The Washington herald., 1913-07-26
FRANKLINS Will
SECURED Intact
Centmy-OId and CrumbEng
Document Restored to
Original Form.
ORIGINAL TRADE PRAISED
Great Historical Figure Proud Of Be-
sinning-Bequests 10 Family
and Charity.
ORIGINAL TRADE PRAISED

Philadelphia, July BAH controversies
regarding the disposition OF the estate OF
BENJAMIN Franklin have been settled by
the restoration of his will by the manu-
script repair department of the Histori-
cal Society Of Pennsylvania The docu-
ment. which was recently -esurrected
from vault under the City HaiPfor the
purpose of verifying an office copy, was
found to have deteriorated SO much dur
ing more than a century of obscurity
that IT was practically undecipherable.
Through the renovating process to which
IL was subjected IL has regained much of
its original freshness and legibility. max
ing 1t possible for every detail to be
understood.
Pieces Are Reassenbled.
Natural decreptitude. mold and mildew
had all left their mark on the ten sheets
making up the document. great pieces OF
" hich had cracked and crumbled away,
while the goose-quiIl penmanship had be-
come almost obliterated at places.
After the pieces had been reassembled
and much of the discoloration removed
the papers were incased In an envelope
OF transparent silk, which has added
many years to its life. and will permit
of it being handled by many generations
to come. It Is not likely. however. that
the document will be exposed to public
view except on extraordinary occasions.
Some of the items Of this famous docu-
ment and its codicl which were not
copied in full on the record books are
highly interesting and curious. The won
derful character and simplicity Of the
great statesman are shown in the very
first sentence Of the instrument in which
he describes himself first as a printer.
~ In cfnD a ~ which he q
livelihood above the honorable titles con-
ferred upon him by his country. as fol-
lows:
II. BENJAMIN Franklin, printer. late
Minister Pienipotentiary from the United
States Of America to the Court OF
France. now President OF the State OF
Pennsylvania. do make and declare my
last will and testament"
Left Large Estate.
1T has been an opinion" he wrote,
that he who receives an estate from his
ancestors is under obligation to transmit
the same to posterity. This obligation
does not lie on me, who never received a
shilling from any ancestor or relative
yet I shall. however. IL 1t Is not dimin-
ished by some accident be,ore my death,
leave a considerable estate among my
descendants and relatives. II having
been a fixed political opinion OF mine
that In a democratic State there ough,
to be no offices of profit. 1t was my in
tention when I accepted the ONCE OF
President to devote the appointed salary
to public uses" In accordance with thi.
last item provision is made for endow-
ments to various schools, colleges.
churches and other public enterprises.
One Of the requests in the will is made
to his son-in-law, Richard Bache. on
condition that the latter free his negro
man Bob" His son William, once Gov
ernor OF the Jerseys, VINO opposed him
in his activities in the interest Of indie
pendence, was cut on with a tract OF
land in Nova Scotia, few small sums
previously loaned and a collection OF
books. The part he acted against me
in the late war" he said, which is OF
public notoriety. will account for my