Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-04-27
Ceremony Begun In Palace
Trocadero, and Continued Be-
fore Vast Crowd in Square
MCCORMICK MAKES a SPEECH
Ambassador Mccormick Makes Nrinci-
pal Address of the ceremony-Mr.
Harje., American Banker, Presents
. Notable Statute to the Municipality,
With Brief Speech.


Paris, April 27-The Franklin cele-
bration, preceding the unveiling today
of the statue of Benjamin Franklin,
presented to the city Of Paris by John
II. Harjes, an American banker of this
& city, was held in the palace Trocadero
this, afternoon.
Today's ceremony began in the Pal
ace Trocadero, and was continued later
before vast crowd on Trocadero
square, where the statue of Franklin
4 oyerlooks the splendid esplanade and
avenues leading to the triumphal arch
and the Seine. Ambassador Mccormick
opened the ceremonies and made the
leading address.
In presenting the statue to the mu-
nicipality, Mr.. Harjes made brief
) speech.
The statue of Benjamin Franklin, to
be unveiled today is appropriately
8 erected in close proximity to the scenes
of his activity during the eventful
eight years he spent In France. 1t
stands on the Place du Trocadero near
1 the point where the Rue Franklin,
named In his honor, leads towards the
y heights Of Passy. All about are re-
y minders Of Franklin's sojourn in Pas
sy. All about are reminders of Frank
ain's sojourn in Passy-here the Place
s Franklin, further on the Passage
Franklin, and on the busy thoroughfare
Of Passy the antiquated Hotel Frank
din. It was on the Rue Franklin that
the villa stood, surrounded by ample
gardens, which became so we'll known
as Franklins home. The place is
marked. today by brass tablet affixed
to the wall OF tumble-down edifice
lately used as a religious school, but
now closed under the law against re-
ligious teaching. The tablet reads:
Here stood villa. dependency. of
the mansion of Valentinois. Franklin
occupied 1t from 1777 to 1885, placing
thereon the first lightning rod con-
Structed in France. Historical Society
Of Auteuil and Passy. March Sth, 1896"
No vestige of the Franklin villa re-
mains today, but it is remembered as a
substantial tMo-story structure, with.
commodious wings, surrounded by
terraced garden with walks shaded by
double rows of linden trees. Here
Franklin matured the plans by which
France became the ally Of the United
States; here he erected, according to
the traditions of Passy, the original
lightning rod, and here he spent his
leisure hours among the keenest wits
and brightest minds of France Marat
brought his Treaties Upon the Ele-
mentary Fire." The Papal Nuncio had
an audience in order to make known
the generous disposition of Rome tow
ards America; Mirabeau was a caller.
and Chamfort presented copy Of his
pamphlet against England.
Franklin's earliest friendships in
Rassy We're Lavoisier whose wife was
painting Franklins portrait the Due de
IL Rochefoucauld, Malesherbes, and
Turgot. who came to talk political
economy. It was thru Turgot, that
Franklin met Nine. Helvetius, widow
Of the celebrated philosopher thus be-
ginning q deep and sympathetic friend
ship. Regularly every Wednesday,
Mines. Helvetius, de Cabanes, de la
Roche, and the Able Morillet, con-
genial spirit. dined with Franklin.
Here the party would meet Count d.
Estaing, who was neighbor of Frank
Inns; Doussalt; the Segurs; Walpole;
lafayette; FRANKIE, the king Of Swed-
ems secretary, and Madame Brillon an
authoress who dedicated her works to
Franklin.
The American minister was ia
miliar figure of Passy in those days.
Often he would take his crab-stick for
a walk, stopping occasionally to chat
with the children and peasants. Us
ually his course took him to the man
sion Of Nine. Helvetius, where, besides
the hostess and her two daughters,
Mines. de Nun and d'Andlau, he was
sure to meet such celebrities as Con-
5dorcet, Chamfort, Raynal, Mably and
many other great Frenchmen of that
day. Franklin seldom left Passy, ex-
cept to fulfill the duties of his mission
or to attend the sitting of the academic
or the meetings of his lodge "the Nine
he went, with some trepidation, to the
royal reception at Versailles, where
Queen Marie Antoinette induced
Franklin to remain and dine, and it
was here, too, that he received, on his
departure for America, the kings por-
trait, set with 40S diamonds, and Marie
AntO1netteS message directing ne Dc
conveyed to Havre on one of her own
.'litieries''
Franklin's eight years in Passy fix
ed his memory very firmly in the
French mind, SO that the statue is not
erected among strangers. The Roche
foucau1ds home is still on Rue Frank
lin; the de Nuns are around the COR
ner on the Rue de la Tour; the La
fayettes, the de la Roches and many
other old families with whom Franklin
associated ARE not far away, and so the
statue of the first American minister
is at home among old associates and
old friends.
James r. Maccoll, OF Providence. r.
/. is reelected president Of the Ma
tfonal Association of Cotton Manufac-
turers.