OCR Text |
Show TALE OP POLLY SAKE. Hoax ot Benjamin Frnkin Tit Pooled French Hlatorlan. Wheo Benjamin Franklin waa on hit famous mission kn Paris he- an4 SI I In Doane were ono day discussing tho numerous errors they found In the Abba Raynal's "HIstorl des Deux IntWs," when the author of that work happened to come In upon them. They told the good man the subject of their conversation, and the abbe Immediately Immediate-ly denied that thero wero any errors In his history. Ills attention was called to tho story of a certain Polly Haker, and au eloquent elo-quent address which tho abbo credited credit-ed her with making before a Massachusetts Massa-chusetts court Tho abbo Insisted thnt It was a true story, but admitted that he could not remember his authority au-thority for It Dr. Kranklln was shaking shak-ing with laughter during tho protestations protesta-tions of tho learned Frenchman At last he said1 "I will tell you, abbe, the origin of that stor) When I was a printer and editor of a newspaper news-paper wo were sometimes slack ot news, and to amuse our customers I used to till up our vacant columns with anecdotes anil tablfi and fancies of my own, und this tale of Polly Haker is one of my making " |