w.w.a.- Mar eves were ciosea wun aamoenea i i .
he propped a short scantling under hftr oneek. w.r. tUuei and "fc Trying footing Lan
the broken hasp, leaving the prteoner her ,.p. . Jim smUed grimly
incapable of escape from the window- .-r heard what he said "at tha last." ....... .,
. n ilu one nana slaii uviumg iiaivu .
As he approached tha door of the snacic. Lanham went on, as though steadied h. raached withln the room and lifted
big room ha could hear Barclay's Of Barclay's stand in the wretched tt carry the matter through. "And a heavy Colt from a belt hanging over also run the pumps that bilmr up a
voice slightly raised ln some sprt of matter Lanham was sufficiently ne u riKi,t. You are alone, and IKob- A throw from his shoulder steady stream of inky water to spill
expostulation. Instinctively Lanham aware. It remained for him to learn abiy aacrifi0lng yourself to stand by nt a pBi8 shot orashlng into the it over a fine screen, where the bits
topped to listen. where Helen stood. He walked slowly an Impossible compact." For the first scantling propped against tha shed, of coal are caught and held and the
"So you refuse to go with mo!" he back to the houee with a strangely tlme he started speaking he There was a flurry of splinters and sand slips through,
heard Barclay say. -You prefer to listless droop of ahoulders and head. narved himself to look at the girl th6 door swung slowly open. Lan- Soon a considerable fle wept
land by the mookery of this bondage bhe was kneeling ln one or tne pig steadily. Intently. "Do you wish to h.m r,t,.rnad .h ,un to It. holster
leather chairs when he oame in, lean- be free againT For God s sake, be Bnd atood waitIng
ing against tha back of it and eob- frank wlta raal Do you we tor him? A long- period of Inactive uncertain
ty with her face ln her arms. But Doe. hl8 .y.pe .. ty followed at tha little shop. Then
hearing his step she sprang up to QUicjtfy Helen stepped to him and an open hand was extended beyond
face him. jja her han4 up6n hi. st dlsen- tK, aoor frame in a gesture that both
"Tell ma you do not think " Tha agad his hat, and, tossing H aside. daoiared and pleaded for amity. Bar
words came with an IrapuleWa cry, g-sv, him her other hand. eiay followed the hand out into the
but ended chokingly ln a flood of -j a0 not oa,re him except with pen wjth cautloue and unalarmlng
humiliation. Lanham heard her speak, iothing. And he is .wrong where you deliberation, and cast an anxious
but ha could not have told what It think him right; but In another way s.anoe toward the house,
was aha said. His thoughts were of , la rltrht. I do stand waitinz In a t .nm.t k.rnr. nltu.nri
tha almanac is "a year-book or calen- husband present a complication and and then ha heard Barclay speak himself what he had done, what ha g-raat readiness to Hva." Her hands his departure a a hurried affair, sped sylvania State buildings, and one day
dar giving the order of the days of leave me disconcerted, The avoidance, again ln a low, impassioned tone. must do now. He atood before her tightened ever so slightly upon tha with gunfire and spurts of dust about while walking along the river front
weo. na. imuiii, "' it possiDie, ot anytmng personal be-. norm you na waiung in a greus gazing sown at nis niann broad, firm palms that held jnem. his horses' flying heels, at least dig-
a.nd get his New Year chopping done
early
The words "almanac" and "calen
dar" alike claim an -ancient and hon
orable lineage, and they have much
"Helen, 1 want to talk to you seri
ously for a while. Ten days of eva
sion are about enough. Will yon drop
that dried trash for a moment and
give ma your attention?" he asked
ln common as to their functions; but with some asperity.
(to employ a classical and scientific "The, evasion," she answered, "has
figure of speech) tha almanao sees beell because I think X have guessed duckings of the hens undjer tha um-
the calendar and goes it one better. What you wish to consider seriously brell tree and tha distant creaklnga.
Where the calendar is defined as a ancj because I have not wished to con- Of the windmill veering to a change
mode of adjusting the natural dlvt- sider it at all. You are difficult, but of the faint breeze cams promlnent-
atons of time with respect to each formerly you did not embarrass me. ly to his faltering senses. Th pause,
other for the purpose of civil life. Now your business relations with my though brief, seemed minutes long
In isolation."
Seemingly incapable of grasping the
situation beyond the door before him,
Lanham stood In a momentary: dase.
