Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1870-10-27
BENZ. FRANKLIN AND SAMUEL
MlCKLE.

When Benjamin Franklin opened his
printing Office in Philadelphia, he was
obliged to struggle against many adverse
circumstances.
lie was youog and poor;the country was
new, and the public mind was unsettled,
and two printing offices of established
reputation we.e already Goiog lhriv-
lug business in the place. He knew
tina, he must succeed, it he succeeded at
all, by honorable dealing, energy, and
perseverance,.
There lived in Philadelphia, at this
time, gentleman Of wealth and posi-
iIon by The name of Samuel Mckle.
He was Que of those moroso persons
who take a most dismal view of human
affairs, and go about prophcsyiug di,as
astcr aud ruin. He looked upon the
settlements in the New World as fail
ures, and expected that Philadelphia
would speedily decline, and return to
the primitive wilderness.
Having plenty Of leisure, he made it
sort Of missionary work to dissemin.
ate these startling opinions aud to warn
those who were prosperipg in bualness
way, aud those who were engaging in
new enterprises, Of the impending doom.
Hearing that young Franklin had
opened printing office, he concluded to
make him a call, aud accordingly ap-
pearcd one day at the door Of the new
establishment. FrankGn's experience
in business had not been promising thus
far, and his view of the future was any
thing bu' cheerful His face frightened,
however, as he saw the porlly old gen.
tlemau at his door, and uoticed his ele-
CANT and conrtly bearing, thinking tn It
be might have come with proposals for
work
care you the young man that has
Just opened Il printing oflces' asked
Mr.. Mickle,
Franklin answered in the affirmative.
Il am sorry-vcry sorry" said the
old gentleman, looking very solemn and
speaking in a very impressive tone. "lt
must be an expensive undertaking, and
your money will all BE- lost. Don't you
kaow Philadelphia is already falling into
decay. Most of its business men are
obliged to call their creditors together.
| know as an undoubed fact" he cQn-
tinued, with great emphasis, "tha, all
the circumstances that might lead one
to think otherwise, such as the creation
of new buildings and the advance
prices for rent, are dcceitful appearances
that will only make the ruin more
sweeping aud dreadful when It does
GOMEZ" He then proceeded to illustrate
these statements by detailing the pri-
vate affairs of a number of individuals
INTO whose business he bad been prying
"He gave me, says Franklin, ''sc
long a detail of misiortunes, actually ex'
isting, or about to take place, that he
left me almost in state of despair. "
Franklin, however, covered his self
possession. and resolved to redonble hi'
! energy and to work as he never ha,
worked before.
''The industry Of this Frankie,
said DR.. Bard, Mt meeting of the Mer
chants Club, not long after the occur
renee of the incident we have related
, is superior to anything Of the kind
, have ever witnessed. see him still a
work when l return from the club a
night, and lie is at it again in the morn
ing before his neighbors are out of bed.
The success of Franklin as a printe
is we'll known, and we need only to a
lude to It here. But poor Mr.. M'ckle
"He continued" says Franklin, ST
s. live in this place of decay, and to dc
'e claim in the same style, refusing 70
many years to buy house, because a
= was going to wreck and in the end
had the satisfaction to see him pay iiv
times as much for one as 1t would hav
cost him had he purchased 1t when h
first began his lameni.tions.'
Almost every young man OF entel
prise encounters Sam'cl Mickle. L
such the example of FRANKLIN affords
wholesome lesson.