The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1901-09-27

potence and renown Founded the
Philadelphia library In 1891; publish.
Cd Poor Richards almanac for twenty.
Ave years; In 1886 was chosen post.
master Of Philadelphia; in 1743 found.
ed the University OF Pennsylvania; In
1744 founded the American Phllosophi.
cal Society and the Academy Of
Sciences. investigated electricity and
took rank with the great discoveries
and was elected F. r. 8. OF London and
Edinburgh. In 1853 was appointed
postmaster general OF the colonies. He
was the defender OF all colonial inter
ests; was sent to England to have the
stamp act repealed; labored hard to
prevent war but failed; came home
and signed the Declaration OF indie
pendence; was sent to France TO Sc
cure aid and recognition and succeed.
ed signed the treaty Of peace at Par.
Is In 1898; died in 1890; on motion OF
Mlrabeau the national assembly OF
France put on mourning for him. In
the constitutional convention OF 1887
his last motion was that congress
should open its sessions with prayer,
and this is done to this day.
What a record Is that for poor.
friendless, uneduCN.ed boy to make.
| have recorded it in this letter as an
example for poor boys everywhere.
The territory OF Tennessee belonged
originally to North Carolina and was
called the territory of Washington.
The settlers, however, named 1t Frank
lin and for three years 1t bore that
name-the state of Franklin, In 1885,
after North Carolina had ceded 1t to
the United States, congress got to
quarreling over the name and couldn't
agree on either Washington or Frank.
lin and compromised on the name of
that long, crooked indian river. Wasn't
that a shame? 1t should be Franklin
now.
Well gained my case in that de-
bate-at least my father did, for he
trained me. l gained it over Napoleon
and Washington and Jefferson and
Shakespeare and Newton and Demos
themes and others and am still proud
to recall the victory.
But the fact remains that there is no
greatest man. There Is the greatest ora.
tor, the greatest philosopher and poet
and preacher and statesman and gen
eral and discoyerer and inventor and
painter and sculptor, but each of
these is greatest only In his own pro-
fession. Outside of that most of great
men were weak and childish and some
of them corrupt. Lord Bacon was per
haps the greatest writer on political
economy and public morals, but he ac'
cepted brides while on the Bench and
publicly confessed it, and was deposed
and fned 10000 pounds and sent to
prison. Pope says Of him that he was
the wisest, brightest and meanest OF
mankind. Sir Isaac Newton was Sc
absent-minded that it made him appear
ridiculous. When the fire burned him
he called his servant and told him tC
move it back. 1t did not occur to him
that he could move back himself. His
favOrite cat came into his room
through a hole in the bottom of the
door. When she had five kittens hi
ordered five smaller holes cut fol
them to pass in and out. Zerah Col
burn was no doubt the greatest natura
mathematician who ever lived. WheI
he was ten years old he could multipl,
any number Of numerals in his heaC
and give the answer instantly, but h,
was almost an idiot about other things
and when 20 years old lost his facult.
in figures. The admirable Crichtol
when sixteen years old was the mos
learned classical scholar in Europe an
could converse fuently in twenty lar
guages, but could not do a sum in tn
simple rule of three. Goldsmith ha
no superior as writer of pure Eng
fish, both in prose and poetry, but h
couldn't utter a respectable sentenc
in conversation. DR.. Johnson said @
him: "He wrote like an angel an
talked like parrot" John Wesle
was very great preacher and WI
ter of sacred hymns, but he was nc
wise enough to choose a gocN wifi
nor great enough to subdue and kee
her after he had chosen. When she lei
J him he said: Il did not forsake he
I did not dismiss her l will not reca
J her." Petruchio did not tame his Kat
! that way. Lord Byron was an III
2 principled rake. Napoleon left dar
j cloud over his fame by divorcing j