Trivial impressions the oontented
the river's bottom, which bolon-rs to
anyone who can equip himself for
the work, especially ln the vlcijiity
of Harrlsburg:. In thoso early days
a ton of river coal sold for gu or 90
cents. It was chiefly used in manu
facturing plants, and as the produot
direct from the mines mounted hlgner
and higher In prioe, that from the
river bed became increasingly popu
lar. t
Fourteen years ago Albert Emcrlck
camo down from the State college to
become chief engineer of the Ponv
data, tide tables, ecclesiastical feati- ing revived between us seemed to b
vals and fast and other varied in- due him and. If you can understand
formation." It, my own self-respect. Possibly I
Explorations In Egypt, Babylonia have made a mistake in Judgment,
and other ancient lands prove that Ordinary understandings do not seem
the habit of noting the passage of to apply."
time and recording observations of "The trouble Isn't In reviving anyt
the heavenly bodies dates back to thing, everything personal between
antiquity. Even savage peoples de-. jrou two. Your position Isn't dlffioult
velop a rude form of calendar, for because of mt only as it is effected
It requires little observation and by his Indifference. What I started
scholarship to note and fix upon cer- to say was that you can't set up a
.tain natural standard.1 the day de- normal state of reaction to an en
flned by alternate light and dark- vlronment opposed to every aocus
mess and the lunar month from new tomed contact in life nor can ha.
noon to new moon. "Many moons Your Interests, your kind of people,
ago. In tha dayn of our forefathers," everything that can respond under
ays big chief to the paleface, In standingly and appreciatively to you
readiness to live and you hesitate to knuckles gripping his hat.
let love touch tha kindling spark."
There caraa tha sounds of a, few swift
steps, tha clatter of something falling
from tha table, and a sUfled cry from
Helen.
With a light bound Lanham crossed
"Here! Now!" she added, with an ex- nlfied ln a way by tha outraged hus-
ii is too late to say inai i am uitant little break ln her VOloa. band's concern.
eorry," ha began In a low dead voice. i. ,eeme4 not to understand He stared In utter bewilderment.
"Too late and too little." at an. ,low wa, his comprehension. The scene presented by the low, corn
Helen put out her hand to check ..And youmy huaband are the fortabla ranch house with its lazy
him but he did not ee. .only one that ever could touch tha drift of smoke from the kitchen
"Back there," he continued. "I hon- klndllnar sDark. You have already.
the veranda and thrust open tha door, estly thought a condition had come to And I think it was right there on the ng in tha dust under the umbrella
The change from the brilliant light, both of us where love would not count hearth, that first morning, when you tree, and the man and woman serene
outside to tha cool dusk of tha big for happiness. And her I have been stood looking at me like 'Arizona.' " iy standing with clasped hands In the
room waa abrupt, but ha could sea made wretched by love for you!" He Even then he could not speak. But doorway, was staggeringly discon-
Barclay standing with his hands glanced at her wistfully. "Every day
clasping Helen's shoulders and her
hands pressed against his cheat,
whether in resistance or responsive
ness he could not tell.
The swiftness of Lanham's attack
did not leave him tracking clearly
has held its hours of misery because
you were bound to lue with that
empty agreement and not with love.
And you God knows how I have
mangled your chances for happiness."
His words and manner were so ut-
there was little need. Dropping her certing.
hands, he gently, wonderingly gath- He saw Lanham alift a hand and
ered her within his arms. She did wave negligently toward the buck
not waver under his gaze, and her board ln a gesture of dismissal and
face remained upturned to his as hs farewell and the girl was looking
lifted her to his Upa. up at the man beside her not at him.
'1 wonder," he said, as they stood (Copyright, 1622, by Kenneth B. qjarke.) states capital.
he noticed the great piles of river
coal. Ho madie a few inquiries and
determined to use It. Within a short
time the gratis and blowers needed
to burn the fine coal were Installed,
and since that time the state build
ings have been heated and lighted by
fuel furnished, rather transported, by
the Susquehanna. The flret year the
fuel cost H a ton, but It, too, has in
creased ln price until It now brings
from J2.60 to $2.75 a ton. The Har-.
risburg LI gilt. Heat & Power com
pany Is probably the larftest Individ
ual consumer of the river coal, using
100.000 to 150,000 tons yearly. The
householder Is also using it In the
kitchen range, and. as a matter of
fact, the sweepings from the bed of
the noble river that flows through
the city literally heats and light the