The Glenwood post., 1924-01-24
uncIe Ted's Bed Time Stories
Current Events for the Children
and orown-ups, Too
FRANK11N-aREArEsr AMERICAN

k6ANh1IN-GREA AMERICAN
"Well, wish they would make it a
holiday, so we wouldn It have to 20 to
school," exclaimed Ruth.
$50 do L. responded Jack.
"Make what hohdayf" inquired
Uncle Ted.
Benjamin Franklin g birthday-the
18th Of January" replied both chill
dren, eagerly.
"Well, now, don t think Benjamin
Franklin would like that very well, if
he had anything to say about it, re-
marked Uncle Ted. "Franklin was not
much of hand to go off on holiday.
He believed in work. 1t altogether
likely that if Franklin IS birthday were
made holiday for the purpose Of hon
oring his memory and emphasizing his
achievements, we would do everything
under the sun except follow his exam.
ple."
"Tell us something about Franklin, -
urged Ruth. "About all I know of
him was that he sent up a kite and
held key near it and got some cleo
tricity from the clouds. There is pic
ture of that in one Of my books"
"That picture just illustrates one
line of Franklin g accomplishments, -
replied Uncle Ted. "He wa soen o.
our early students of electricity and
made some discoveries and announced
some principles which have been con.
firmed by all subsequent investiga.
tions. But it was not in electrical in.
vsstigations that Franklin rendered
his greatest service.
"The fact of the matter is that, all
things considered, Franklin has been
our greatest American. Washington is
known as the Father of his country. as
Lincoln was its savior. and both OF
those men deserve all the praise that
can be given them. But neither OF
them served the country and its people
in as many ways as did Franklin.
Franklin was our greatest diplo
mat and succeeded in securing the aid
of France in our Revolutionary war
He negotiated and signed the treaty
of.peace under which our independence
was recognized. He made multitude
of friends for the colonies not only in
France but in Great Britain. Every.
body who knew him respected and
loved him because of his splendid char.
acter and genial spirit
"Franklin had very little scheol ed
ucation, and began work as a printer
when he was Is years old but he read
and stndie7 during his spare time ani
became one of the best educated mer
of his time. He became a master print
er when he was IT, at which age h,
left his native town of Boston ani
went to Philadelphia where he was th'
best printer in the city. 1t was il
Philadelphia that he did the work tina
made him famous.
"I won't have time to tell YOU al
about Franklin, so I will just 'hit tn
his accomplishments for the materia
welfare of the people I may mention
his invetion of the stove, which KEEP
people IS homes much warmer with ia
less fuel than was possible with tn
fireplace previously in use. He mad
the plans and supervised the work fo
the first street paving, organized TIL
fire department of Philadelphia, an
established system of street cleaning
"Franklin founded the University o
Pennsylvania, established the first cir
culating library in the United States
founded the publication which was the
the best of its kind in the Unite
States and, under new name,. sti
continues in that class. He formed dt
batting clubs which kept the people II
terested in and informed upon publ
questions. He organized military con
panies for the defense of the Pennsy
vania colony against the Indians. Whe
General Braddock could not get horse
and wagons and teamsters to carr
supplies on his expedition against For
Duquesne, Franklin gave his persona
obligation to the settlers and secure
the aid necessary.
"Tn 1853, more than 90 years afte
the Revolution, Franklin was dele
gate to an intercolonial congress n
Albany, New York, and proposed