White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-01-02
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kY SlI dress, my best clothes
tsS<ySSo being to come round by
sea. I was dirty from
my journey; my pockets were stuffed
out with SHIRTS and stockings, and l
knew no soul nor where to look for
lodging. 1 ,sas fatigued with travel
Ing, rowing, and want of rest; was
very hungry; and my whole stock of
cash consisted of Dutch dollar and
about shilling in copper. The latter
gave the people Of the boat for my
passage, who at first refused 1t, on
account Of sny 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 / walked up the street, gaz-
Ing about, till near the market-house
met boy with bread. had made
many a meal on bread, and inquiring
where he got 1t, went Immediately
to the bakers he directed me to, in
second street, and asked for biscuit,
intending such as we had in Boston;
but they, it seems, were not made in
Philadelphia. Then / asked for
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, / babe him give
me threepenny worth Of any sort. He
gave me, accordingly, three great puffy
rolls. was surprised at the quantity,
but took it, and having no room in my
pockets, walked off with roll under
zach arm and eating the other. Thus
[ 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 turned and went
down Chestnut street and part of Wal
nut street, eating my roll, all the way,
and coming round found myself again
ut Market street wharf; and being
filed with one of my rolls, gave the
other two to 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
maIy clean-dressed people In it, who
were all walking the same way.
Joined them, and thereby was led into
the great meeting house Of the Quak-
erE near the market. / sat down
amoag them, and after looking around
awhile and hearing nothing said, fell
fast asleep, and continued so till the
msating broke up, when one was kind
enough to rouse me. This was there
fofs the first house was III, or slept
u. m Philadelphia"
This tired, hungry, poorly-clad youth
was Benjamin Franklin, and the resi-
denes 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
cone and how he was to achieve
worldwide fame as a scientist, phi
tosopher and 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
w.lat would surprise him most, no
dcpbt, would be the sight which he
would behold on the parkway facing
Logan Circle. For there he would see
a great building arising OH three
ac.a plot of ground, and If he asked
son.4 passer-by what it was, he would
be told "the Franklin Memorial and
Franklin Institute Museum"
Fer 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 1892 1t is
not to be an image in marble or
bronze, or monolith towering above
the city's sky line, but working lab.
oratory wherein the progress of the
world, from the first writings Of man
10 he is.est achievements in all fielos
Of endeavor, will be set forth In tau