Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-01-21
FRANKLIN DAY
OBSERVED BY
ADVERTISERS
Ad, Club Hears Address by J.
r. Hobbins, E. H. Cooney
and A. III. Duncan.

The Great Falls Ad club observed
Ben Franklin day Friday at its lunch
con at Hotel Rainbow with program
devoted to addresses on the career and
achievements Of the philosopher, pub
Usher and scientist of colonial days
who, speakers declared, was the great
est man America ever produced. y.
H. Cooney, editor of The Leader; j.
r. Hobbins, manager of the Montana
Power company, and II. A. Duncan
Of the Great Falls Iron Works, in or
der discussed Franklin as a News
paper Man and Publisher Franklin,
inventor and Discoverer of Electric
ity,' and Franklin as an Advertising
Man."
Mr.. Duncan asserted that with his
charming personality, his profound
knowledge and his brilliant wit, Frank
vertised America that he convinced
the French that a new nation was
about to be born in the western hemis-
phere, and thereby performed for his
country the greatest servic of his dis
tinguished career.
Was Publicity Expert
The other achievements of Frank
lin have been deg1t with so much that
his ability as an advertiser have been
overlooked, Mr.. Duncan stated. In
proved himself a publicity expert, he
continued, although certain of his
methods might have had the attention
of present day publicists who sub
scribe to the slogan: Truth in Ad-
vertising.
| The speaker recounted the incident
| in which Franklin announced that his
competitor would die on a certain date.
| The competitor denounced him for the
assertion. and when he lived past the
| designated date. wrote another scath-
ing article. To this Franklin replied
| that had the competitor been alive
such an article would not have appear
ed. Poor Richards almanac continu-
ed to thrive. and the publication of the
competitor disappeared.
Was Inventor
| Mr.. Cooney referred to Franklin as
newspaper man who, at As, retired
with a fortune, and declared that no
body has done it since. The speaker
! followed Franklin through his early
years. and stated that much Of his
success was achieved through hard
work. AS an inventor said Mr.. Coon
ey, Franklin is remembered as the or
| iginator of what is now known to the
| printing trade as the matrix, of the
art of casting type. the copper plate
and the copper plate press. printer S
| ink and other devices used in the
printing trade.
| Mr.. Hobbins' address was a nara
! ton of Franklin's career, necessarily
summarized but extremely interesting
to his audience. Il had. in common
| Ill $bonrht nf
| Franklin only as the man with the key
and the kite he stated, but when ]
| came to read of him / became con-
vinced that America has never had an
other man who eaualled him in diver
sified knowledge and extraordinary
achievements. That he did not fur
ther advance his inventions was due
to the fact that he was called to the
work of a statesman before he could
work out his ideas. He was tremen-
| dously curious as to the cause and eff
feet and from that characteristic came
much that stimulated his efforts
Founded Society
Mr.. Hobbins said that Franklin first
established the theory of oil and troub-
led waters. first discovered the source
of lead poisoning, first preached ven
| IIldLltu, llESt dGfduGtu tuS tuSply VI
! fertilization. first advocated street
paving, advanced the science of street
lighting. originated the first fire de-
partment. materially developed the sys-
! tenn of police protection, and, after
having entered upon larger work
| founded the American Philosophical
society and became member of the
Royal society of London.
Franklin's work in electricity had
no commercial development during his
lifetime, said the speaker. Mr.. Hob
bins recounted the story of the key
and the kite and the additional knowl-
edge of electricity which resulted from
his experiments.
Jesse r. Owens, secretary of the
Associated Industries, declared in s
brief address that the present differ
ences between striking cooks and wait
ers and employers have little or moth
ing to do with the wage scale. The
wage question could be settled in five
minutes, he stated, but the fight was
for and against the American plan. FL.
demanded that everybody take a posi-
ton in the controversy. declaring thai
history makes no reference to the neu
trail. He stated that at half dozer
restaurants it has been declared tina
when the mattresses walked out the!
said that if they did not strike the.
would be tarred and feathered ant
driven out of the city.