Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-01-17

Philadelphia today is paying tribute to
the memory of her greatest oitizen-Ben-
jamin Franklin. Throughout the city, and
the country as well, schools and patriotic
societies arc holding fitting exercises in
honor of the great American. who was
born 21O years ago yesterday. In this city
the Poor Richard Club, as customary. is
taking the lead in paying homage to the
man who first harness I'd electricity ana
who contributed so largely to the educa-
tional and governmental development OF
this nations early days.
At the suggestion of the Poor Richard
Club. nearly every school In the city
opened this morning with Franklin eXer-
cses" In several of the high schools
members of the Poor Richard Club spoke,
reviewing Frankln's life and calling 10
mind the great debt we owe to MIN. Ine
club sent a memorial to each school III
the city to be read today.
At / o'clock the Poor Richards placed
a wreath on the grave of the phil
osopher in the old burylng grounds at
9TH and Arch streets. Following
luncheon at the clubhouse, 239 South Ca
mac street, the members proceeded TO
the Quaker burial grounds In autotho-
biles. led by mounted police.
At the grave the Rev. DIR. l.. Z. Wash-
burn, of Christ C, urch, led in prayer. and
Dr. Z. ]. Cattell. City Statistician and a
member of the Poor Richard Club. deliv-
cred an oration on Franklin. The wreath
was placed upon the grave by X. H. Dur
bin, president of the club. Among the
guests who attended the exercises at the
grave were Governor Brumbaugh Mayor
Smith, Dr. Edgar Fahs Smith, pro-
vost of the University of PennsylVa-
mia; DR.. Walton Clark, president FRANK
lin Institute; DR.. John Bach McMaster,
president of the Franklin Inn Clup' ana
General Louis A. Watres, right worship
full master of the Grand Lodge OF rehh-
sylvania. +. and a. Nj.
AT the same hour as these exercises
were being held Representative :. Hamp-
ton Moore was speaking in washington
and referred to them.
AT o'clock this afternoon Hampton u.
Carson, ex-State Attorney General, VIII
deliver an illustrated lecture on Franklin
I'm the auditorium of the Houston Club
at the University of Pennsylvania. the
meeting will be open to the public.
The climax of the days exercises, how
ever. will be the annual Franklin dinner
given by the Poor Richard Club In the
ballroom of the Bellevue-Stratford at
! o'clock this evening. Poor Richards
from all over the country will be pres
ent and the program contains the names
of several speakers OF national note.
The leader of the occasion VIII be an
address on business preparedness py
George w. Perkins, financial hacker or
the Progressive party and former steel
Corporation magnate. Herbert $. Hous-
ton, new president OF the Associated Al
vertising Clubs of the World, will also
sneak Among the others will be Lafe
Young, Jr., of Des Moines. Iowa; Samuel
Dobbs, of Atlanta. Ga; former National
President Woodhead. of San Francisco
and Dr. Il. j. Cattell, who will deliver the
toast TO Franklin.
In addition to the eating and speaking
which always go with banqpets' the
Poor Richards committee promises some
original surprises In the way of enter
tainment. What the stunts are to be
they, of course, will not tell, but 1t Is
certain that they are going TO be out OF
the ordinary.