Smyrna times., 1894-02-14

he first was observed by the girl who
was to become his wife.
1t was not long before he found EN-.
plOyment in one of the two printing
shops then existing in that city. Here
he was one day surprised by a visit
from no less a parsonage than Sir Will
lam Keith, then governor of the Pro-
vince, who became interested in the
young runaway through having been
shown letter of explanation that he
had written to a reprOachful friend.
The favor of the governor, who said
that he wished to establish so skilful a
printer in Philadelphia, Helped Ben
jamin not little in making his peace
with his father.
An incident of young Franklin's re-
turn from a visit home-which soon
fOllOwed-illustrates the scarcity of
books during the Colonial Age.
"The then governor of New York,
Burnet, hearing from the captain that
one of the passengers had great many
books on board, desired him to bring,
me to see him. The governor received
me with great civility, showed me his
library, which was a considerable one,
and we had a great deal of conversa-
tiOn relative to hooks and authors"
Governor Keith, whose kindness
seems to have been sincere in Just so
far as it gave him no trouble, now
promised to supply his protege with
the appartus necessary to equip print
ing-shop, and sent him to London
that he might select the very best ma
terials, and also get acquainted with
metropolitan printers. Franklin made
the voyage safely, but only to discover
that the desertiOn of his erratic bene.
factor had left him penniless in a
strange land. He soon found employ
ment, however, not only at his trade,
but also as a teacher of swimming, at
which he was an expert, and eighteen
worse for his London experiences.
In October 1926, he again landed in
Philadelphia where he soon after ran
across his deceptive patron = ne
longer gOvernOr-whO seemed a little
ashamed"at seeing him, and passed him
without saying anything"
After working for short time with
his former master, he started in bust.
moss for himself on capital furnished
by young friend who became his
partner.
Having prematurely announced his
intention of starting a newspaper, he
found himself forestalled by his late
employer who, however, after a few
issues, sold him the new journal which
under the name of Pennsylvania GGzett,
then had but ninety subscribers
though Franklin's articles on public
affairs soon increased its circulation
In 1872, having in the meantime bought
out his partner who had become dis
sipated, under the the name of Richard
Saunders, he began the publishing
of Poor Richards Almanac o
which he sold annually ten Thousand
copies for twenty-five years. Made tn,
vehicle of numerous maxims, (which
contained the wisdom of many age
and nations, and thus inculcating in
dustry and frugality, Poor Richard'j
Almanac has not little contributed t
the prosperity of the Anne rican people
MAKE hay while the sun Shines" A
rolling stone gathers no moss, ,"-thes'
and similar sayings surely deserve 1
prominent place in our literature
They are, says Bacon, "the genius, wi
and spirit of natiOn.."
The other works of Franklin's liter
ary manhood, though mainly scientific
or philosophic in their nature, hav,
added much to the fame of the patrio
and the statesman.
While every school boy knows tha
it was Franklin's diplomacy that wor
the aid of France to the patriot cause
that the first American privateer to sal
from Gallo port was called the "Good
man Richard" he also knows that i
was Franklin's kite that first callet
lightning from the clounds to be tn
servant of man.
Here at last is man who was n
mere imitatOr of other men, the typ
of the self-made man whom this natiol
delighteth to honor, of the mau VIII
has earned the bread of fame by tn
sweat of his brow. 1t is in this sens
that have called him the first Ameri
can, and his writings the first Amer
can literature.
Years before his death in 1871, h
had written his own epitaph:
1.-The Body
OF
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN,
(Like the cover of an old book,
It's contents torn out,
And stripped of its lettering and gliding
Lies here, food for worms.
Bnt the work shall not be lost
For it will, as he believed, appear once MOI
In new and more elegant editions,
Revised and corrected
By
The Author"