The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1911-01-20
Ben Franklin

Two-hundred and five years ago to-
day (Janualy 17th) in the city Of
Boston. Ben Franklin was BON.
Throughout the country, wherever
men are moved by<its notable contri-
buttons to the cause of science,
philosophy and literature the memory
of the brilliant and picturesque son of
the humble Massachusetts, soap maker
who coaxed the lightning from the sky,
and demonstrated for an incredulous
world the analogy between it and
electricity, again strikes a responsive
chord in millions of human hearts.
In recalling his wish that he might
be preserved for one hundred years in
a cask of Madeira wine and be brought
back to life at the end of that time to
see what mis- country had wrought in
the meanwhile his trite remark "Of
what use is new born babe?" made
to the man who contemporary .quized
him concerning the value of certain ex-
periments then being made in balloon
ing by Montgolfier, comes home to US
with new emphasis in the light of recent
achievements Assuming that Franklin
could come back, how he would marvei
at the bewildering array of wonders
that would confront him at every
corner. His country, no longer limited
in its scope to the original Is states
with their 27,S44 square miles OF
territory now spreads its starry emblem
of freedom over two continents, embrac-
ing 3,026, 789 square miles. Its public
debt has grown from less than $75, 000, ;
900 to 81, 046, 449, 185 its receipts from
$40, 700, 600 to 81, 297, 035, 933 and its an
nual expenditures from ST, 00G, 600 t.
S1,210, 000, 900. Where there were 5,000,-
900 inhabitants there are now 81, coo, 000
The Post Office system which he found
ed, with annual receipts of $500, 900 has
grown to $203, 562, 383. Powerful
steamships have driven the old sailing
vessel and packet ship almost COM
pletely from the face of the sea. The
pony express and the stage coach have
given way to the high powered rail-
road train, the electric trolley and the
automobile.
The tallow candle has gone before
the electric light, some 100000 of
which glow nightly in the United States.
Beneath the waters the submarine
cavorts with the native of the deep and
across the horizon the feet winged
aeorplane soafs with .tha skill of the
eagle and the buzzard. In the field Of
electricity, interest in which he did so
much to stimulate, Franklin would find
amazing vindication Of his president
judgement when he saked his interroga-
tor "Of what Use Was a New Born
Babe Since he thus spoke have
come Professor Morse's telegraph.
Professor Alexander Graham Balls
telephone, Edison's photograph, De-
.lany's 1000 words a minute Telepost
automatic telegraph, Westinghouse 6
wonderful mechanical inventions, Elias
Howe's sewing machine, Nc ormick s
reaper, Marconi's wireless and &
thousand and one other wonderful
electrical and mechanical devices thai
multiply mans usefulness. The high
powered cycIinder press has displaced
the foot press of ''Poor Richards time
and the linotype the setting CT type by
hand Since he passed away the negro
and the Russian serf have beer
emancipated, Napo!eonism crushed
from the earth and the doctrine OF
republicanism widely disseminated.
We have had four wars but are gfsater
and more prosperous than ever before.
with wealth of SIPS, 600, 900, 900 twice
that of Great Britain and three times
that of either France or Germany
Truly might he now say-if he ,coulC
come back -"Of what use is new
born babe"