Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • 14

FRANKLIN- WORKING AT A HAND-PRESS. ernor, in fact, became so interested that he FRANKLIN'S BIRTH PLACE, MILK STREET, BOSTON 7 offered to give him a printing office, anl vi wanted him to pro to London 10 uu teriaL Franklin accordingly set out for i i kih hut when he ar- Anx anu nnu fnnml that Keith's credit Qn lhat he was a was not wurni a. j.u.1 wuiiio Ha nenniless stranger in a ioreiu "5" 7 rffino where soon found woik in a -he continued for a year. His autol-iojcraphy tells the tale of this part of his lite with amazing frankness. Had he not been of such strong character the young P'1" would have pone to the dogs; but after a time he pullet himself together and.

chang ing his place of employment, ne It was at this time that he wrote a little pamphlet entitled "A Dissertation on LiD; i Krdiv Pleasure and ain. did not cease to hope for a friendly settlement of the dispute between Englanu anu the colonies. His fondness for the old home, the friendships he formed there, and the existence of a large party in England favorable to the colonies contributed to that hope. His reason, though not his Inclination, he says, prompted him to favor a separation of the colonies from the mother country before the ignorant and savage attitude of the British ministry forced his inclination to side with his reason. Franklin at once resumed the pleasnnt relations with the leaders of British thought and science which had been interrupted for a time, and made many other valuable connections, but the affairs of the colonies took up a larger portion of his time.

The agitation for the passage of the stamp act began soon after his arrival, and he joined at onca in the efforts of the colonial agents to persuade the ministry of the unwisdom of the measure. His ide acquaintance wfth men of rank and importance and his personal popularity gave him a much greater inilu ence than any of his colleagues enjoyed But he was as powerless as they to prevent the adoption of the act, and when it. had be adopted did not anticipate the vigor of the resistance made by the colonies to its forcement. a READY TO ACQUIESCE. Franklin, apparently, did not spo nntrv.

inn unics he nec.imc J0V n3SS3JRJfc if ppf Nlgk hm ft 15 1 1 fejjfk vitality took on a life which continues to this day. There is no pretense of originality anywhere in Poor Richard." The sayings are thrown here and there as the demands of type required. It is likely that the writer himself did not realize as he wrote the almanac from year to year that he was doing anything more than getting out an almanac W'hich would sell. The wise sayings, he believed, were for the good of the colonists in teaching them to be frugal. At the height of its popularity a copy was sold for every hundred inhabitants in the Colonies.

FATHER ABRAHAM'S SPEECH. In the almanac for 175S Poor Richard reported a speech he had heard Father Abraham make at an auction. That speech became famous all over the civilized world-. The printers usually had turned out 10,000 copies of the almanac a year, but that did not supply the demand that year. Father Abraham's address was reprinted in the newspapers and two years later was reprinted again a pamphlet.

In France ather Abraham reappeared as La Science Richard," and in England-as The Way to Wealth." Throughout the end of the eighteenth century and far into the nineteenth Father Abraham was continually rt-appearing both in England and America under some title. Historians of the literature of America have pronounced Father Abraham the roost famous writing produced in the colonics. It marked the end of Franklin's connection with the almanac, which, however, continued to reappear annually for thirty-eight years thereafter. The years after Franklin's retirement from the printing business until his commission in London as the agent of the colonies were so taken up with scientific experiments and numberless plans for the advancement of learning in the colonies that he did not produce much of a literary nature until the two famous pamphlets dealing with the relations between the mother country and the colonists were put forth in Eugland. However, during thi3 period he wrote a number cf pamphlets detailing his scientific experiments and wrote a large number of letters, which have since been collected in his works.

i IIL of successful rtjcistance to the Mdsrht land, and was trying to get what cflmfnrt'k," Irf ff it Wit I I EHMa iu it could from homilies advising frugality. 0t expecting resistance," he proposed the name of a friend In Philadelphia for stamp officer HE5M ji.o unuuc nis old enemies to cry out against him. and a mob thrim.i his house. He was surprised at the resist ance and a little disgusted at the risk n.n Shamed of the work "for 'it- irreligious tendency and destroyed most of the cop es. The few that were circulated, however brought him into contact with men much above his calling, and no doubt led to marked improvement In the young mans position.

Xext he obtained employment at att establishment, a much larger priming house. Here was completed his education as a practical printer. It was the best Bchool in all England for the craft, and Franklin came forth from it a most excellent workman. He thought, however, that ha Fhould never again set a type, for he hatf agreed to return to Philadelphia with a merchant named Denham, who had gone to Eneland in the same ship with him and had taken a strong liking to the boy. Franklin did not work many months in Denham 3 store in Philadelphia before both were taken with pleurisy.

The employer died and the clerk barely escaped. For a second time the young man found himself in Philadelphia with no work to do. Again he applied to Keimer for a place. This time it was given quickly and at good salary. He had not been with Keimer many weeks before ha realized that his old employer was taking advantage of his knowledge to instruct his apprentices, and it would not be long before Keimer would get stlong without him.

This did not deter Franklin from doing what he could to bring the work of the otlice up, but before thai year was over Keimer forced a quarrel on his foreman, and the latter quickly left the place without waiting for his year's contract to be up. IN BUSINESS FOR HIMSELF. One of the apprentices in the office whose terra was nearly out was named Merideth. His father was well ta do. Merideth now proposed to Franklin that they should form a partnership, to which his father should Juruish the means, for setting up a rival IT'(- MM 111! Ill II III I I1IT i'l.

