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Article BRO. DR. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, ← Page 2 of 2 Article BRO. DR. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, Page 2 of 2
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Bro. Dr. Benjamin Franklin,
" If you would know tho valne of money , go and try to borrow some ; for he who goes a borrowing goes a sorrowing . " Such are a few of Poor Richard ' s maxims . Their popularity provoked tbe jealousy of some of his rivals . In 1736 Franklin wrote : " They say , in short , that there is no such man as I am ; and thoy have spread abroad this notion so thoroughly that I have frequently
been told it to my face , by those that do not know me . ... I need not have taken any notice of so idle a report , if it had not been for the sake of my printer , to whom my enemies were pleased to ascribe my productions ; and who , it seems , is as unwilling to father my offspring , as I am to lose credit for it . " Here we may remark that Franklin was a born humourist , as well
as a born philosopher . He was ever ready to illustrate great truths by grotesque similes . Wit always mingled with his wisdom . We will give a few examples . When he was 27 years old , a noted Quaker lawyer of Philadelphia said to him : " Friend Benjamin , thou knowest everything : Canst thou tell me how I am to preserve my small beer in the back yard ? My
neighbours , I find , are tapping it for me . Franklin replied : " Yes , I can tell you h ow to preserve it—put a barrel of old Madeira along side of it . ' ' On another occasion , when the town of'Franklin , Mass ., was named in his honour , and he was solicited to present it with a bell , he sent , instead , a gift of books , because , he said , " sense is preferable to sonnd . "
When Franklin was general of the militia forces of Pennsylvania , during the Indian and French war , the Rev . Mr . Beatty , the zealous chaplain of his forces , complained to him that the men were remiss in attending prayers . Franklin replied : " It is perhaps below the dignity of your profession to act as steward of tbe rum , bufc if you were only to distribute it just after prayers , you would have them all
about you . " The chaplain acted on tbe hint , and after that never were prayers more generally or punctually attended . At the age of 80 , Franklin pnblished , in the Pennsylvania Gazette , an article which humourously suggested the transportation of Atneri . can felons to England , as English felons were formerly transported to America . " No due returns , " said he , " have yet been made for these
valuable consignments . We are , therefore , much in her debt on that account , and as she is of late clamorous for the payment of all we owe her , I am for doing what is in our power . The felons she planted among us have produced such an amazing increase , that we are now able to make ample remittance in the same commodity . " When he was in his 82 nd year , Franklin wrote to a friend in
France , characterising as absurd the sentiment that prevailed in Europe thafc a family was dishonoured by the punishment of one of its members . "On the contrary , " wrote Franklin , in his opinion , " a rogue hanged out of a family does it infinitely more honour than ten that live in it . "
It it well known that Franklin was famous for his electrical dis . coveries , bufc it is not so well known that he infused humour into his exemplifications of several of them . For example , he devised the " electrical kiss , " which ever since his time has provoked much hilarity . He also invented the "Counterfeit Spider , " made of burnt cork , with legs of linen thread , and by means of electricity he made
it so lively , that it jumped around , to the unitiated , like a crazy spider . In 1752 the merchants of Philadelphia held an assembly for dancing , and one of its rules was : that " No mechanic or mechanic ' s wife or daughter should be admitted on any terms . " The rules being shown by the manager to Franklin , for his opinion , he re .
marked that " one of them excluded God Almighty . " "How so , " said the manager . " Because , " replied Franklin , "He is notoriously the greatest mechanic in the universe , having , as the Scripture testifies , made all things , and thafc by weight and measure . " The gen . tlemen became ashamed of their rule and struck it out . Thus was Franklin true to the G . A . O . T . U .
