The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-05
sNE o. BEN FRaNkLIN's FOLks.
An AWsevsemas asasenture wRsse lisiu&
In . Historic l.sasisu laa.ssr.

The hntIse IN i.on@iOn wh.r,' Hon n min
Franklin lived wh,l" American Commits.
-lon"r ar d ln.er IN. rTs, American Minister
to tn" Cour' Of y ianles's IL often ;s1intcd
out To visitors u il AT : Craven street
lusi bciow ~" Strand and not more than
a stones throw from Trafalgar square,
and u - lust like lot Of other dingy.
painted brick houses N the row. except
that Il Is marked by tablet in front.
! lived in Franklin's house Tor ahont
eight mon'hs,- said an American Who
has srent som" time in England ~
Vas the regulation four story affair. and
! Sas on the very toy floor at tho back.
The house for some years had been
lodging house. and you got your he'd
and breakfast there at price ranging
from guinea ,fs 2'l week up. according
10 the room Having the top floor back
cam" in for the lowest rate. -
-Cnrouslv enough two other Americans
lived IN the same ho,ls'. One was woma n
who practised the speciality al making
members Of her own sew more beautiful
by skirning the face. She used To bring
her patients To the house sonnet ines
ami take an EXTRA loom for them, and |
rrrnern'"r that she wns suddenly called
to Paris whil', on" apati-nt was still W.
covering from the treatment | used IN
49," this mysterious velled figure fitting
about the halls and fleeing ut INV approach
unt . one day asked the landlady whether
thatswas the ghost ~ Mrs Franklin. and
sh. told me the story.
The house was kept at that time bv a
buSom D-vonshire woman who used to
give sample dinners in order To attract
IN. loigers To take table board in the
hous" Ru' tn. real table d hote proved
80 different from the sample that most
Of tn" dodgers preferred To get their
lunch and dinner nnt side
What used 10 he franklin's parlor was
used as tho dining room. and behind this
was another room. on which was = strong
room. which the tradition Of the house.
said Franklin himself had had especially
constructed The walla we're very thick
and there was no light. IN the room and
the door vas NJ iron
In the season il was often the case
that stray parties of Americans would
. GENE tn the houss. and demand To be shown
through IL. and invariably the iandlady
would think they yer. Drohable dodgers
AMI would he doc ned 20 disIppo nth
When ! went there the landlariy vas
fIIll of stories about myst arioIs treasures
and relics Of DIR. Franklin which might
is' Iplul1 ~ the cellar. So one CfAy fhe DtneT
American man and myself went DOWN
there to explore. We sounded 'ha walls
and scratch about among IN. rub
bush. buf found not hing. | used to wopd der
often how DIR Franklin mana ged IN enter
tam rh" rlignitarier who called upon him
IN such tiny place ~ the parlor ~as.
one day ! was going out just as the
maid WAS opening the door Upon the
stpop stood a man whose features and
: raiment proclaimed thar he was q fellow
, countryman. but not from these parts.
Say he addressed me. do any Of
Ben franklin's folks live here now
-'Sh. How did you find It OUT
asked.
He did not answer hut appeared
sNcit ell
Jus, Wal; there a minute will you?'
1 he asked.
He stepped back pace and before
Was aware OF what he was doing h. had
snapped a camera on me. ! demanded
what he meant NV taking my picture.
} hut he only chuckled and hurried ~
have often wondered whet her in some
remote village circle my picture has been
shown a. that Of a Rneai descend ant
of the great philosopher