41 a jiiiglmi afci lit 4 served as clerk. He was also elected justice of the peace and a member of the City Coun family but everything tended toward an increase of its circulation, advertising, and in cils, but discovering no aptitude for inter fluence. For eighteen years Franklin conducted the Gazette and published books, be preting the law he did not act long as justice. In 1751 he attended the conference at Al side doing a ereneral 1ob Drinting business. He was a delightful correspondent and his letters have a high literary value even to this day.

There being no publications of scientific societies, such as are now the means of communication between scientists, these personal letters contained the announcement of results attained and were sometimes printed- and had a wide circulation. SOME LITERARY HOAXES. It was when Franklin was in England that he wrote the famous pamphlet which, according to some historians, resulted in the bany of delegates from the different col With his usual enterprise he spread out to adjoining colonies. He sent a journeyman and he then turned his attention to Improving his style of writing prose. All these years he had had the keenest hunger for reading.

Practically every minute to be gained from the hard work In the printing office was given over to reading. When his slight stock of book9 was exhausted the apprentice obtained others by bribing the clerks in the bookstores to loan him books from their stock. Sometimes these books would only be taken from the shelves at night and had to be back in their places by morning, but sometimes it was onies, called to make a general treaty with the Indians. He drew up a plan of union for With an outfit to Charleston. S.

Davinsr the colonics, to give them greater strength in resisting the French, and this plan, which one-third of the expenses and receiving one-third of the profits. He established another was adopted, contained the germ at least of office in New York, and at the time of his re the final union of the colonies and was high printing office. This Franklin quickly agreed tirement from active work had three such ly important in familiarizing the colonists offices in the colonies, beside one in Kings retention of Canada by Great Britain. This pamphlet was named, On the Means of to. It was not long before Keimer wanted-Franklin back in the ofiice to print some paper money for New Jersey.

Then Frank possible to keep a book several days with with the idea of union. -In 17.V he was sent to the frontier to assist Braddock in his campaign and avert a threatened raid into ton, Jamaica. In all these enterprises he was successful and reaped a good profit. Disposing the Enemy to Peace." It pre lin went into business for himself under the tended to be a translation from a Spanish Pennsylvania for wagons. He agreed to pro firm name of B.

Franklin H. Merideth. INTEREST IN THE ART. writer many years before, and so well was cure wagons there, and did so, advancing All the money of the new firm was spent in All the time he was looking out for im the hoax carried out that most readers believed the pamphlet to have been really a 2(X) of his own money and guaranteeing the provements in the art of printing, and added payment for horses and wagons lost in the a device on the press then generally In use fitting out the office, but the day it opened for business a Job worth five shillings was given It by a countryman for the printing some bills, and this tided them over until translation. Peace was made, but Franklin's aim was realized, and France retired from Canada.

which was of great value. He was a close service. Claims were afterward brought against him to the amount of 20,000, but the government, after long delay, paid them Any one who knows the bitter feelings the student of the different styles of type then being brought out in Kngland, and his office in its equipment was far ahead of any of his competitors. The introduction of the short work began to come in. Among the early jobs was the printing cf forty pages of the history of the Quakers.

colonists had against the Hessian troops. and relieved him. His willingness to risk his own means, however, added greatly to his popularity. which were hired by Great Britain to fight her battles, still enjoys reading Franklin's Franklin eet up the matter during the day for the long had begun to be favored and Merideth. did the presswork during the JOINS QUAKER MAJORITY.

by English printers as giving greater uniformity to a line. This change Franklin on- out running the risk of Its being missed from the shelves. Sunday was almost entirely given up to such reading. The boy was of the disputing kind, according to his own confessions, and accordingly he got Into a wrangle with a friend over the propriety of educating the femalesex in learning and their abilities for study." Being worsted in. a wordy contest the boy continued the dispute in several letters passing between the contestants.

The elder Franklin chanced to come across the papers. Ha pointed out the weak points in his son's letters, convincing him that his manner of writing needed improvement. Then the mettle of the boy showed itself, but he went at his self-improvement in a way of his own a procedure from which he never varied thereafter. HE FORMS A STYLE. Procuring a volume of the Spectator, which had found its way to Boston, young Franklin studied it most attentively.

He translated part of it into his own language and comnared his work with the original. night. Once, when the forms were broken and the type- knocked into pi. Franklin As a member of the Assembly he joined the posed. He admitted that it gave a greater Quaker majority and became one of its lead worked all night to reset the matter in order exceedingly clever letter, which pretended to be written by a Hessian potentate to one of his officers in America.

The Hessian Prince, after calling attention to the fact that Great Britain agreed to pay his principality so much for every dead soldier, is made to say: out by him and read by others. They have been preserved, and show the same homely shrewdness, and directness of expression which marked the. work of his prime. In these things Franklin agreed with the majority of his colleagues, but was not In advance of them. The distinctive measure with which he stamped his worldly wisdom on the constitution was that fixing the representation of the large and small States.