In 1778 a large cake was sent to fche American Envoys in France , —Franklin , Lee and Deane . Upon ifc was this inscription : Le d % n . e Franklin , signifying , the worthy Franklin . Mr . Deane said , " As usual , Doctor , we have to thank you for our accommodation , and to appropriate your present to onr use . " " Nofc afc all , " said Franklin ; " this must be intended for all the Commissioners , only
these French people cannot write English . They mean , no doubt , Lee , Deane , Franklin—the names of the three commissioners . " Ifc was , perhaps , because Franklin was so widely known as a humourist , at that time of fifty years standing , that he who wielded the ablest pen in America , was -appointed by Congress second on the committee to draft the Declaration of Independence , Thomas
Jefferson being made Chairman of tho Committee . If Franklin had written it , it is more than likely that he would have inserted a joke in our great American State paper . In the year 1734 Franklin reprinted Anderson ' s Constitntions of Freemasonry . This was the first Masonic book printed in America . The same year he wrote a letter , as Grand Master of Pennsylvania ,
to Bro . Henry Price , Grand Master of New England , saying , that he understood , from the Boston prints , thafc Price's Masonic jurisdiction had been extended over all America ( which , however , was a misstatement ) , and asking for proof of this fact , and authority from him , as Prov . Grand Master of all North America . He also mentioned that some false Brethren in Philadelphia had set up a clandestine Lodge , pretending to make Masons for a bowl of punch ; and , iu a
postscript , he added , " If more of the Constitutions are wanted among you , please hint it to me . " It is worthy of note thafc this letter from Franklin to Price is tbe first Masonic letter written in America of which any record remains . In the year 1737 a quasi-Masonic event occurred , which raised a great excitement in the usual quiet" green country town" of Philadelphia , aud Bro . Benjamin Franklin was qnite innocently mixed up in the affair .
Bro. Dr. Benjamin Franklin,
At the corner of Market-street and Letitia-court was a drug store , of which Dr . Evan Jones ( who was not a Mason ) was the proprietor . There was considerable public curiosity excited about this time concerning the mystery of Freemasonry as it was exemplified in the Lodges of the town , and among those who were most curious was a young man named Daniel Rees , an apprentice to Dr . Jones , the apo .
thecary . Now Jones was fond of a practical joke , and determined to enjoy one at the expense of ¦ his apprentice . For this purpose he persuaded John Remington , a Philadelphia lawyer ( who also was not a Mason ) to aid him , and further , a man named Tackerbury . These threo agreed to make the credulous Rees their victim . They pretended that they were Freemasons , and authorised
to confer the degrees upon whomever they would , and they offered to make Rees a Mason . He jumped at the bait , and caught tho hook . The profane trio , who were self-initiated and self-ap . pointed Masonic Oflicers , met their candidate one dark night in the rear of Dr . Jones's dwelling . Remington wrote out the oath , whioh was ridiculously absurd ; Tackerbury directed the details , and
Jones was head-centre of the imposture . Poor , blind Rees , in all simplicity , submitted to whatever was required of him , and the indignities offered were not a few . Among the rest , while blindfolded , he was compelled to take a strong dose of purgative medicine , and finally he was instructed in " -ertain ridiculous signs . He was then informed that be had received the first degree , and that his first
duty was to treat the members of the Lodge , after which all made merry over fche ready simplicity with which he obeyed all demands . Daniel Rees solemnly believed that he had been made a Mason , although , in point of fact , no Mason had taken any part in his making . Now we come to Franklin's alleged parfc in the affair . In the month of June of the same year ( 1737 ) Franklin and two others were
appointed by the Court of Common Pleas auditors , or referees , to settle and adjust a matter in dispute between Dr . Jones and Armstrong Smith , Mr . Remington being Jones ' s attorney . While the referees were awaiting the arrival of Smith , Jones and Remington , understanding that Franklin was a Freemason , told him of the practical joke they had played on Rees . Franklin laughed heartily at ifc
until they mentioned having given the candidate a purge , and admin , istered to him the diabolical oath , when he grew serious , and told them thafc when the young man came to learn bow he had been imposed on , he would never forgive them . Both of the other referees also deprecated the affair . Dr . Jones and Mr . Remington , nothing daunted , continued , that they intended to have some further sport ,
under the pretence of raising young Rees to a higher degree in Masonry . Remington said that they would introduce him blindfold and naked into a room , where each of the party would be armed with a switch , and whip him briskly all around the room . Dr . Franklin opposed this . Soon after this conversation Rees came into the room to speak to
his master , when Dr . Jones pointed to Franklin , and said : " Daniel , thafc gentleman is a Freemason—make a sign to him . " At this remark Franklin turned his head and looked out of the window . Having a respect for the father of the young man , he followed Rees after he had left the room , to tell him of the deception practised on him , but he was gone .
