Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1911-01-27

Two hundred and five years ago this
week january 18th, 17O6) in the city of
Boston, Ben Franklin was born.
Throughout the country, wherever men
are moved by its notable cOntribu us
To the cause of science, philOsoph nd
literature, the memory of the brilliant
picturesque son oi the humble Massacnt-
settes soap maker who coaxed the light
ming from the sky, and demonstrated for
an lncredulous world the analogy te-
tween it and electricity, again strikes
responsive chord in millions of human
hearts. s na.,
In recalling his wish that he might be
preserved for one hundred years in d
cask OF Madeira wine and be brought
back to life at the end of that time TO see
what his country had wrought in the
meanwhile, his trite remark "Of what
use is new born babe?' made the
man who cOntemptuOusly quizzed him
concerning the value of certain expert
ments then being made in balOOnins by
MOntgOlfler, comes home to us with new
emphasis in the light of recent achieve
ments. Assuming he could come back, how
he would marvel at the bewilderins ar
ray of wonders that would confront him
at every cOrnerl His country, no 10 ger
limited III It's scope TO the Originai 13
states with their o27,844 square mill, of
territory now spreads its starry emblem
OF freedom over two continents. embrac-
ing 3,O26, ,789 square miles. Its public
debt has grown from less than $75, ,0O1, 900
to 81, 46,449, 1856, it's receipts from 800
100000, to $1,297, OBS, 1893 and its annual
expenditures from $17,000,0OO to $1,2lO,
OOO,OOO. The post Office system which he
founded, with annual receipts of 100000
has grown to $2O5,56 1888. Before the
steamship the old sailing vessel and pack
ct ship have disappeared from the face
OF the sea. In like manner the pony ex-
press and the stage coach have capitu-
lated to the high powered railroad train,
the electric trolley and the automobile.
The taliOW candle has ceased to diffuse
Its slckly aunOra, yielding its place to
the electric light, some 5OOOO,OO1 of
which glow nightly in the United States.
Beneath the waters the submarine ca
vOrts with the native of the deep and a.
cross the horizon the fleet winged aero
plane scars with the shrill of the eagle
and the buzzard. In the field Of elecric-
lty, interest in which he did so much TO
stimulate, Franklin would find amazing
Vindication of his prescient judgment
when he asked his interrogation "Of what
Use Is New Born Babe" Since'he thus
spoke have come Professor MOrses tele-
graph, Professor Alexander Graham Bells
telephone, Elias HOwe's sewing machine
McC0rmick's reaper, EdisOn's phono-
graph, Delanys 1000 words a minute tel
epost automatic telegraph system, West
1nghOuses wonderful mechanical inven-
tl0ns and thousand and one other won
derful electrical and mechanical device
that multiply mans usefulness. The
high powered cylinder press has displac-
ed the foot press of Poor Richards"
time and the linotype the.setting of type
by hand. Since he passed away Napol-
eOnism has been crushed from the earth
and the doctrine of republicanism wide
ly disseminated. We have had four wars
but are greater and more prosperous
than ever before, with wealth of $685.
OO0,0O0,000 twice that of Great Britain
and three times that of either France or
Germany. Truly might he now say-If
he could come back-"Of what use is a
new born Babe"