The jealousies between their delegates threatened to prevent any The large States would not admit their smaller sisters to equal representation, and the smaller States were determined not to submit to a representation based entirely on numbers of population. It was Franklin, the harmonizer and the conciliator of the convention, who proposed the compromise to which all agreed that of having equal representation for all States in the Senate and proportional representation, according to population, in the- House, where all money-bills should-originate-As much ingenuity as this stroke of genius displayed, and no little humor, was shown by Franklin in a clever speech at thecloseof the adoption, counseling the delegates to sink eome of their prejudices, as he expected- to do, for the sake of unanimity. And the following touch of his most charming wit and and sentiment illuminated the close of the Gonvent-ion:" Whilst the last members were signing," says Madison, "Dr. Franklin, looking toward the President's chair, at the back of which a rising sun happened to be painted, observed to a few members near him that painters had found it difficult to distinguish in their art a rising from a setting sun. I said he, often and often in the Course of the session and the vicissitud-es of my hopes and fears as to its issue, looked at that behind the President, without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting, but now at length I have the happiness to know that it is a rising and not a setting FRANKLIN AS DIPLOriAT.

What He Accomplished in the Courts of the Old World His Services in London and Paris. For the greater part of a period covering thirty years of his lite, from 50 to 80 years. Franklin was in London and in Paris as the representative of the Colony of Pennsylvania, later of other colonies as well, and finally of the Confederated Colonies. The history of his services forms the brightest ers in the struggle with the prourietors, the that the allotted stint might be kept. sons of William Penn, over the right to levy It was in the summer of 1728 that the new taxes on their property.

After the defeat firm began business. Franklin was then 2'2 years old. He showed from the first the of Braddock in 1700 he wrote and talked in I do not mean to say by this you should favor of a war to avenge Indian massacres uJ colonists, dui as soon as he saw the feeling he joined in the agitation for the repeal of the act. The strongest feature of this agitation was the refusal of the colonists to buy English goods, and the pressure of merchants who were losing valuable trade was brought to bear on Parliament. But the ministry was loath to give up the pet scheme, apd the House of Commons examined a great many witnesses on the state of affairs in the colonies.

Franklin was one of those called, and the answers he gave to a long series of questions, intended to entrap him Into admissions damaging to the cause of the colonies, added greatly to his reputation. He showed a thorough knowledge of the entire subject, and infinite shrewdness and tact in evading pitfalls. Though given off hand in answer to queries he could not have foreseen, and with no more preparation than an intimate general knowledge of conditions, his spoken answers had all the wonderful clearness and simplicity of his writings. He never was worried, by tha most puzzling demands, but answered them all calmly and squarely, or evaded them with such finesse that no exceptions could be taken to his replies. He conducted himself like the philosopher he was, and like a philosopher who was a master of tact Hs had not studied the Socratic method of argument in his youth for nothing, and was no more annoyed or embarrassed by the cross-examination of the ministerial leaders than Socrates would have been by the quizzing of some Athenian school boys.

HIS ANONYMOUS PAMPHLET. After the repeal of the stamp act Franklin was unremitting in his efforts to set the colonists right in the eyes of the English public and to gain friends for them. He printed anonymously certain articles, which took a humorous view of the mistaken ideas of the government in its dealings with the colonies. But their authorship became known, and, w-hile the humor amused those who were already on his side, it rather incensed the still larger party who were bent on harsh measures. One of the most famous of these papers was called Rules for Reducing a Great Empire to a Small One," and was published in 1773.

It was a clever satire, written in the author's best vein, on the policy of the government. It likened the empire to a cake, most easily cut off at the edges. It advised that colonies should never enjoy' the same rights as the mother country; that all benefits conferred by colonies should be forgotten; they should always be treated as though they were about to revolt; should be punished for protesting against oppression by their Governors, who should be prodigals, broken gamblers, and the like; should be harassed by numerous kinds of taxes, collected by insolent officials; the.r Assemblies should be adjourned until they passed the laws ordered; their grievances -should not be redressed, and a standing army should be sent to govern them. This piece was copied widely and was popular The other article was a shorter sketch entitled: An Edict of the King of Pnwsta. purported to be a formal Proclamation by Frederick the Great that, as England tod been at first a Saxon colony, and then had reached a prosperous condition, it fsjusv and proper that a revenue should be collected from It! Measures which he intended to adopt in securing the revenue were set forth and proved to be a laughable burlesque on those England was trying to the colonies.

But with such admirable gravity was the scheme outlined that some of the ancestors of those Englishmen thb day and generation who have some difficulty in appreciating an American joke were completely taken in. SHOWS HIS SELF-CONTROL. Tne letters were public documents in a sense, and the Ministers thought they saw a assassinate them (wounded men). We should and cleverly reconciled the objections of nergy and grit that succeed. Bradford, the ld-time printer, had as usual printed the speech of the Governor at the meeting of be humane, my dear but you may other citizens to the exemption of the Quak insinuate to the surgeons with entire propriety that a crippled man is a reproach to their profession." ers from military service.

He was elected Colonel of the volunteers and led 500 men to the Lehigh Valley, where Gnadenhutten had been burned and the people killed. Franklin the Assembly. And as usual it was full cf errors. The new firm printed the speech In excellent style, and when the Assembly met the members found on their desks both uniformity, but claimed that it was a uniformity such as would be caused by making each person's nose the same length. The faces would be more uniform, but not so.

easily distinguishable. In all the fads which then ruled so extensively In the development of printing Franklin held sturdily against anything which lessened ease In reading. lie believed that the type was set and matter was printed solely that peopla might read it, and he regardea as hurtful anything that stood in the way of that end. BECOMES A PUBLISHER. Occasionally, when Franklin was assured of the success of a work, he undertook irs publication at his own risk, and in this way became one of the pioneer publishers of America.