Such was Franklin s knowledge of the affair . Bufc Jones s and Remington ' s connection with it did not cease here . The evening of that very day , the 3 rd of June 1737 , had been selected for the subsequent imposition upon Rees . He was taken into the cellar of Dr . Jones ' s house , where there were present Jones , Remington , and a tailor , whose initials were " E . W ., " but whose name is nofc now
known . A pan of spirits was prepared , which they set on fire . In this , raisins were placed , and the three conspirators amused themselves by picking them out , as practised in the game of snap-dragon . One of the company was disguised in a bull ' s hide , with full head and horns , to represent the devil . The bandage was then taken from the young man ' s eyes , and he was made to gaze upon the strange ,
ghostly spectacle . But , contrary to expectation , he did nofc exhibit any alarm . Dr . Jones , fearing thafc they themselves would be fooled , instead of their intended victim , rashly threw the contents of the burning pan over Rees . The unfortunate young man at once exclaimed :
"Master , I ' m killed ! I ' m killed ! " and fell down enveloped in flames . The three conspirators , the actors in this unhappy tragedy , made every effort to extinguish the fire , but before it was done Rees was fatally burned , and after lingering for three days , died in great
agony . This occurrence naturally raised a tremendous excitement throughout the city . A coroner ' s jury was summoned , and in their verdip t they severely censured Jones , Remington , and E . W ., although acquitting them of wilful design to take Rees' life . All three of the participants in his death were at once arrested and imprisoned , and tbe excitement against Freemasons and Freemasonry ran very high . A
personal attack was made on the character of Franklin in a rival newspaper of the city , Bradford ' s Pennsylvania Mcrciwi / , accusing burn of conniving at the outrage . This he promptly and pnblicly denied , and verified it by the oaths of those who were referees in the case before alluded to , and cognizant of the whole affair . So great and mistaken , however , was the harsh feeling against Freemasonry , that the Grand Officers of Grand Lodge felt called upon to issue the following official statement : — ( To be continued . )
HOMOWAY ' S OI . VTJIKKI AND PIM . S . —A frequent cause of gout and rheum , t . ism is the iu'tammatory state of tho b ' ood , attended with bad digestion ni « general debility . A few doses of the Tills taken in time aro an clfectwu ] pit ventive against gont and rheumatism . Any one who has an attack ot etc -hotilrt use Hollowav's Ointment also , the powerful action of which , co" *' ^ with tho operation of tho Pills , must infallibly effect a cure . These ' l 113 *' , directly on the blood , which they purify and improve . Having once sU "' " £ _ tho severity of theso diseases , perseverance with the Ointment , afterlome "™ , ft the affected joints with warm brine , will speedily relax all stiffness and preve any permanent contraction .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Bro. Dr. Benjamin Franklin,
" If you would know tho valne of money , go and try to borrow some ; for he who goes a borrowing goes a sorrowing . " Such are a few of Poor Richard ' s maxims . Their popularity provoked tbe jealousy of some of his rivals . In 1736 Franklin wrote : " They say , in short , that there is no such man as I am ; and thoy have spread abroad this notion so thoroughly that I have frequently
been told it to my face , by those that do not know me . ... I need not have taken any notice of so idle a report , if it had not been for the sake of my printer , to whom my enemies were pleased to ascribe my productions ; and who , it seems , is as unwilling to father my offspring , as I am to lose credit for it . " Here we may remark that Franklin was a born humourist , as well
as a born philosopher . He was ever ready to illustrate great truths by grotesque similes . Wit always mingled with his wisdom . We will give a few examples . When he was 27 years old , a noted Quaker lawyer of Philadelphia said to him : " Friend Benjamin , thou knowest everything : Canst thou tell me how I am to preserve my small beer in the back yard ? My
neighbours , I find , are tapping it for me . Franklin replied : " Yes , I can tell you h ow to preserve it—put a barrel of old Madeira along side of it . ' ' On another occasion , when the town of'Franklin , Mass ., was named in his honour , and he was solicited to present it with a bell , he sent , instead , a gift of books , because , he said , " sense is preferable to sonnd . "
When Franklin was general of the militia forces of Pennsylvania , during the Indian and French war , the Rev . Mr . Beatty , the zealous chaplain of his forces , complained to him that the men were remiss in attending prayers . Franklin replied : " It is perhaps below the dignity of your profession to act as steward of tbe rum , bufc if you were only to distribute it just after prayers , you would have them all
about you . " The chaplain acted on tbe hint , and after that never were prayers more generally or punctually attended . At the age of 80 , Franklin pnblished , in the Pennsylvania Gazette , an article which humourously suggested the transportation of Atneri . can felons to England , as English felons were formerly transported to America . " No due returns , " said he , " have yet been made for these
valuable consignments . We are , therefore , much in her debt on that account , and as she is of late clamorous for the payment of all we owe her , I am for doing what is in our power . The felons she planted among us have produced such an amazing increase , that we are now able to make ample remittance in the same commodity . " When he was in his 82 nd year , Franklin wrote to a friend in
France , characterising as absurd the sentiment that prevailed in Europe thafc a family was dishonoured by the punishment of one of its members . "On the contrary , " wrote Franklin , in his opinion , " a rogue hanged out of a family does it infinitely more honour than ten that live in it . "
It it well known that Franklin was famous for his electrical dis . coveries , bufc it is not so well known that he infused humour into his exemplifications of several of them . For example , he devised the " electrical kiss , " which ever since his time has provoked much hilarity . He also invented the "Counterfeit Spider , " made of burnt cork , with legs of linen thread , and by means of electricity he made
it so lively , that it jumped around , to the unitiated , like a crazy spider . In 1752 the merchants of Philadelphia held an assembly for dancing , and one of its rules was : that " No mechanic or mechanic ' s wife or daughter should be admitted on any terms . " The rules being shown by the manager to Franklin , for his opinion , he re .
