Where Does the Sabbath Day Begin?

Where does the Sabbath Day Begin? BY DR. GEORGE W. CROCKWELL

[Writing from Forest Dale, Utah, a reader of the Era submitted the following question which was sent to the author for answer. In replying, he says: "I have tried to make the explanation explicit, and hope the reader will see the problem as clearly as I do." An elder laboring as a missionary in the Western States Mission writes: "I have just finished reading George W. Crockwell's article on 'The Sabbath Day,' in the February number of the Improvement Era. I can say for it that it is the 'standby' the missionaries need on that subject. I only hope it will be printed in pamphlet form for the use of the missionaries in the near future." The question and the answer — follow. Editors.]

"In the February Era there is an article on the proper day to observe the Sabbath. I have been in many places in my time, and I never arose yet, on a Sabbath morning, no matter how early, but I have discovered that other parts of the world has had Sunday long hours before I awoke. It is a well known fact that if we travel around the terrestrial ball in one direction, we will gain a day; and that it we go in an opposite drection we will lose one. Now, there must be some part of this globe where Saturday and Sunday are so closely connected that a second of time only, will part tnem, and from that short space of time the Sabbath day begins to evolve. Will you kindly inform me and others, through the Era, in what part of the world the Sabbath day begins, and the reason that particular spot was chosen?" B. B.

A day (twenty- four hours) is formed by one complete revo- lution of the earth, and in this twenty-four hours every part of the earth has had one complete day and, as our question has to do with ;

the Sabbath in both hemispheres, there has been the same Sabbath, only occurring or starting at the hour of midnight, which is cal- culated by the position of the earth in relation to the sun. As an illustration, the hour of twelve o'clock, noon, is formed by the sun being on the longitudinal meridian directly above us. If we go east, we find noon before the west, but it is the same noon and ;

if we should go west and travel fifteen degrees an hour, we would have a perpetual noon until we crossed the 180th meridian of longitude, in the Pacific Ocean, when we would have noon of the day after. Although there is no international date line, an irreg- ular line is drawn somewhat arbitrarily on the map of the Pacific Ocean at or near the 180th degree meridian of longitude where navigators change their date, it being necessary to have a date line somewhere on the earth's surface, since it is impossible that the reckoning of days should go on unbroken round the earth with-

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out a starting point. The International Encyclopaedia says that there are two important reasons for choosing the 180-degree me- ridian of longitude 1. It lies midway in the Pacific Ocean, and thus, far away from civilization. 2. It is exactly twelve hours from Greenwich. I take it a better reason is the day begins in the east and :

ends in the west; therefore, starting at twelve o'clock at night at the 180th degree of longitude, the day for that point will end at twelve o'clock the following night, or twenty-four hours later. In answer to that portion of the question "Now, there must :

be some part of this globe where Saturday and Sunday are so closely connected that a second of time, only, will part them, and from that short space of time the Sabbath day begins to evolve.

• • Will you kindly inform us in what part of the world the Sabbath begins?" From the foregoing, taking into consideration the fact that the hour of the day or night is determined by the position of the earth in relation to the sun, we deduce the following: One second past twelve o'clock, midnight, Saturday night, wherever you may be, the Sabbath begins, for that longitude or locality on the earth's surface. Two persons, starting from a given point to go around the earth, having made the circuit in twenty- four hours, will find two days' difference in their calendar.Why? When a man goes toward the east, he is traveling with, or in the same direction as, the earth. He shortens the day four min- utes for every degree of longitude he crosses, or one hour for every fifteen degrees. There are three hundred and sixty degrees around the earth, which, divided by fifteen, the number of degrees in an hour, equals twenty-four hours or one day. If he goes west, he reverses the operation, and makes one more revolution than the earth does, therefore, loses one day in the calendar. I wish to give credit to the International Encyclopaedia, by Dodd, Mead & Co., publishers, subject, "International Date Line." PORTLAND, OREGON

In one of the large cities a street-car collided with a milk-cart and sent can after can of milk splashing into the street. Soon a large crowd gathered. A very short man coming up had to stand on tip- toe to see past a stout woman in front of him. "Goodness!" he exclaimed. "What an awful waste!" The stout woman turned round and glared at the little man and said, sternly: "Mind your own business!" Harper's Magazine.

THE OLD GUARD. Reading from left to right: David McKenzie, Phil Margetts (lower), John T. Caine, Mrs. M. G. Clawson, H. B. Clawson. (Posed for the Christmas News of 1910. All have since passed away.)