The Printer Boy Or How Benjamin Franklin Made His Mark An Examp

"Not very flattering, I am sorry to say. Dull times, my son, very dull indeed. But I can tell you where you can find employment, I think. My son carries on the printing business...

"Then get yourself ready to go in the Annis," said the Governor. The Annis was the annual ship that sailed between Philadelphia and London, and the only one, at that time, which...

When Benjamin was ten years old he had acquired all the education his father thought he could afford to give him. He could write a very good hand, and read fluently, though his...

Agreeably to the arrangement with Meredith, Benjamin made out an inventory of articles, which were immediately ordered from England. In the mean time he expected to find work at...

"You will have to be a tallow-chandler, after all, when your brother gets married and goes away," said one of Benjamin's associates to him. He had heard that an older son of Mr....

We have followed the subject of this volume from the time he paid _too dear for his whistle_, to the period when he was well established in business. We have seen what his chara...

Hitherto Benjamin had lived contentedly in Philadelphia, striving to forget Boston and old familiar scenes as much as possible. No one at home knew of his whereabouts, except hi...

"All aboard!" exclaimed Benjamin, and so saying he bounded into the boat that lay at the water's edge. "Now for a ride: only hurry up, and make the oars fly;" and several boys l...

"Well, Benjamin," said his father, laying down his violin, upon which he was wont to play in the evening, for his own and children's amusement, "how should you like to go to sch...

Benjamin was intimate, at this time, with a youth by the name of John Collins. He was intelligent, sprightly, and fond of books, so that he was a very agreeable companion. They...

Not long after James was released from prison, a fresh difficulty arose between Benjamin and himself. In the quarrel they seemed to forget that they were brothers, who ought to...

"I might keep him along for the present," said he to his wife, "but I am satisfied that I cannot carry him through. My family expenses are now very great, and they will be still...

On the 23rd day of July, 1726, Benjamin sailed for Philadelphia, in company with Mr. Denham. After a successful and rather pleasant voyage of nearly three months, they reached P...

"How much will you allow me a week if I will board myself?" inquired Benjamin of James. "It costs you now more than you need to pay." James was still boarding Benjamin in a fami...

"Yes," replied Mr. Franklin, to the inquiry of a friend who was dining with him; "my ancestors were inured to hardships, and I myself am not altogether a stranger to them. I had...

On the seventeenth day of January, 1721, James Franklin began to issue a newspaper, called "THE NEW ENGLAND COURANT." It was the third one at the time in the whole country. The...

Soon after Franklin returned from England, he was instrumental in forming his literary associates into a club for mutual improvement, called the "JUNTO," which met every Friday...

"Oh, it is Mr. Bradford!" exclaimed Benjamin, surprised at meeting the old printer whom he saw in New York, and who directed him to his son, Andrew Bradford, of Philadelphia. "I...

After Benjamin had worked at cutlery a suitable time, his father went to close the bargain, and make out the papers for his apprenticeship. But, to his surprise, his nephew dema...

"What have you there?" inquired James, one day, looking over Benjamin's shoulder at some composition which he held in his hand. "Ay! poetry, is it? Then you are a poet, are you?...

It was a bright, welcome holiday to little Benjamin Franklin, when his kind parents put some coppers into his pocket, to spend as he saw fit. Possibly it was the first time he w...

On his return, Benjamin sailed in a sloop to New York, where he had arranged to meet Collins. They put in at Newport on business, where he had a good opportunity to visit his br...

At this point it is necessary to speak of Benjamin's associates. He was not long in finding new acquaintances in Philadelphia. His industry and general good habits won the respe...

"Doing?" answered James; "doing their business, I suppose;"--a reply that did not indicate precisely his knowledge of the legislative doings, since he had heard of the business...

Benjamin was so highly gratified with the favourable remarks he heard about his articles, and especially that different persons, in guessing who the author might be, usually gue...

The Printer Boy and Man--His Brother reconciled to him--Rears his Nephew--Holds important Offices--Refuses Patent of a Stove--Gift to English Clergyman--Improves Street Lamps--F...

Interview with Governor Keith--Arrangements to go to England in the Annis--Only one vessel a year to sail--Still works for Keimer--The latter a singular Man--Experiment of a Veg...

