451From George Washington to Thomas, Lord Fairfax, October–November 1749 (Washington Papers)
I went Last Tuesday not knowing your Lordship had that very Day set out for Neavils to see whether you had any further Commands or directions to give concerning the Surveying of Cacapehon and as your Lordship was not at Home I was inform by Colo. G. Fairfax that you had not any Directions in Particular more than were given to the other Surveyors as your Lordship had mentioned ⟨ ⟩ therefore...
452Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania, [October 1749] (Franklin Papers)
Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pensilvania. Philadelphia: Printed in the Year, M,DCC,XLIX . (Yale University Library) This pamphlet was printed after September 13, 1749, when Logan wrote the account of his library which Franklin printed in a footnote. It was printed before October 23, if, as seems likely, he enclosed it to Strahan, to whom he wrote on that day, “I am now...
453To Benjamin Franklin from James Logan, 6 October 1749 (Franklin Papers)
Letterbook copy: Historical Society of Pennsylvania I absolutely forgot to mention what I principally intended yesterday. Thy telling me what were the most likely paper Mills to Supply me with 6 or 7 sheets or more of Pastboard of about 19 or 20 inches in length and 15 in breadth and what rolling presses were [in] town to smooth them, an exact account of which to be prepared to day and Sent in...
454From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 23 October 1749 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from Bigelow, Works , X , 253–4. I hope before this can reach you your Parliament will have met and ordered payment of what has been so long due on account of the Canada expedition. In the settling our account I will make you a reasonable allowance for the disappointment occasioned by the delay of my son’s bill. J. Read has removed into a house of less rent, which I was...
455To Benjamin Franklin from Cadwallader Colden, [November 1749] (Franklin Papers)
Draft: New-York Historical Society I receiv’d by the last opportunity from New York the Proposals relating to the Education of Youth in Pensylvania. I have read it with much pleasure and heartily wish the Gentlemen success that are endeavouring to promote so usefull a Design. I have no objection to any thing in the proposals. I am pleased with every part of them. Tho I do not pretend to have...
456Constitutions of the Academy of Philadelphia, [13 November 1749] (Franklin Papers)
MS Minutes: Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania; another MS version: University of Pennsylvania Archives This document was drawn up by Franklin and Tench Francis. The final and official version, spread on the Trustees’ Minutes and printed here, contains corrections and additions by Franklin and his insertion of James Logan’s name at the head of the list of trustees. It is of further...
457Subscriptions to the Academy, 14 November 1749 (Franklin Papers)
DS : University of Pennsylvania Archives The 14th: Day of November in the Year of our Lord One Thousand seven Hundred and forty-nine. For the Encouragement of this useful good and charitable Undertaking, to enable the Trustees and their Successors to begin, promote, continue and enlarge the same, humbly hoping, through the Favour of Almighty God, and the Bounty and Patronage of pious and...
458Proposals for Preparing the Academy Building, [December 1749?] (Franklin Papers)
AD (fragment): American Philosophical Society With by-laws signed and funds promised for the Academy, the trustees had next to decide on its location. Some (including Franklin at first) favored a country town as less corrupting to students’ morals; others preferred Philadelphia, where James Logan offered a lot in Sixth Street. In either case a suitable building would cost a good deal of money....
459To Benjamin Franklin from James Logan, 13 December 1749 (Franklin Papers)
Letterbook abstract: Historical Society of Pennsylvania I wrote to him that Lewis Evans has been here yesterday to advise of T. Godfrey’s Decease which I supposed had prevented his coming today the last he had appointed but that to morrow was a new one and that he might apply to my Son for his Charges. Some here would be pleased to see his Experiments [ two words illegible ]. That is, BF ....
460From Benjamin Franklin to James Logan, 16 December 1749 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from extract in Sparks, Works , VII , 40. I send you herewith a new French piece on electricity, in which you will find a journal of experiments on a paralytic person. I also send Neal on Electricity, and the last Philosophical Transactions, in which you will find some other pieces on the same subject. If you should desire to see any of the experiments mentioned in...
461To Benjamin Franklin from James Logan, 17 December 1749 (Franklin Papers)
Letterbook abstract: Historical Society of Pennsylvania I Send him his borrowed Praeceptor. I thought to have bought that and Turnbull for my Son who is at home with me and to deliver him Those others that I had wrote for. Desire him to Send me Milton and Hutcheson dis[sertation] of Senses with the last &c. Hutcheson says there are more than 5 Senses and reckons Pain and hunger which goes the...
462From Benjamin Franklin to James Logan, 17 December 1749 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from extract in Sparks, Works , VII , 40. I send the Dialogues on Education, which I ascribed to Hutcheson, but am since informed they were wrote by Mr. Forbes, Professor of Philosophy in the University of Aberdeen; the same who wrote the Inquiry into the Life and Writings of Homer. I also send Milton. BF and his informant were both mistaken in ascribing the “Dialogues...
463Poor Richard Improved, 1750 (Franklin Papers)
Poor Richard improved: Being an Almanack and Ephemeris … for the Year of our Lord 1750 . … By Richard Saunders, Philom. Philadelphia: Printed and Sold by B. Franklin, and D. Hall. (Yale University Library) To the Reader . The Hope of acquiring lasting Fame , is, with many Authors, a most powerful Motive to Writing. Some, tho’ few, have succeeded; and others, tho’ perhaps fewer, may succeed...
