The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1860-12-29
Biographical 5kctfI).
From The Methodist
Benjamin Franklin.
BY W. II. ALLEN, Ill. D..

| PRESIDENT OF G1hAhD Col.i.RrH.
A BusruN talluw chambers hoy expends
every slxpencc he can call his own in books:
and after aplroprialing their contents he sells
them 10 appca>e the book hunger Of others
for money to buy more bn"ks to appeaSe his
own. With true NV. Ergand tn, if, he cx.
changes his floating stock Uf the vehicles Of
thought in ord,I to accumulate fixed capital
Of knowledge. When he tells us that he can
not remember the time when he could not
read we know from what court he receives
his commission to b. leader among his
playuIaies and tn. adruitneSS TO extricaIe
| them from the difficulties IN which his '>capo
grace enterprises sometimes involved them
for intellect. well directed and alert, will AS
S,rl It's mastery ever, where the only mas.
terry against which there is neither rebellion
nor protest.
AS printers apprentice =: the age Of six.
teen he is ha,d TO manage His elder brother.
who is his master. doubtless hluks that the
less polite maine Tor the yunge,t boy in IA
printing office is the more appropriate nue
for him Tor til, IL Is "A modicum Of ingenious
mischief about the lad which gives him an
noy ancc. But his boyi,h huinor sometimes
axes a manly direction. While he handles
the composing stick by day. he yields The
COMPOSING pen hy night; and when he hears
the authorship of the anonymous con,nuni
Cartons which he has slipped under the Office
door attributed 10 persons of Literary rrpnte,
his self esteem is gIalilhd and his ambtmn
stimulated. 1t Was during this unrcqul,,d
service to brother who could not appreciate
his nlcii'S. nor comprehend his aspirations.
that he laid the foundation Of that shr.wd,
practical, ,,lfrclianl character which ena.
bl.d hun after wards To txtort SUCCESS from
reluctant fortune, and literally To stand be-
fore kings
1t is mot the des On Of this brief sketch to
follJw franklin through the career 10y which
he bccaIne one of the first men of the time
Every American who can read Knows the
story by heart Almost every c.Illd has
traced the steps Of the weary. hungry, dirty.
run away boy, 10 h. landed at Market street
wharf III Philadelphia. aud walked up the
broad thorous hiaie. his pocket, stuffed with
>ull,d linen an': old stockings: lnunchiny
roll Of bread While he carried another under
each ann ; known to no one noticed by no
one except his future wife, WHOSE seu>c Vi III,
lud!cIous Was doubtless mere strongly tx.
cited than any softer sentiment: uyliig
along, sclf-rrllant and independent. TILL he
enters u Quaker meeting hoU>e, where lind
ing the silence unhi"ktn hy any Inoy,u.cnt
vi the Spirit. lie falls asleep.
1t must he admitted ,hut his advent was
unprulni>ing: but like cat Iu>>,d In
, the air lie comes down on his feet. a few
days hc is Il j"uinryn.an printer. and from
Tins first round on the long Ladder OF ll.'ino.
ton lac a>c,nd> step by step. lie hrcnlneS
foreman IN u printing office: proprietor aud
put Usher Of newspaper ; IL writer Ut moral
aud political essays: Pour Richard. the
almanac maker aud pu,tcr forth oi wise SAWS !.
Postmaster Of rhiladcl lhia. Clerk Of the
Provincial Legislature Of Penis, lvania :;
PostInast,r General of the Colonies Com
missioner 10 build forts on the frontier dur
, ing the French war; Electrician and Nalur-
al Philosopher Of the hlg hest Iunk Member
Of the Royal Sociuy OF London Founder
and President of the American Philosophical
. Society Agent in England for ptnns, lvanla
aud other colunes Member and Speaker Of
the Provincial Assembly Of pvnnsy lvania {;
1 Member Of the Conlnenta! Congress Slgmcr
Of the Declaration OF Independence; Prcsi
4 dent Of the Convention fnl forming the Con.
, slllutlon OF Pennsylvania Minister at the
: Court Of France: Governor of Pennsylvania
| Member oi The Convention to frame the Con.
slilullon Of the United States: and a. the
age of eighty four. this type settler WHO had
made hitnseit IL type OF the practical man for
y all time. this discover III electricity who had
II drawn the lightning from the clouds, ard
this patriot who had wi.sIvd the sc,plrr
9 from lyranls, WAS followed to his uramin.
tiouS graveby twenty thousand of his coun.
tryn'el,.
After the death of Sir Christopher Wren
the architect ui 81. Paul. at London, ii was
y PROPOSED 10 erect u lifting monument to his
/. M nory. With rare dcIicacy uf taste his
$ f,l,ud> placed his ia,ne in the great Ca,ll,.
q oral, with MI inscription Inch may TIC uans
aud, i" you seek Jor has monument. iOoh
afound you." And when Philadelphia is
" reproached for building no rIuuder mauso
}, l,um lor the sage who has made her to b,
5 known abroad as the city OF franklin she
: may point with honest piide To the plain slal
: which bears his name, and say. e" Ii you
, seek his monument, look around you" Their,
is the Philadelphia Library winch he found
cd. There is the Philosophical 5, clcly whicl
u Z propose and assisted tn organize. Thcl,
% is the Pennsylvania Hospital, To which h
was a stratllast friend III the day Of its advrrsi
n ty. There is the University Of P.nrsy lyunil
n to winch he was = contributor. art
=. of which he was one Of the CUI,scripl Father y
And III every city, village, and hamlet. no
only throughout this country but wherever
n sc,cllce is cultivated there stands the light
n,ng.rod, >llcntly dl>a,ming the clouds o.
the, pass over it. and making men. womrn
and children feel salcr BECAUSE Franklin ha
Id lived.
franklin belonged to class Of men WIN
at are not content with principle till the,
b. have ascrl tanned its results. not with dis
covtIy till they have applied it to use. II
al was hot one Of those who say lei reH cnoma
N uionr," and " ho would tIig the wheel. OF
progress for fear Of rough road ahead. III
u would not admit that anything was goo,
enough when 1t might be made better. II
a MUNICIPAL affairs he was ub>ervant and pro
* gr.-Slve. lie suggested improvements !,
~ the night watch. uiganlz.d fire company
al thr first We believe ever formed in this coul,
try. and devised new plans for paving
If cleansing, and lighting the streets. Not con
ell tent with studying the radiation of heat t,
iS discover its laws. lie invented the stove " hic
he still bears his name to make a Practical ap
plicailon Of them. AS SOON as lie had asc.r
rs tanned the direction and velocity uf our srea
CT storms, he showed in what mariner u know
II. edge OF these may be made available by tn
Id navigator. As soon MS he had dc,nonstra,,
the identity Of electricity and lightning. h
n. suggested the pointed conductor ior the pro
", lection Ut buildings from the thunder bolt
~. And when he observed that the friction .
fluids Ms well as solids may b. diminished b
or lubicating their surfaces Of contact. he forth
;s with announced that The turmoil Of the scu
:. no less than the stormy I'm sSiOlS of men ma