Calls on Printer Bradford in New York--No Work--Recommended to go to Philadelphia--Arranges for the Trip--Starts for Philadelphia--The Drunken Dutchman--His wet Volume and Bottl...

Put to Candle-making at Ten Years of Age--His Father a Tallow- chandler--Benjamin opposed to it--Importance of Industry--His Father's Hive without Drones--Benjamin's Maxims abou...

A Literary Club--What Franklin said of it--A New Proposition for a Library--Scarcity of Books--Franklin the Father of Circulating Libraries--Size of the First Library now--Quest...

The Unexpected Letter--Benjamin's Reply--Governor Keith calls to see him--Surprise of Keimer--Invites him to the Tavern--Advises him to set up Business for Himself--Benjamin's O...

Talk about School--Brothers at Trades--Benjamin for the Church-- Early learned to Read--Long Process of Preparation for the Ministry--"Uncle Benjamin's" Remarks and Offer--Who i...

Still Opposed to Candle-making--A Dirty, Simple Business--Wants to do something that requires Ingenuity--His Father and Mother conferring together--"A rolling stone gathers no m...

Starting the Third Newspaper in America--Opposition to it--Number of Newspapers now--Forty Million Sheets from Eight Presses--Seventy-one Miles a day of Newspapers from One Offi...

Dispute with John Collins--A Bookish Fellow--The Education of Girls--The Controversial Correspondence--His Father finds the Letters--His Criticisms--Collins _versus_ Benjamin--B...

Arrival in Philadelphia--Calls on Keimer--Meets Governor Keith in the Street--Interview with Miss Read--His want of Fidelity--Denham opened a Store, and Benjamin was his Clerk--...

Taken Away from Cousin Samuel--His Brother's Return from England-- Setting Up the Printing Business--Proposal to Benjamin--A Long Apprenticeship--Benjamin disposed to turn Print...

Conversation between Mr. and Mrs. Franklin--Decision to Remove Benjamin from School--Trials of Ministers--Bread before Learning--Subject opened to Benjamin--His Feelings--Charac...

Sails for New York--Stops at Newport and visits his Brother--The New Passengers--The Old Quaker Lady's Attention--A Narrow Escape--Arrival in New York--Collins there first and i...

"All Abroad"--The Quagmire--Proposal to build a Wharf--The Heap of Stones--Plan to steal them--Time set in the Evening--The Plan executed--The Wharf done--Keeping the Secret--Be...

Eager to Own the Pieces--Discloses the Authorship to James-- Interview with the Club--Surprise that Benjamin wrote them-- Treated with Attention by the Club--Oppressed by James-...

Action of General Court to Arrest James Franklin for Libel--The Legislative Order--James imprisoned four weeks, and Benjamin arrested, but discharged--The immediate Cause of the...

The Inventory--Keimer's Message--At Burlington--Friends made there--Interview with the Surveyor-general--Opening his Office-- Samuel Mickle--His Croaking--The Result--Poetical N...

A Quarrel--Asserting his Freedom--Statement of the Case--Appeal to his Father--His Father's Decision--Leaves his Brother--Fails to get Work--Charged with being an Infidel--Plans...

Interview with a Friend--His Ancestors--Their Hardships--Denied Liberty of Conscience--The Bible under the Stool--Leaving the Church of England--Emigration for Religious Freedom...

The Holiday--The Coppers in Benjamin Franklin's Pocket--Inquiry-- Bounding Out--The Toy-Shop Then and Now--The Boy and his Whistle--Resolved to Purchase--The Bargain--Going Home...

Proposition to board Himself--Became a Vegetarian by Reading Tryon's Book--Why he did it--How much Money he saved by doing it--Spent it for Books--How much Time saved also--Cock...

The Three Associates--Their Characters--Discussion about Poets and Poetry--A Proposition to Paraphrase the Eighteenth Psalm--Osborne's Prejudice, and how to prove him--Benjamin...

A Piece of Poetry--Pronounced Good--Proposition to Print his Articles--"The Lighthouse Tragedy"--A Sailor's Song--Printing them--Selling them in the Streets--A Successful Enterp...

Call upon Andrew Bradford--His Surprise--Disappointment--Directed to Keimer--The Interview--Advantage of Thoroughness--Benjamin did things well--Bradford's Talk with Keimer--Kei...