He brought out a large number of reprints from English authors, and with his unerring judgment it was seldom that Franklin has the Trlnce returning from a trip to Italy, which has cost him had small- relish for a military life or its He put the words of Addison into verse and the Jobs of the old and the new printers. and he is extremely anxious to have the bill paid by receiving money for troops killed in privations, but acquitted himself well, built SThe comparison was bo much in favor of America. He sharply chides the officer for a small line of forts," warily guarded against a surprise, and cleared the country of In the new firm that it was pot long before it had received the printing of the Assembly having escaped with 345 men at Trenton. dians without having an engagement. A for the coming year.

In a year or two the In 1782, just before the conclusion of peace then after a time changed the verse Daes into prose. It was a hard drill, but when the time came for the boy next to appear in type its success to him was proved. The boy kept on reading everything that came in his way, but the influence of the Spectator wa3 seen when he began to write a series of articles for his brother's paper characteristic story is told of his suggestion lirra was awarded the Job of printing. the by which the independence of the colonies to the chaplain of the best way to get tha money, which proved exceedingly profitable was assured; Franklin published another soldiers to attend prayers. "It is perhaps and a great help to it.

This Franklin regard hoax, which was intended to make the English people realize the enormities committed ed as a reward for his pamphlet on the. money Question, which turned the scales in under the name of Silence Dogood." They beneath the dignity of your profession to act' as steward the rum," said the acute philosopher, "but if you were only to dis by the Indian allies in the-American war. It purported to be an inventory of scalps sent were in a considerable degree me speuiaiui done over to meet the demands of a Puritan tribute it after prayers you would have thtm to his Majesty as a -token -of services ren Xavor of the Issue of paper money by the colonies. In 1732 the new firm also obtained the printing of the Colony of Delaware, and Franklin held It as long as he continued in ail about you." The advice was followed and colony in New England. The boy wrote the dered him, and was admirably adapted to never were prayers more generally or more first of the series and slipped it under me strike the public conscience in England.

punctually attended." business. office door, where It was found the next morning by his brother James. It met with HE REVISES JOB. The danger of an attack by the French and The first hook issued by the new firm was the instant approval of the brother and nis This use of a literary hoax FYanklin had Psalms of David." Indians on Pennsylvania was used by the Governor as a club'to compel the passage of friends, and was duly printed. A notice was found- to be effective in attaining his ends The partner, Merideth, showed none of the Inserted in the Courant asking tor runner contributions from the same mysterious bills raising money for defense, with an exemption of the proprietary estates from tax and it Is likely it succeeded far better than any other method he could have taken.

But traits of frugality exhibited in many ways ty Franklin at this time. He spent his pages of American diplomacy. In fact, the source. Week after week the young ap- the love of literary jokes took him into other ation, which led-to Franklin's first mission to England in 1757. On his return five years nrf-ntlce left his letters, and then in course money was lost in these All this time he was printing Poor Richard's Almanac," which not only added greatly to his profits but to his reputation.

outfit for printing German had been added to the plant, owing to the large number of German Immigrants into Pennsylvania, and this also proved profitable. So firmly established was the business that in 1748 he sold it to his foreman, David Hall, for of which 1,000 was to be paid annually. For those days such a price for a newspaper and printing office was considered large. The sale relieved Franklin of all further trouble about a livelihood and allowed him to devote himself almost exclusively to scientific experiments and the many projects which were coming up for the betterment of the educational facilities of the colonies. He believed that he had retired from business to spend the remainder of his life at ease, with his time at his own command, but the storm which was to end In the revolution was already beginning to be felt, and Franklin time In alehouses and was a constant source of weakness to Franklin as he tried to build tip the business.

Finally matters were fields, and it was when he was in England on his second mission that he proposed with of time assisted in putting them in type for later he resumed his place in the Assembly. his brother's paper. At last his pride could The massacre of some friendly Indians at great solemnity to revise the iving James' brought to a crisis by Merideth' father not version of the Bible. As a sample of what belnc able to advance funds as required. Conestoga by a party of Scotch-Irish settlers in revenge for Indian massacres he thought the new version ought to be, he no longer permit him to keep the secret or the mysterious author, and he revealed it.

The warm commendations of his brother's friends aroused some ill-feeling on the part Franklin expected to have his business sold aroused Franklin's indignation, and he pub worked over the Book of Job. in stilted cut from under him, when friends ap lished a pamphlet assailing them as inhuman style, different from his useful, terse ex proached him with offers of help if he would of James, and the letters ceased after tour- brhtes. Soon after- this he criticised tne cut loose from Merideth. This he did, and teen of them had been printed. German' settlers, and in these ways stirred pressiveness.

A great many people took the learned doctor for by this time several of the leading universities had conferred the degree of Doctor of Laws upon him at his Their publication had given the boy, tnen thereafter B. Franklin was the printer. STARTS A NEWSPAPER. up enough race prejudice against him to defeat 'him by a few votes for reelection to the Assembly in 17t4. But his party had elected leading historian of American diplomacy declares that Franklin is the only American diplomat.

