Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1849-03-10

these scattered counsels thus into a focu
enabled them TO make greater impression
The piece, being universally approved, wa
copied in all the newspapers Of the Ameri.
can Continent, reprinted in Britain on 9
large sheet Of paper, to be stuck up ir
houses; two translations were made of il
in France, and great numbers bought by
the clergy and gentry, to distribute gratis
among their poor Pensioners and tenants
In Pennsylvania, as it discouraged useless
expense in foreign supernuities, some
thought it had its share of influence In pro-
ducing that growing plenty Of money,
which was observable for twenty years af-
ter its publication" a.. -.I I.-1.- 914.
Few compositions in any language have
been so widely read as this summary pre-
fixed to the almanac of 1857, to which he
refers. II was translated three times into
the French language, before 1900, and in
1923 an edition in Modern Greek appeared
from the press OF Didot, at Paris. .,,,.
The following is copy of the advertise
ment of the first number of Poor Richards
Almanac, including the table of contents.
1t was printed in the Pennsylvania Gazette,
on the 18th December, 1882, as follows; =
sJust published, for 1893, An Almanac
containing the Lunations, Eolipses, Planets,
Motions and Aspects, Weather, Sun and
Moons Rising and Setting, High Water,
&c; besides many pleasant and witty Ver-
ses, Jests and Savings; Authors Motive of
Writing Prediction of the death of his
Friend, Mr.. Titan Leeds; Moon no Cuck-
old ); Bachelors Folly :: Parsons Wine and
Bakers Pudding :, Short Visits Kings and
Bars; New Fashions; Game for Kisses;
Katherihe's Love; Different Sentiments;
Signs of Tempest; Death ofa Fisherman;
Conjugal Debate; Men and Melons; The
Prodiyal; Breakfast in Bed; Oyster Law
suit, SC. BY Richard Saunders, Philomat.
Printed and Sold by B.. Franklin. .,,.0 -
"Such was the eagerness with which this
Almanac was sought" says Mr. Sparks,
'that three editions were printed before
the end of January, and, although he en-
larged bis first editions for the, subsequent
years, yet two editions were frequently re-
quired to supply the demand" 7l'.''' IL,
We learn from Mr.. Doggett that he col
lected the copies in his possession in the
states of Maine, New Hampshire, Massa-
chusetts, Rhode Island, New York, New
jersey, and Pennsy and that there is
not single copyin the possession of a sim
gle Historical Society in the country, nor
in the Cambridge Library, nor in the Boston
Athenaum. He has been obliged TO pay
as high as five dollars for some of the num-
bers, and in addition, to pledge himself to
return them If he Were successful in pro-
curing duplicates.
In prosecuting his search, Mr.. Doggett
has fallen upon other Almanacs, printed by
Franklin, both previous to and during the
publication of Poor Richards. He has one
copy as early as 1881, two years before bis
own commenced, edited by "Joln Jeraaqn,
Philom," with the following imprint. 8
"Phladeiphia, printed and sold by p!
Franklin s. H. Meredith, at the NewBuild-
ings Printing Ciiice near the market.v
This same John Jerman continued, to
publish and Franklin to print for him an
almanac, down TO 1854, during nearly the
whole period Of Poor Richards publication.
He may have continued it for the whole Of
that period, but Mr.. Doggett has found none
Of Jerman'S later than 1854. He also, du-
ring portion of the same period, printed
TIE .4me,ican Country .Almanoe, which
was edited by Womas More. A copy for
the year 1851, which MIR. Doggett has,
bears the following imprint.
"Printed and sold by B. Franklin & D.
Hall at the Printing Office, near the market.o
In l7+9, Poor Richards Almanac was
issued for the first time With illustrations,
These are Of the most primitive character,
and would be without interest but for the
violent presumption that they We're the
work of the Doctors own hands. He cer-
tainly did engrave well enough to; have
executed any thing in these almanacs, for
he says in his autobiography, ,,speaking of
the printing OF some paper money for New
Jersey "The New Jersey job was obtain
ed | contrived aloopper plate press for il,
the first that had been seen in the country;
cut several ornaments and checks for the
blls,'"' The improbahiliy Of his employ
ing any one to do what he could dohim-
self, the difficulty of procuring any artist in
the colony, IN l749, who was competent to
do them, and the plainness Of the engra-
wings, which were not worth paying any
thing for, even il the publication was one
that could have borne any snch expense,
are the principal, and we think sufficient
reasons for believing these illust ratiors were
the work of Franklin. "A ~ stae orifr,G /.
The maxims and sentiments of Poor
Richard, which, Of course, constitute the
supreme attraction of his almanacs, are
printed in italics down, the columns Of the
calendar, in the vacant spaces, not occu-I
pied by calendar NATTER sometimes one
word and sometimes mort on a line, and
not unfrequently a single sentiment of six
words running downia, whole column. si,sa
The following is the first of those golden
sentences, which we sought with some curl
osity in the first almanec of 1893.
spare the parsons pins nor the
bakers pudiin y."s 81 uig ii siioh .
We have already alluded to the wondes-
ful popularity of these thoughts OF. Poor
Richard, popularity which win be readily
comprehended by those who are familiar
with the wonderful wisdom sagacity and
ID I4l %