The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1875-12-01
Ben;amin franklin as n Isum,ri,t

Benjamin Franklin was the 6rst
American csrieaturist. That pro-
pensity of bis to use pictures when
ever be desired to affect strongly the
public mind was an Inheritance from
the period when only q very small
portion of the people could read any
other but pictorial language. Among
the relics of his race preserved in
0ostOn there is an illustrated hand
bill issued by his English uncle Ben
jamia, after whom be was named.
which must have been a familiar OBJ
ject to him from the eighth year of
bis age. Uncle Benjamin, London
dyer with James H., fed from Eng
land, wishing to strengthen the i'm
preston made bv his printed offer TO
"dye into colors" cloth, silk. and In
dia calico, placed at the head of his
bill rude wood cut of an East In
dian queen taking a walk, attended
by two servants, one bearing her
train, and the other holding over her
81 umbrella At the door of his shop,
too, in Princes street, near Leicester
Fields, figure ot an Indian queen
appealed to the passers-by.
Such was the custom of the time.
The diffusion of knowledge lessened
the Importance Of the pictorial repre-
sentation; but the mere date Of Frank
Inns birth, 1906, explains in some de-
gree bis hsbitual resort to it. Nearly
all the ancient books were illustrated
IN some way, and nearly every an
cient building seems to have had its
"sign" When Fraaklin was q boy
ID Boston q gilt Bible would have
directed him where to buy his books.
if be had had any money to buy them
with. A gilt sheaf probably notified
him were to get those three historic
rolls with whicL be made his entry
into Philadelphia. The figure of
mermaid invited the thirsty wayfarer
to beer, and an anchor informed sail
Crs where sea stores were to be had
The royal lion and unicorn, carved in
wood and stone, marked public edi-
fees. Over the door of his fathers
shop, where soup and candles were
sold, he saw blue ball, which still
exists, bearing the lvgible date 1898.
Why blue ball? He was just the
boy to ask the question A lad who
could not except grace before meet
without wishing to know why it were
not better to say grace once for all
over the barrel of pork, would be
likely to inquire what blue bail had
in common with soup and candles.
His excellent but not gifted sire
probably informed him that the blue
ball was a relic of the time when he
had carried on the business of dyer,
and that be bad continued to use it
for his new vocation because he
chad it in the house" benjamin., the
gifted, was the boy to be dissatisfied
with this explanation, and to suggest
devices more in harmany with the in
dustry carried on within, so that the
very incougruity Of his fathers sign
may have quickened his sense of pic
torial effect.
Franklin lived long, figured in 8
great variety of scenes, accomplished
many notable things, and exhibited
versatility of talent; man of business,
inventor, statesman, diplomatist,
philosopher; and in each Of these
characters be was q leader among
leaders; but the ruling habit Of his
mind, his forte, the talent that be
most loved to exercise and most rel
ishei in others, was humor He be-
gan as humorist and ended as a
huuorist. The first piece of his
ever printed and the last piece le ever
wrote, were both satirical; the first,
the reckless satire of saucy appren-
tice against the magnates Of his town;
the last, the good tempered satire Of
richly gifted, benevolent soul, cog
infant Of human weakness. but not
despising it, and intent only upon
opening the public mind to unwel-
come truth-as a mother makes
child laugh before inserting medi-
cine spoon. So dominant was his
propensity in his youthful days that
if be had lived i'll a place where it
had been possible to subsist by its
exercise, there had been danger of
his becoming a professional humorist,
merging all the powers of his incsm-
parable intellect in that one gift
JAMES PARTON, in Harper for De-
cembeT.