Certainly in length of services and in the importance of the results achieved he stands alone. In 1757 the Pennsylvania Assembly was compelled to yield in a contention of long standing with the proprietors of the province, who had claimed immunity for their estates from taxation. Forced by the danger of invasion during the French and Indian war, the Assembly at last had passed appropriations for the defense of tha colony without taxing those estates, to avoid a veto by the Governor appointed by the proprietors. The Assembly decided to appeal to the King and Privy Council to secure the right of taxing the proprietary estates, and, if possible, to have the control of the province taken from the proprietors and assumed by the crown. Franklin was chosen for this mission, and set sail for the citv 16 years old, so high a standing among the elder brother's associates that when James word, ar.d even in the present generation No sooner was Franklin well established in his printing office than he determined to be was imprisoned for having written unkind things about the powers that be, the ap a majority of the Assemblymen, and he was at once sent to England again.

have historians deluged his-attempt with derision. Yet it seems plain that a man did not have his1 leisure long. prentice became editor of the Courant. HIS IDEAS OF WRITING. who had written Poor Richard could only IN' CONTINENTAL CONGRESS.

After his brief reign of four weeks in the Franklin's ideas of newspaper writing were have written the proposed version as a joke. In fact, Dr. Franklin had a great deal of fun Franklin returned to America May 5, 1775, editorial chair, his time was. so taKen up conveyed In a communication to the Gazette, with the hazardous game of getting a liv with about everything that was going on in which he said: ing that he did not reappear in literature and on the next day was made a member of the Continental Congress. An amount of work was piled on his shoulders in the next The words used should be the most ex in those days.

In rMitical matters he was in deadly ear until he wag an established printer in Phila pressive the language affords, provided they delphia." The colony was divided on the eighteen months which only a supero con nest, but he chose the weapon of ridicule are the most generally understood. Nothing question of issuing paper money. Franklin stitution and an equally supero uegree oi should be expressed in two words that can and fun as being the one which produced the greatest results on the English people, with where, thirty years before, he had lived and espoused the cause of the paper money side as well be expressed in one; that is, no synonyms should be used, or rarely, but the wuio.cu iii mo most numoie rasmon as a and wrote a tract entitled The Nature and philosophical calm could have enabled ai man of 70 to stand. He was made Postmaster General of the united colonies and whom he was dealing more than with the Necessity of a Paper Currency." In it stupid King and his kitchen Cabinet, sub journeyman printer. Great was the contrast between his life there at these two periods.

g-in the publication of a newspaper, this, no toubt. being the result of his experiences in his brother's office in Boston. He told a workman of the plan and the news reached Keimer, who immediately began to plan a paper of his own. Late in that year Keimer issued the first number of the Universal Instructor in All Arts and Sciences, or the l'ennsylvania Gazette." Franklin waited his time in patience, but when No. was reached he succeeded in buying the paper from Keimer tit a small price.

The cumbersome name was at once dropped and the paper was named simply The Pennsylvania Gazette." After" printing four issues Franklin announced; that Instead of printing a whole Fheet once a week he would print a half sheet twice a week, which, he said, amounted to the same thing. It was the first semi-weekly ever printed in America, but the change was not well received, and after a few weeks Franklin returned to a full sheet once a week, and this was the form of the Gazette as long servient, if not stupid. whole should be as short as possible, consistent with clearness; the words should be so placed as to be agreeable to the ear in established a line of offices and routes throughout the thirteen colonies. He drew were advanced many of the stock arguments which have come down from generation to As the social lion in the French capital It was as a man of science nnfl an mifhnr chance of discrediting Franklin witn wo public and his friends and of depriving Wm of the postmastership by accusing fcim oi sharp practice in obtaining the letters, as Franklin could not honorably, and never ma, make the only defense possible-disclose trie name of his informant he was at a msaa- vantage which was made use of to the utmost by the skillful counselor Alexander edaer- burn, retained by Hutchinson and Oliver. Through an argument of three hours which was a terrible arraignment of tus course, cleverly utilizing all facts nien could throw a bad light on his actions.

Franklin stood unmoved, without a change of expression on his placid countenance, nvpr he went OUi, generation, and wihch have been generally during the revolution. Franklin wrote for reading; summarily, it should be smooth. up a plan for a better union, wnicn was not adopted, though some of its suggestions that Franklin was welcomed to the mother discredited by experience, but the argu the entedtainment of Ws friends many clear, and short, for the contrary qualities are displeasing." country in lioi, and he was admitted at Were. He also was a ineinuer ui ine rciiu- short sketches, which were intended only for private reading and circulation, Collect once to the fellowship and the friendship of ments, which were brought forth in the pamphlet, were cleverly put and won the day. The young printer won even more, for Although Franklin's sale of the Gazette ed, these sketches have a literary merit far and the printing office ended his active par svlvania Assembly end served on the committee of Safety, which was preparing a plan for the defense of the province.

He served-on that committee from to 9 o'clock in the puuusopners. scientists, authors, publishers, men of learning and men of rank. His fame as an investigator had preceded him, and his ability to write was acknowledged in the above most of his political writings. Franklin attained his high position amon; ticipation in the business of printer, he took a deep interest in all that pertained to the craft for the rest of his davs. When In colony, and this gave him a large advantage over his competitors among the politicians.

u' i-unKiuu was assured. He became a the men of letters of America without writ morning and from to 4 was congress. He was full of bitterness against the British member of all the learned snriptipn tr n-hlh who quickly saw it was to their interest to Paris, in some respects the most popular ing a complete book. His only attempt at he had not been elected already, became the for atrocities commuiea uy tneir soldiery, have Franklin with them. book-writing was his autobiography.

