It has already been noted that William Temple Franklin referred to his grandfather's equipment as "a small set of types," which does not agree with a reference Benjamin Franklin made to it in a letter he wrote to Francis Childs after his return to Philadelphia, in which he said: "My printing Materials, confisting of a great variety of founts, were fent down the Seine fome weeks before I left Paffy." Livingston's investigations indicate that the equipment was a considerable one. Much correspondence with French typefounders, among them the famous house of Fournier, has been brought to light, and unless the type purchased was disposed of in ways not known and not now ascertainable, the supply must have been a large one. There is also some evidence to warrant the belief that two printing presses were operated.

CHAP. XVI.

Advertiser and Propagandist. FRANKLIN is sometimes spoken of as the first

American advertiser, but there is no special reason for such a designation. The "Pennsylvania Gazette" under his ownership contained more advertising than it did under that of Samuel Keimer and more than was common to the other

colonial newspapers, but the circumstance is to be accredited rather to the enlarged circulation of the "Gazette," owing to its superiority as a newspaper, than to any particularly effective manner of promoting the advertising department.

Franklin himself was far from being a selfadvertiser. Excepting for the statement of his public services that he prepared for the Continental Congress, he never made any claims for himself. Throughout his long career he was almost continually in the public service, but he never sought office or made anything like a special effort to obtain it. Although a seemingly indefatigable writer, he never issued so much as a single volume of his literary productions and on at least one occasion discouraged others from doing

So.

He did, however, advertise occasionally for himself or the members of his family. The following examples show that to them, as to all other things with which he had to do, he imparted a measure of originality.

TAKEN out of a Pew in the Church

fome months fince, a Common Prayer Book, bound in red, gilt, and lettered D. F. [Deborah Franklin] on each cover. The Perfon who took it is defired to open it and read the eighth Commandment, and afterwards return it into the fame Pew again, upon which no further Notice will be taken.

LL Persons indebted to Benj Frank

ALL

lin, Printer of this Paper, are defired to fend in their respective Payments: (Thofe Subscribers for the News excepted, from whom a TwelveMonth's Pay is not yet due).

Gentlemen, it is but a little to each of you, though it will be a confiderable Sum to me; and lying in many hands wide from each other, (according to the Nature of our Bufinefs) it is highly inconvenient and fcarce practical for me to call upon every One; I fhall therefore think myself particularly obliged, and take it very kind of thofe, who are mindful to Jend or bring it in without further Notice.

Franklin's English is a model for advertisement writers. Simplicity was its chief characteristic. He had the faculty of putting the most thought into the fewest words, extravagance in language being the target of one of his chief animadversions. Writing to John Jay from Paris in 1780 he

says:

"Mrs. Jay does me much Honor in defiring to have one of the Prints, that have been made here of her Countryman. I fend what is faid to be the best of five or fix engraved by different Hands, from different Paintings. The Verses at the Bottom are truly extravagant. But you must know, that the Defire of pleafing, by a perpetual Rife of Compliments in this polite Nation, has fo ufed up all the common expreffions of approbation, that they are become flat and infipid, and to use them almost implies Cenfure. Hence mufic, that formerly might be fufficiently praised when it was called

PHILADELPHIA

Printed and Sold at the New PRINTING.
OFFICE, near the Market. 1729.

Franklin's initial effort in propagandist literature, which resulted in the issuance of thirty thousand pounds in paper currency by the governor and the assembly of the province of Pennsylvania in defiance of orders from England to the contrary. Size 3" x 5".

bonne, to go a little farther they call excellente, then Juperbe, magnifique, exquife, celefte, all which being in their turns worn out, there only remains divine: and, when that is grown as infignificant as its Predeceffors, I think they must return to common speech and common sense; as, from vying with one another in fine and coftly Paintings on their Coaches, fince I first knew the Country, not being able to go farther in that Way, they have returned lately to plain Carriages, painted without arms or figures in one uniform color."

Franklin's studies in the art of expression both as a youth and practically throughout his whole life were pursued with one purpose in mind, to influence those who read what he wrote. He had the admirable quality of vision-to be able always to see into things further than did those about him, and seeing clearly he desired others to do likewise. As a youth he practised the Socratic method, but later abandoned it for plain, substantial statements of arguments and facts. Later in life he sometimes employed the dialogue.

Every public project, such as paving, cleaning, and lighting the streets, establishing a fire company, hospital, public library, or university, brought forth an article from Franklin's pen published either in the "Gazette," or as a pamphlet, always interestingly and, as events proved, effectively written.

In his later years Franklin adopted another