marked that " one of them excluded God Almighty . " "How so , " said the manager . " Because , " replied Franklin , "He is notoriously the greatest mechanic in the universe , having , as the Scripture testifies , made all things , and thafc by weight and measure . " The gen . tlemen became ashamed of their rule and struck it out . Thus was Franklin true to the G . A . O . T . U .
In 1778 a large cake was sent to fche American Envoys in France , —Franklin , Lee and Deane . Upon ifc was this inscription : Le d % n . e Franklin , signifying , the worthy Franklin . Mr . Deane said , " As usual , Doctor , we have to thank you for our accommodation , and to appropriate your present to onr use . " " Nofc afc all , " said Franklin ; " this must be intended for all the Commissioners , only
these French people cannot write English . They mean , no doubt , Lee , Deane , Franklin—the names of the three commissioners . " Ifc was , perhaps , because Franklin was so widely known as a humourist , at that time of fifty years standing , that he who wielded the ablest pen in America , was -appointed by Congress second on the committee to draft the Declaration of Independence , Thomas
Jefferson being made Chairman of tho Committee . If Franklin had written it , it is more than likely that he would have inserted a joke in our great American State paper . In the year 1734 Franklin reprinted Anderson ' s Constitntions of Freemasonry . This was the first Masonic book printed in America . The same year he wrote a letter , as Grand Master of Pennsylvania ,
to Bro . Henry Price , Grand Master of New England , saying , that he understood , from the Boston prints , thafc Price's Masonic jurisdiction had been extended over all America ( which , however , was a misstatement ) , and asking for proof of this fact , and authority from him , as Prov . Grand Master of all North America . He also mentioned that some false Brethren in Philadelphia had set up a clandestine Lodge , pretending to make Masons for a bowl of punch ; and , iu a
postscript , he added , " If more of the Constitutions are wanted among you , please hint it to me . " It is worthy of note thafc this letter from Franklin to Price is tbe first Masonic letter written in America of which any record remains . In the year 1737 a quasi-Masonic event occurred , which raised a great excitement in the usual quiet" green country town" of Philadelphia , aud Bro . Benjamin Franklin was qnite innocently mixed up in the affair .
Bro. Dr. Benjamin Franklin,
At the corner of Market-street and Letitia-court was a drug store , of which Dr . Evan Jones ( who was not a Mason ) was the proprietor . There was considerable public curiosity excited about this time concerning the mystery of Freemasonry as it was exemplified in the Lodges of the town , and among those who were most curious was a young man named Daniel Rees , an apprentice to Dr . Jones , the apo .