This man in France, he continued to have a little and at this time wrote nis iamous letxer to intimate inend or Priestly, the discoverer printing ofiice, and when he returned to wonderful work, by far the most popular From this time on, for some years, the establishment of his paper and the conduct of his printing office reouired so much of autobioffranhv ever written in America, was America he brought a press and type and his friend, Mr. Strahan, member or the British Parliament, concluding: You are commenced in 1771, hile Franklin was on now my enemy, and am, yours, ii. ranK- gave them to one of his grandsons. There was never a time during all these years when he was not keenly observaht of the technical his English mission. He had brought his lin." Late in 1775 he went to iJostoa witn two the attention of Franklin that he produced little which can be considered outside of strictly newspaper work.

They were busy years for him, and the growing popularity of the newspaper gave promise of the time life down to 1731, when he was compelled bv other occupations to suspend the writing. He did no more until many years afterwards. changes wnicn that era of progress was making in the art of printing. other commissioners to arrange ior supplies for Washington's army and prepare a plan ,1 11., 1 1 11 1 VI 1 1.1 1 I dignified and silent, without attempting any reply, and showing no sign of the strain he must have been under, except to the hand of his friend, Joseph Priestley. Although the helpless victim of an outrageous attack.

Franklin really dominated ins dramatic situation by his perfect self-pois8. a view which history and art have boio taken of the Incident. HE IS SENT TO FRANCE. During the sessions of the Continental Congress, both before and after the sigwr'jf of the Declaration of Independence, Fra was a member of the secret or Committee on Correspondence, 'J" In his will he described himself as: The rnnrmsorlnt was left witn nis papers In nf carcnaign. In March, li.u, ne was sent to come when there would be more leisure Philadelphia, and during the British occupa Benjamin rankhn, printer, late Minister ana more energy to be given to literary Plenipotentiary from the United States of tion of that ritv was thrown into the streets.

or oxygen, and soon knew all the celebrities of the day. Th universities and societies showered degTees upon him. His lines were laid in pleasant places In every respect, for he formed a warm and lasting friendship with the Stevensonsthe family with whom he lived and where he pursued his electrical experiments, planned his armonica, and delighted his friends with the results of his researches. SUCCEEDS IN HIS MISSION. While enjoying himself so thoroughly.

Franklin did not neglect his duty to Pennsylvania, but it was three years before he could get sufficient attention from the Pitt Ministry to accomplish anything definite. By 1700 the Assembly had starved the Gov to Canada with two others on the vain attempt to get that province to join the revolution. It was a terrible journey for a young whfri hv fortune, it was found by a America to the court of France, and now President of the State of Pennsylvania. friend and nreserved. At this friend's urgent as he printed it.

From the first the Gazette showed none of the traits which had made the Courant so offensive to the authorities at Boston in his boyhood. By this time the argumentative disposition of the boy had changed also, for he had learned that he had better results when he appeared as a modest searcher after truth than as a pugnacious adversary. TV'hat Franklin wanted, not only at this time of his life but through all hi3 career, was results. He soon began to achieve them with the Gazette. It was by far the best paper printed on this side of the Atlantic.

With true journalistic Instinct Franklin stopped the publication of Chambers'. Encyclopedia, which Keimer had begun, and strenuous efforts were made to bring In all the local news of Interest throughout the colonies. At times the supply of foreign news was Interrupted by wars, and ships would not arrive from England except at long intervals. Such times were trying to the editor, partic HE WRITES TO CONVTKPP and vigorous man, and iranKim sunerea rpnuost TVonUlin added a few pages in 17S4. On his death bed seventy-two years after ho had signed his indenture as an apprentice much in health and did not expect to live to About the only part of his writings for his newspaper which can be separated from the and for the next few years worked fitfully return home.

In June he was elected a mem nnnn ir.r.T.- V.ut miblic duties absorbed his mass was a series of papers, on the same in the office or his brother James in Boston, ho requested that the printers of the city attention, and he never got over half through the storv of his life- Nevertheless, this in with their journeymen and apprentices, be lines as ine csiience Uogood letters. They purported to be written by the Busybody." They were immensely successful, but like the ber of the convention called to irame a new constitution for Pennsylvania, and succeeded in securing the adoption cf his ideas of a single legislative body and an executive of twelve persons, an idea which worked badly given a prominent place In his funeral pro complete work is still in demand. Number cession. jjogooa papers would have been forgotten long ago had they been written by anybody else in the colony. Even the namnhioto in actual practice and was given up in nw, less editions.

have been brought forth, and there is a constant call in the public libraries of hi; letters, essnys, and pnmphlets FRANKLIN AS AN AUTHOR. though even then FranKim was oppoeu xo the change. At the same time ne was tail which Franklin wrote during this time are Iiis Struggles in Early Reading and ipti collected and published fill had charge of the relations that me emanation had, or hoped to have, with powers. In this important capacity nenou much to do with appointing asen ts resent the colonies at the courts of Eurojw, until on Sept. 2G, 177C, he himself was appointed by Congress to represent its terests at the French court.

