Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1919-01-17
CELEBRATING "pOOR
RICHARDS" BIRTHDAY
Government Has Pictures Ready For
Every Member in the Family. Ben
jamin Franklin Helped Unite Our
Own United States, and Gave Us
Gifts We Shall Never Cease Using

The 2Ioth birthday or benjamin
Franklin whose picture adorns the
1919 or Franklin issue Of War Saw
ings stamps, will receive unique recog
milton from the country which gave
him birth and which he in turn
helped to make nation bestoWing up
on it the numerous fruits of his great
talent.
Born in Boston on January IL, two
hundred and thirteen years ago, fiji
teenth child in struggling family OF
seventeen, he began his career at the
age of ten in his fathers trade Of tai
low chandler and soap boiler. Dissat-
isfied, he was allowed later to become
an apprentice in his brothers printing
office, and such was his character that
from a poor printers devil he quickly
rose to an influential position and sub
sequently became one of the most illus
trious figures of all times.
He not only amassed wealth. through
wise spending, sane saving and secure
investment. but saved time to give
himself a complete education, develop
ing his gifts to the utmost as a writer,
philosopher, scientist and statesman.
He founded the Philadelphia library.
the American Philosophical Society
and the University of Pennsylvania :
he discovered that lightning is dis
charge of electricity: he was postmas-
ter Of Philadelphia and later on Dep
uty Postmaster General of the British
Colonies in America a signer of the
Declaration of Independence and Min
lister of Plenipotentiary from t h e
an age when there were no typewriters,
no telephones and few facilities for
travelling
Franklin always ascribed his
achievements to careful saving and
spending-of money, of time, of ener-
gy. A childish experience in the folly
Of waste, and the lesson he learned
then was applied during the rest of
his life
A great part of his writings were de-
voted to the happiness and other bene
fits resulting from thrift and he took
pains to make clear the distinction be-
tween miserliness and sane saving
just as he did the difference between
leisure and laZiness.
In Franklins day the almanac was
the most popular form of literature
and for years Franklin was the author
of an almanac signed by one Richard
Saunders in which much information
regarding the weather, medicine, etc,
was mingled with much wisdom eman-
ating from Poor Richard" These
sayings have become familiar to every
American.
For instance. Poor Richard" said
Time is money Lost time is never
found again. What we call enough
always proves little enough. He that
waits upon fortune is never sure of a
dinner Look before or you'll find
yourself behind. Beware of small eX-
penses small leak will sink great
ship. Learning is to the studious and
riches to the careful"
So, on Franklins birthday anniver-
sary, the United States pays to it's
great counsellor the fine compliment
of putting his teachings into practice.
Judicious buying, wise saving and safe
investment are to be the watchwords
for individuals and the nation during
1910 And that they may not be mere
words the government is issuing an
other series of Savings stamps, as a
stimulant TO saving and an absolutely
each stamp appears the picture of Ben
iamin Franklin.