Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1908-09-04
FRANKLIN UNION
RESULTS FROM
WISE REQUEST
Modest Nest Egg of SIS, 900, at
interest 100 Years, Builds
Great Trade School in BoS-
ton-Carnegie Helps.


BOSTON. Sept 3.-when BENJAMIN
Franklin died he left a bequest of
$4,000 with the provision that the fund.
If accepted by the Inhabitants of the
town of Boston" be managed under
the direction of the ''Selectmen, unit
ed with the minister of the Oldest
Epdesopalian, Congregational and
Presbyterian churches in that town"
who were to make loans under certain
conditions, to young married artifi-
GERS GhdSr the age of TWENTY-FIVE
years The fund was not to be avail
able under 100 years after Franklin's
death
When the great philosopher states
man made his beeuest. he calculated
that the fund would increase in leo
years to $685.. .000. OF this he provided
that 100000 be then devoted to pub
lie uses, and the remaining SI55. .000
be allowed to accumulate. At the end
of 200 years, as he figured the sum
would reach over $4,000, COS, of
which $4,000, 600 was 70 go to the
state and the remainder to the city
of Boston.
At the end Of 100 years the fund
amounted to s391,16S.6S, which was
apportioned pro rata in accordance
with the original terms. The Franklin
heirs at that time instituted a suit
seeking to restrain the proposed dis
position of the fund, which after two
years was decided against them.
For twenty-five years thereafter
Boston's "selectmen''-now aldermen
-wrangled over the uses to which the
fund should be put It was finally de-
cided to use the money for the erec-
ton equipment and maintenance of
one of the finest trade schools in
America. Four years ago, when
Franklin's modest bequest of $4,000
had grown to $40S S,396.4S, Andrew Car
negie added another $40S S,3S6.49.
Today there was thrown open for
the inspection of visitors a handsome
four-story building just completed at
the corner of Berkeley and Appleton
streets. II is known as the Franklin
Union, the sS50.000 trades scnool
which has been added to Boston's ed
ucational facilities through the be-
quest of Benjamin Franklin more than
a century ago and the later munifi
cence of Mr. Carnegie.
The purpose of the new institution
is to afford an opportunity for the
practical training of mechanics, sta
tionary engineers and draughtsmen.
and to fit young men to become skilled
and Intelligent artisans and workers
in whatever trade they undertake In
laying the plans for the institution
the foremost trades schools in Ger
many, France and England were in
spected.
The building is a handsome
and commodious structure of brick
and stone. The basement contains a
model boiler room, steam and hy
drauIic laboratory designed for the
education of stationary engineers;
an automobile laboratory with equip
ment for experiments for steam OIL
and electricity; an electrical labora-
tory and clay modelling room
On the first floor are grouped the
lobby or exhibition room-the latter
for the display of industrial material
o. various kinds-the offices OF admin
istration. the libray and the large lee
ture hall. seating nearly 1000 persons,
and designed caTefuIy and scientifi-
eally to meet every requirement of
proportion, ventilation, acoustics,
light and convenience.
Glass rooms are distributed through
out the building on every floor, and
there are large draughting rooms,
studios, laboratories and special lee
ture rooms for chemistry and physics.
The school will be used mainly for
evening work, and the finest possible
equipment for lighting the class and
draughting rooms has been installed.