Silas JJa and Arthur Lee, already in Europe colonial agents, were appointed to with him. Franklin deprecated his sei-tion, saying at the time: "I am old and good for nothing: the storekeepers say of their remnant i cloth, I am but a fag end, you may oa ing an active part in the worK oi tne con io no cunsiuerea as a part of his editorial ten laree volumes, and contain much of high ularly as he could not print all the news in a limited space when the ship did arrive, and gress, was tavor or an lmmeuiaie uui an nns nine ne was writing, not Method of Forming a Style Poor Richard's Almanac." the Silence Do-good and Busybody Letters "His literary value. then had to follow the latest nevs with re tion of independence, ana wnen was auupi-ed was one of the signers. It was during one of these sessions he made his Immortal io yiuuuee literature out to convince people. He always had some object in view when he wrote, and he had learned thoroughly the art of writing to convince- Th a nor.

tn Literary Hoaxes. POLITICIAN AND STATESflAN. ports of early happenings. HIS PAPER INFLUENTIAL. response to the assertion or a worried iei- Actual Public Service Begins with Elec-inn as Clerk of Assembly in 17oC and low-member tnat must an nang to Publication was interrupted now and then Franklin career as a writer began when he was 17 years old, and it only closed with his death seventy-seven years later.

His first effort was a poem to his Uncle Benja gether," saying, Yes, or we will ail hang by a profitable pob of printing paper money In the adjoining colonies. When he obtained separately." Continues Throughout Most of Tt Is difficult to set the date of Franklin's min, after whom he had been named. Versi During this summer he had a iutue conier- But the old man of 70 accepted tll0' pnmnlalrlnir a task which, if for the ardUO-w fying seems to have run in the family, as uch Jobs ne was compelled to take his press along, and the readers of the Gazette had to wait until the press came. back. As the pop entrance into public lite, unless the simple and c-onvenient method of fixing on his first was the fashion of the times, and the boy ence with Lord Howe in New York about a peace, and in October left for France to represent the united colonies.

but followed in the bent. It is probable that ular cry in the colonies then was for more appointment unite auupiea But while an apprentice he had written art! there were many more efforts in the came money, the loss of an Issue or two was easily sea voyage alone, might have younger man, and wa3 to prove that he the capacity and strength for fourteen -nw years of notable effort for his, counirj-There was enough of pleasure in' the P' pect of revisiting France to make up t0 for the difficulties of the Journey. In direction, which were little thought of and i.a to his brother attacKing tne political and borne when the cause of it became known which have escaped the historians, but when For the times, the Pennsylvania Gazette he was 13 years old the art of writing catchy religious government of Massachusetts, and had shown his public spirit almost from Vif first residence in Philadelphia by advo a live newspaper, and it had a great in verses, describing events of the day, was put cating libraries and various municipal Im BTlfL I 1 1 ill i nt. 11 1 1.1.1 1 liti-'-l into practical use. The boy by that time had become an apprentice in a printing office of Jluence throughout the middle colonies.

It was cleanly printed, and remarkably free from the typographical errors which marred psn-io in h.A had mads the 6C" provements, nut ne was ejected his brother James at Boston. Teach. oirk of the colonial Assembly, and there- so many of the pioneer sheets. Its circula began his career as a public officinl typical pirate of the early part of the eighteenth century, who was a terror to the en ernor, oy withholding his salary, into signing a bill taxing the proprietary estates. The bill was sent to England, the Penns opposed it before the Privy Council as contrary to their rights, and won a decision.

Franklin and the lawyers engaged by him had made a strong argument in support of the bill, and, although defeated, he secured a reconsideration of the case from Lord Mansfield, and on his entering into an agreement that the estates of the proprietors would not be confiscated by excessive taxation, the- bill was approved by the crown and the liberties of the colony preserved from their attacks. The friendships Franklin had been able to form among prominent men, including many members of Parliament, had helped him to success, as had pamphlets he had published setting forth the case of the colon-. Remaining two years longer in England Franklin finally tore himself away from all the pleasures of his sojourn there and returned to Philadelphia in the autumn of 17C2. He had acquired the enmity of the proprietary party, but his success in his mission and his willingness to risk his personal engagement had increased his general popularity. He had been elected to the assembly each year during his absence abroad, and was voted the sum of 3,000 for his services.

SENT TO ENGLAND AGAIN. Before Franklin had been two years at home a continuation of the quarrel between the Assembly and the proprietary party led to his departure on his second mission- to England as the agent of the colony, with instructions from the Assembly to appeal to the crown to take direct control of the colony. The mission was a welcome one, for Franklin had so enjoyed his last stay in London that he had thought seriously of going there to live permanently. was In sympathy with the purpose of his mission, which, however, was afterward abandoned, although it can be seen now that Its success would have been unfortunate for the colony. However, he had long retained a confidenci In the kindly disposition of the Kin? toward tion extended from Virginia to New York, and a steady, healthy growth of advertising The appointment gave him influence and a larsrer share of the public printing, which tire Atlantic coast under the name of Blackboard, had tteen killed by an expedition patronage caused many enlargements.

