Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-30

/
Special Correspondence of Tho Sta
BOSTON. July 20. 1911.
BENJAMIN Franklin was born in 1706,
| at No. II MIX street. Boston. The site
Of the house Is now GOV.
Eranklin'S cred by an Office build
n.A,, ing bearing bis name
oAA'APAace' and having his bust
over the door. Daniel Webster was born
nearby. at 12s Summer street, and Sam
uel Adams at 262 Purchase street, also In
the same ne ghborhood. which is now the
wholesale section Of the city. Benjamin
Franklin's father, who was q ship chan
dler. and his mother are buried In the
Old Granary burying ground on fremont
street in the northeast corner of the Com
mon. Samuel Adams John Hancock and
Paul Revere lie near him. as do other dis
tinguished Statesmen and patriots. It is
little difficult to reconcile some Of these
circumstances with the legends of Frank
Inns youth, particularly that story about
his wandering around gnawing a loaf OF
bread. His father was q man Of good
standing and some wealth: his brother
had prosperous printing office, and
BENJAMIN was bound OUT to HIM as an
apprentice when he was twelve years
old.
Franklin died in Philadelphia and IL
buried in the Quaker cemetery In the
center Of the bus-es wholesale section
Of that city. where his tomb may be
seen from the sidewalk.
While president Of the commonwealth
Of Pennsylvania, the 18th Of July. 11SS,
Franklin made his will. In which he re-
New Jersey. and malignant tory
throughout the revolution. in these
words: -.
late war, which is Of public notoriety,
will account for my leaving him no more
of an estate than he endeavored to de-
prive me Of
Then. after disposing of other family
matters. he continued: II was born In
New England and owe my first instruc-
ton In literature to the free grammar
schools established there" and as an &C.
acknowledgement he bequeathed ElOO ster-
ling. the interest upon which was to De
used to distribute medals to worthy
ton. which was done annually for nearly
a century, but the practice Is now limited
to the Latin and high schools.
The following year. Juno q, 17so. he
executed a codicil In which he leaves
s1OOO ito the Inhabitants
Request to of the town Of Boston and
-, the same to the city Of
oosseu. Philadelphia, to be man
aged by the selectmen. with the ministers
Of the oldest Episcopalian. Congregational
and Presbyterian churches. the money to
be let at per cent interest to young mar
risd artificers under twenty-five years OF
age serving an apprenticeship. furnishing
two sureties to repay
He goes ON to say: 1T is presumed
that there will always be found In Boston
virtuous and benevolent citizens willing to
bestow a part Of their time In doing good
to the rising generation by experimenting
and managing this institution gratis"
He then says that at the end Of 100
years the sum will then be 31.0OO.
Of which I would have the managers Of
lay out at their discretion 100000 in
public works which may be Of most gen.
eral utility to the inhabitants, such
as Notifications. bridges. aaueducts.
o pr wha,evee may 'a make viae 'n
the town more convenient to its people.
and render It more agreeable to strangers
resorting tn Their fo- health or q tenn
porary residence: The remaining $4,000
interest in the manner above directed, for
another 100 years. al hope 1t will have
been found that the institution has had
a good effect on the conduct Of youth.
and been of service to many worthy
characters and useful citizens. At the
end Of this second term, II no unfortunate
accident has prevented the operation. the
sum will be "a, O61. 600 sterling, Of which l
leave E1.O61, 600 to the disposition Of the
inhabitants of the town of Boston, and
e3 10000 to the disposition Of the gov
eminent Of the state, not presuming to
carry my Views farther"
xA
The provision for letting out to young
artificers, and the prediction az to the
increase. did not meet
Not Many with the success Frank
I'm antfcfDated I'm to