The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-01-02

ACd dress, my best clothes
lysSrSo being to come round by
sea. / was dirty from
my journey; my pockets were stuffed
out with shirts and stockings, and |
knew no soul nor where to look for
lodging. l was fatigued with travel
ing, rowing, and want of rest; was
very hungry; and my whole stock of
cash consisted of a Dutch dollar and
about a shilling in copper. The latter
/ gave the people of the boat for my
passage, who at first refused it, on
account of my rowing, but / insisted
on their taking it; man being some
times more generous when he has but
little money than when he has
plenty, perhaps through fear of be-
ing thought to have but little.
"Then l walked up the street, gaz-
ing about, till near the market-house
l met a boy with bread / had made
many meal on bread, and inquiring
where he got it, 1 went Immediately
to the bakers he directed me to, in
SCSohu SCts anu oShSu lOi Di'oNuits
intending such as we had in Boston;
but they, it seems, were not made in
Philadelphia. Then l asked for a
threepenny loaf, and was told they
had none such. SO, not considering
or knowing the difference of money,
and the greater cheapness nor the
names of his bread, l babe him give
me threepenny worth of any sort. He
gave me, accordingly. three great puffy
rolls. l was surprised at the quantity,
but took it, and having no room in my
pockets, walked off with roll under
each arm and eating the other. Thus
I went up Market street as far as
Fourth street, passing by the door of
Mr.. Read, my future wife's father;
when she, standing at the door, saw
me, and thought made, as certainly
did, most awkward. ridiculous ap-
pearance. Then I turned and went
down Chestnut street and part of Wal
nut street, eating my roll, all the way,
and coming round found myself again
at Market street wharf; and being
filed with one of my rolls, gave the
other two to a woman and her child
that came down the river in the boat
with US, and were waiting to go far
Their.
''Thus refreshed I walked again up
the street, which by this time had
many clean-dressed people in it, who
were all walking the same way. 1
Joined them, and thereby was led into
the great meeting house of the Quak-
ers near the market 1 sat down
among them, and after looking around
awhile and hearing nothing said, fell
fast asleep, and continued so till the
meeting broke up, when one was kind
enough to rouse me. This was there
fore the first house l was in, or slept
in, in Philadelphia"
This tired, hungry, poorly-clad youth
was Benjamin Franklin, and the resi-
dents of Philadelphia who saw him
that October morning so long ago lit
tie realized how much their city was
to be indebted to him in the years to
come and how he was to achieve
worldwide fame as scientist, a phi
lOsOpher and a statesman. If Benja-
min Franklin were to come back to
Philadelphia today and retrace his
footsteps of more than century ago,
he would, of course, be amazed at the
changes that have taken place. But
what would surprise him most, no
dOlIhf unnld 10 fhn Cin ;oh he
would behold on the parkway facing
Logan Circle. For there he would see
great building arising on a three
acre plot Of ground, and if he asked
some passer-by what it was, he would
be told 'the Franklin Memorial and
Franklin Institute Museum"
For Philadelphia is erecting a mag
nificent monument to the man who,
in the words of one of the sponsors
of the movement, "glorified common
sense" and the plans call for its COM
pletion in the spring of 1882. 1t is
not 10 be an image in marble or
bronze, or monolith towering above
the city's sky line, but a working lab
oratory wherein the progress of the
world, from the first writings of man
to his latest achievements in all fields
of endeavor, will be set forth in tan
gible form as stimulus to inventive
genius and cultural advancement.
This, in brief, is to be the monu-
ment to Benjamin Franklin which the
Poor Richard club Of Philadelphia has
been sponsoring for long time and
which is just now taking definite form.
For long time the people of Phil
adelphia knew that plans were in the
making for living tribute to the man
who had been the city's most distin-
guished, resourceful and productive
citizen. AT nearly every meeting of
the Poor Richard club in recent years
there was report of the committee
WORKING on the Franklin memorial.