In he valued quite as highly. His rare ability in the management of men was shown aftpi- which had Deen sent out for that purpo.se, lien use news reacueu isosion ine young his first reelection, which was opposed by a an announcement at the beginning of the eleventh year Franklin demanded payment in advance from new subscribers, this being the beginning of the practice now become apprentice wrote some verses detailing the was simply a means of attaining an end He wrote to carry the jury with him, and in many contests in Pennsylvania politics where the interests of Franklin's printing firm were directly concerned, the writer seldom failed to get the verdict. The publication of Poor Richard's Almanac was commenced almost wholly as a part of his printing business. Nearly every printing office was supposed to have its almanac, and as every family through the colonies required one, the almanacs provided apart of the regular income of the printers. They hung by the fireplace, fnd their margins served as a record of family events during the year.

In bringing out his almanac a written by Richard' Saunders, Poor Richard for short, Franklin secured a vehicle to carry his enfikss fund of humor to the readers of the almanac, who soon numbered thousands. It was in 1732 that its publica-tion began. Within a few months Poor Richard was a real personage in the homes of the colonists. The prefaces alone make interesting reading even to this day. Throughout the pages wherever there was space left in the calendars Poor Richard had something to say.

He said just enough to fill one line or three, as the case might be. What he said was so much to the point and contained so much wisdom in few words that as Poor Richard says has passed into the English language, and the source of many common sayings which lay in Poor Richard has been forgotten except by learned investigators. Franklin has been accused of plagiarism in what Poor Richard says. He frankly acknowledged that he drew on hw memory freely in gathering the sayings. hatever he touched, however, was so improved that sentiments which before showed no signs of prominent memoer no wanted tne place for a friend.

He wrote to that member express fight and exulting over the death of Black universal. beard. He showed them to his brother ing a desire to react a line book he had in hi Although the Gazette was now and then in James, who immediately put them in tvne iiuicii.y, j-j- pi'- icluiucu it in. a trouble with irate subscribers. Franklin gen with the help of Benjamin, and then as soon MAKING THE CONSTITUTION.

In the constitutional convention of 17S7 Franklin was accorded a prominent part, but as much in compliment to his grealt age and manifold services as to the weight of the suggestions be advanceo. But he did incalculable irood in securing the assent of the delegates to the constitution as finally agreed upon, by continually preaching the sermon of compromises, of mutual concessions, and of conciliation. He still favored the single lesislature and opposed the single executive, but the plan had not worked so well in Pennsylvania as to commend itself, and was not seriously considered. One principle which he proposed and advocated in an interring ppeech was that of paying the President no salary, but only necessary expenses He seconded a motion giving the President power to suspend the laws for a limited time but earnestly opposed the ida of limiting the right to vote by any property Qualification. He favored a provision allowing the impeachment of the President, a method of removal he preferred, he said, to the old-fashioned way of assassination; opposed allowing the President an absolute veto on legislation; wanted all matters relating to money to be made public, and favored giving Congre-ss the power to increase the compensation of Judges without limitation.

Suffering with the gout, It was not possible for this wise old legislator of 81 to be upon h's ftet long and his speeches were written tew uays wua a. nuie expressing his sense as the verses naa been printed the latteti ol tne great iaui aaa so won the Jastin erally got out of the difficulty by a humorous explanation. Frequently he took up sub was sent through, the streets semng them. trienusnip or ine man. "This is another jects of reform, and invariably kept at them Soon after this the keeper of a light quaintance of many eminent men and ranged for the translation of his and their publication in France periments with electricity and h.3 Richard's Almanac," which had as Bf' vogue in France as in this country, naa tablished already his fame there, ana -was even more warmly welcomed by letters and of science than he had been England.

It Is supposed there was Iolitical object as well, for one or bow i these visits was made at the time the was trying to learn the possio" of a revolt of the English colonies and promoting its success. In his letters oi time Franklin hinted at such a purpose if it had to do with his visits to Fans ce ways followed the suggestion of Richard that three can keep a seer when two are dead," and said about It. He was not averse to renewing his piea- relations with the French people, ana nine years of his life which the most eventful and the most ull or He became the fashion, the rage i and while enjoying to the fullest ext.n i personal pleasures consequent upon 'urJJ; disious popularity he never neglected to instance, saiu ransan describing it until he had his way. In this manner he re house and nis iamny were drowned, and of tne trutn oi an old maxim I had learned, which says: He that has once done you a kindness, will be more ready to do you formed the city watch, established the first volunteer fire department, and made many verses giving a report of the disaster by which the lighthouse had been swept away other changes for the better in Philadelphia and the colony. When he had a subject to anomer inuii ne uum you have yourself obliged." Franklin held this office for nearly fifteen years, and during the larger part of that reform, he wrote a long letter to the Gazette pretending is came from a subscriber.

Ia next issue he answered the arguments the fictitious correspondent, and made the time was postmaster or Philadelphia. In na ne orgranixeu xne militia and enrolled were prwuiru uy me young apprentice, and sold by him through the streets. His early success greatly raised Benjamin-in his own importance, but his father did not take kindly to the idea that his youngest son was to become a poet. The father hada mean opinion of all poets as being unable to earn a living, and the race of Franklin was above everything else provident and watchful of the future. The father discouraged the boy from writing any more such verses 10.

WO volunteers by means of mass-meet subject 60 plain that his readers wondered the change had not been made before. ings. Biblical texts favoring defensive war, ana a snowing the danger of The Gazette was sometimes engaged in controversies with the clergy, and sometimes jvith the proprietary interests of the Fenn rt-m ii nuaoiuu. in ii.u ne was elected a the colonies, and this influenced- his judg. I meet.

Until blood was shed at Lexington he member me Assembly he had so long.