Middletown transcript., 1875-03-13
SMlisfellaneous.
BEN FRANKLIN.
A Few Hitherto Unwritten Incidents In
His Checkered Career.

January the 18th was the anniver-
sary Of Ben Franklin's birthday.
Franklin did not take part in any Of
the festivities 10 the printing Offices on
the 18th He is, or rather would be il
be were here. too old for such hilarity
He would be 1859 years old had be re-
mained with us. But long continued
habit Of early rising undermined his
vigorous constitution, and gentle death
scooped him in at the age of eighty
four, just eighty-fve years ago. Let
us not weep for him. If he had but
lived few years longer, this bright,
beautiful world, so full Of life and hope,
would have been blighted and scared
with more dreary old maxims about
going to bed at dark and getting uE
before daylight, and about earning .
dollar by saving cent. and always
thinking a week before we speak .
minute, and similar stuff than the
United States census could compile be-
tween now and the end Of time.
Franklin's family must have led q
dreary life. The venerable philosopher,
quoting his favorite maxim, "Early to
bed" would drive his helpless family
of to their rooms at sunset, while be
would 60 down to the post-ofice for an
hour or two, and then come back and
play with an electrical machine for q
few hours, and then write on his alma
nae until 2 o'clock in the morning. He
would then devour light lunch Of cold
pigs feet. apple pie, and fried liver,
after which be would make everybod y
in the house get up and dress, assemble
in the sitting-room, and lecture to them
for over an hour about eating between
meals. Then begging them to 60 to
work, and remember that the early bird
caught the worm, be would 60 to bed
and sleep until IL o'clock, NJ. He al
ways slept as much as he could during
the day y-time, for it was one Of his fa-
vorits saying, Never put of till to-
morrow what you can do to-day" This
custom the great printer bad. of sitting
up all night and sleeping all day. is
what established the heathenish hours
observed by the morning papers to this
day.
The philosopher was man Of the
most rigid temperance. He begged all
the tobacco be used, and he never
could be induced to eat tobacco like
bread, as some men do. He was born
at an early age, and was printer on
compulsion He held cases in bis
brothers Office after serving out bis
devilship; but because bis brother took
all the phat, he went on strike, rated
the Office and went out on a tramp.
One evening be entered Philadelphia
on foot, with loaf of bread under his
arm, from which he was drawing lib
eral rations. History makes no men,
tion Of the black bottle in his coat-tail
pocket. This is the FIRST tramp printer
Of whom there is any record.
He was great and good man in his
time, but he was slow. He would not
have been suited to this busy, progress
sive generation. He lacked the great
comprehensive abstract elements Of
modern American Statesmanship. He
would hardly have shown in Congress
where the Hon. Oakes Ames and the
Hon. John Morrissey were his col
leagues. There is an anecdote illus
trative Of bis fidelity to the principles
Of truth.
His father was a tallow chandler and
soap boiler, and he used great deal Of
wood, he strove to inculcate habits Of
industry in bis son by letting him saw
and split all the fuel. One day young
Ben was chopping wood in very bad
humor, because bis work prevented him
from going off with lot Of boys to
steal peaches. His father came out to
see that his son didn't pick out all the
easy pieces to cut, and as be passed by
the boy broke stick in two with ter
rife blow. and one Of the pieces went
whirling through the air like an mro-
lite, nestled in the venerable mans
back hair, raising lump like base
ball. sWho would be so cruel as to
hit an old man like me T. inquired the
soap boiler. while the members
Of his frightened family supported bis
dropping frame and rubbed his lump
with ham fat.
Father, dear father" sobbed the
future philosopher, II can't tell lie.
It was the boy who lives across the
street, and be has just Skinned around
the corner" "My son, my own dear
boy" said his pa, dashing pearly tear
drop from bis loving orbits, "You
are cordially invited to attend a matt
nee for children only, which will be
held in the boiler room in ten minutes
from this moment Of speaking. Posi-
lively no postponment on account Of
the weather, and no pains spared to