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Show (today in history MONDAY, JANUARY 17. Today Is tho blrthdav of Benjamin Frunklln, and oven In Philadelphia, the scene of his im-atcst labors and where he lies hurled, very llttlo recognition Is takon of the dny and only a passing thought given to tho one-tlmo reat philosopher, statCBinan, diplomat, sclen-tlllc sclen-tlllc discoverer, philanthropist, niornlliU and wit, n h well tin "a writer of ISngllsh who was surpassed hy few men of his time." Franklin was born In Bonton on January Jan-uary 17, 170fi. Schools In those days woro not free, and Franklin's parents could not afford to send him to school aflor he was 10 years old, but Instead, at that early ago, ho was put to work hi the shop of his father, who was a poor tullow chandler. Two yean; later, his brother having gone Into the publishing busings, ho was apprenticed to him for n small sum. and by reading at the noon hour, when oilier workmen were put out of the nhop, and at night, by poring over his books In his beuroom, he soon acquired a fund of knowledge considerably consider-ably bovond boys of his years. This was tho beginning of his career as a writer. Ho delivered papers to subscribers, sub-scribers, set type and worked the lever of the printing press. All tho timo he was studying every spare moment, and writing articles that would havo been a credit to a mature mind. This faculty with the pen brought young Ben Into contact, through tho columns of the newspaper, news-paper, with some of the brightest men of Boston, and tho boy was ofti a match for them. Ills brother, having como Into dhifavor with tho authorities, Ben became editor or tho paper nt the age of 16. and was the most actlvo editor Boston had over heard of. A later disagreement between tho two on account of Ben's popularity, led to the boy's running away, and ho took a boat for New York, and unable to nnd employment thero. and with his monoy reduced to a few shillings, he started for Philadelphia. His own description or that first morning morn-ing In Philadelphia Is a school book classic. In It may bo seen the future great man, trudging about the strange city, looking at the odd signs and houses, wondering at Its serene and quiet atmosphere atmos-phere and at tho sober garb of the Quakers. Quak-ers. Even beforo he had reached his lodging he say tho woman destined to bo his wife, Deborah Franklin. From this humble heglnnlng In a great city Franklin grow to be Its foremost citizen, and many years before he died his fame had spread all over tho civilized world. Of tho many 'great things that Franklin accomplished, none have left a more Indclllblo Impression than his homely home-ly philosophy as told In his Poor Richard maxims, a few selected ones- of which are as follows: "God helps them that, help themselves." "Plow deep wbllo sluggards sleep." "Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do todny." "Little strokes foil great oaks." "lie that goes a borrowing goes a sorrowing." sor-rowing." "It Is hard for an empty bag to stand upright." When Franklin died In 1790. at tho ago of SI, MIrabcan. tho great French statesman, states-man, paid him this trlbulo In tho legislature legis-lature of his country. "Antiquity would have raised altars to this mighty genius, who. to tho advantage advan-tage of mankind, compassing In his mind the heavens nnd the earth, was able to restrain alike, thunderbolts and tyrants." Other Important events recalled by the day aro tho battle of Cowpens (17S1); birth of Mozart (1750). Caleb Cushlng (1800), and Samuel II. Pook. the pioneer advocate and builder of Ironclads, In 1827. |