thecary . Now Jones was fond of a practical joke , and determined to enjoy one at the expense of ¦ his apprentice . For this purpose he persuaded John Remington , a Philadelphia lawyer ( who also was not a Mason ) to aid him , and further , a man named Tackerbury . These threo agreed to make the credulous Rees their victim . They pretended that they were Freemasons , and authorised
to confer the degrees upon whomever they would , and they offered to make Rees a Mason . He jumped at the bait , and caught tho hook . The profane trio , who were self-initiated and self-ap . pointed Masonic Oflicers , met their candidate one dark night in the rear of Dr . Jones's dwelling . Remington wrote out the oath , whioh was ridiculously absurd ; Tackerbury directed the details , and
Jones was head-centre of the imposture . Poor , blind Rees , in all simplicity , submitted to whatever was required of him , and the indignities offered were not a few . Among the rest , while blindfolded , he was compelled to take a strong dose of purgative medicine , and finally he was instructed in " -ertain ridiculous signs . He was then informed that be had received the first degree , and that his first
duty was to treat the members of the Lodge , after which all made merry over fche ready simplicity with which he obeyed all demands . Daniel Rees solemnly believed that he had been made a Mason , although , in point of fact , no Mason had taken any part in his making . Now we come to Franklin's alleged parfc in the affair . In the month of June of the same year ( 1737 ) Franklin and two others were
appointed by the Court of Common Pleas auditors , or referees , to settle and adjust a matter in dispute between Dr . Jones and Armstrong Smith , Mr . Remington being Jones ' s attorney . While the referees were awaiting the arrival of Smith , Jones and Remington , understanding that Franklin was a Freemason , told him of the practical joke they had played on Rees . Franklin laughed heartily at ifc
until they mentioned having given the candidate a purge , and admin , istered to him the diabolical oath , when he grew serious , and told them thafc when the young man came to learn bow he had been imposed on , he would never forgive them . Both of the other referees also deprecated the affair . Dr . Jones and Mr . Remington , nothing daunted , continued , that they intended to have some further sport ,
under the pretence of raising young Rees to a higher degree in Masonry . Remington said that they would introduce him blindfold and naked into a room , where each of the party would be armed with a switch , and whip him briskly all around the room . Dr . Franklin opposed this . Soon after this conversation Rees came into the room to speak to
his master , when Dr . Jones pointed to Franklin , and said : " Daniel , thafc gentleman is a Freemason—make a sign to him . " At this remark Franklin turned his head and looked out of the window . Having a respect for the father of the young man , he followed Rees after he had left the room , to tell him of the deception practised on him , but he was gone .
Such was Franklin s knowledge of the affair . Bufc Jones s and Remington ' s connection with it did not cease here . The evening of that very day , the 3 rd of June 1737 , had been selected for the subsequent imposition upon Rees . He was taken into the cellar of Dr . Jones ' s house , where there were present Jones , Remington , and a tailor , whose initials were " E . W ., " but whose name is nofc now
known . A pan of spirits was prepared , which they set on fire . In this , raisins were placed , and the three conspirators amused themselves by picking them out , as practised in the game of snap-dragon . One of the company was disguised in a bull ' s hide , with full head and horns , to represent the devil . The bandage was then taken from the young man ' s eyes , and he was made to gaze upon the strange ,
ghostly spectacle . But , contrary to expectation , he did nofc exhibit any alarm . Dr . Jones , fearing thafc they themselves would be fooled , instead of their intended victim , rashly threw the contents of the burning pan over Rees . The unfortunate young man at once exclaimed :
"Master , I ' m killed ! I ' m killed ! " and fell down enveloped in flames . The three conspirators , the actors in this unhappy tragedy , made every effort to extinguish the fire , but before it was done Rees was fatally burned , and after lingering for three days , died in great
agony . This occurrence naturally raised a tremendous excitement throughout the city . A coroner ' s jury was summoned , and in their verdip t they severely censured Jones , Remington , and E . W ., although acquitting them of wilful design to take Rees' life . All three of the participants in his death were at once arrested and imprisoned , and tbe excitement against Freemasons and Freemasonry ran very high . A
personal attack was made on the character of Franklin in a rival newspaper of the city , Bradford ' s Pennsylvania Mcrciwi / , accusing burn of conniving at the outrage . This he promptly and pnblicly denied , and verified it by the oaths of those who were referees in the case before alluded to , and cognizant of the whole affair . So great and mistaken , however , was the harsh feeling against Freemasonry , that the Grand Officers of Grand Lodge felt called upon to issue the following official statement : — ( To be continued . )
HOMOWAY ' S OI . VTJIKKI AND PIM . S . —A frequent cause of gout and rheum , t . ism is the iu'tammatory state of tho b ' ood , attended with bad digestion ni « general debility . A few doses of the Tills taken in time aro an clfectwu ] pit ventive against gont and rheumatism . Any one who has an attack ot etc -hotilrt use Hollowav's Ointment also , the powerful action of which , co" *' ^ with tho operation of tho Pills , must infallibly effect a cure . These ' l 113 *' , directly on the blood , which they purify and improve . Having once sU "' " £ _ tho severity of theso diseases , perseverance with the Ointment , afterlome "™ , ft the affected joints with warm brine , will speedily relax all stiffness and preve any permanent contraction .