464Peter Kalm: Conversations with Franklin, 1750 (Franklin Papers)
Reprinted from Adolph B. Benson, ed., Peter Kalm’s Travels in North America. The English Version of 1770 (2 vols., N.Y., 1937), pages as indicated; and Esther Louise Larsen, trans., “Pehr Kalm’s Report on the Characteristics and Uses of the American Walnut Tree Which is Called Hickory,” Agricultural History, XIX (1945), 55–64. During his visit to America in 1748–51, Peter Kalm kept extensive...
465To Benjamin Franklin from James Logan, 8 January 1750 (Franklin Papers)
Letterbook copy: Historical Society of Pennsylvania If there be any convenient room left, Since my eldest Son has rejected the Offer, I am willing my name Should be inserted amongst the Collegues of your Society, tho’ very uncapable of being in any manner useful to it, yet I am very desirous to have it by all means promoted, tho’ I expect to be excused from contributing any thing to it more...
466William Watson: Notice of Franklin’s Experiments, 11 January 1750 (Franklin Papers)
MS : The Royal Society; also copy: American Academy of Arts and Sciences At the reading of this paper Mr. Watson took notice, that several of Mr. Franklin’s experiments were new and very curious; but, besides that Mr. Watson is not quite master of part of this gentleman’s reasoning, there are two things therein more particularly to be attended to: and these are, first, that when this gentleman...
467To Benjamin Franklin from James Logan, 12 January 1750 (Franklin Papers)
Letterbook abstract: Historical Society of Pennsylvania I wrote to him to come up hither next first day if the weather was good Seeing while the Assembly Sits I can appoint no other day and if my Son has delivered him the Magic Squares I pray him to bring them with him. His affectionate friend “Our Benj. Franklin is certainly an Extraordinary Man in most respects,” Logan wrote Peter Collinson,...
468From Benjamin Franklin to James Logan, 20 January 1750 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from extract in Sparks, Works , VI , 100. The magical squares, how wonderful soever they may seem, are what I cannot value myself upon, but am rather ashamed to have it known I have spent any part of my time in an employment that cannot possibly be of any use to myself or others.
469From Benjamin Franklin to James Logan, 29 January 1750 (Franklin Papers)
Transcript: Harvard College Library (Sparks) Enclosed I send you a Copy of the Constitution of the Academy. Your agreeing to be one of the Trustees gave great pleasure to all concerned. I shall wait on you with Mr. Kalm on Wednesday next, if the Weather be tolerable, and nothing extraordinary prevents. I am with great respect Sir Your Affectionate humble Servant See below, p. 469.
470To Benjamin Franklin from Peter Collinson, 5 February 1750 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have so many Obligations to my kind Friend, that I dedicated a time to Visit all the Booksellers in London to search for foreign Electrical Books and could only find Two in French. One I take to be the same I sent for thy perusal but could not be certain which Elce [I] had not bought both for I sent it away just as I received it from France. I have many...
471From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 13 February 1750 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania I receiv’d your very kind Letter relating to my Proposals for the Education of our Youth, and return you the Thanks of the Gentlemen concern’d, for the useful Hints you have favour’d us with. It was long doubtful whether the Academy would be fix’d in the Town or Country; but a Majority of those from whose generous Subscriptions we expected to be able to...
472From Benjamin Franklin to Jared Eliot, 13 February 1750 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Mrs. Richard D. Wood, Jr., Wawa, Pa. (1957); printed in American Journal of Science, and Arts , V (1822), 364–6. You desire to know my Thoughts about the N.E. Storms beginning to Leeward. Some Years since there was an Eclipse of the Moon at 9 in the Evening, which I intended to observe, but before 8 a Storm blew up at N E. and continued violent all Night and all next Day, the Sky thick...
473From Benjamin Franklin to James Logan, 17 February 1750 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from extract in Sparks, Works , VII , 40. I send Whiston’s Life. He seems to me to have been a man of great industry and little prudence. I have been lame these two weeks past, but am now so much better, that I think I shall be able to wait on you next week with Mr. Kalm. We had a very bright appearance of the Aurora Borealis last night. When I have the pleasure of...
474To Benjamin Franklin from George Whitefield, 26 February 1750 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from A Select Collection of Letters of the Late Reverend George Whitefield, M.A . … (London, 1772), II , 335–7. Ever since I received your last kind letter, I have been endeavouring to redeem some time to answer it, but till now have not had opportunity. Indeed even now a multiplicity of business obliges me to be much more brief than otherwise I should. However, I...
475James Logan to Peter Collinson, 28 February 1750 (Franklin Papers)
Letterbook copy: Historical Society of Pennsylvania I have Spent most of this day for the first time with thy friend Kalm accompanied with B. Franklin, and I know not what to make of him, nor of his Journey to Canada, where, after the whole last winter Spent at a Swedish Woman’s House near Newcastle, he Spent near five Months, and dined many times at the Governors at Quebec, without Seeing...
476From Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson, [2 March 1750] (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from The Gentleman’s Magazine , XX (1750), 208. I was very much pleased with some ingenious papers in the late Transactions on the subject of electricity. There is something however in the experiments of points, sending off, or drawing on, the electrical fire, which has not been fully explained, and which I intend to supply in my next. For the doctrine of points is very...
477From Benjamin Franklin to Abiah Franklin, 12 April 1750 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Boston Athenaeum We received your kind Letter of the 2d Instant, and are glad to hear you still enjoy such a Measure of Health, notwithstanding your great Age. We read your Writing very easily; I never met with a Word in your Letters but what I could readily understand; for tho’ the Hand is not always the best, the Sense makes every thing plain. My Leg, which you enquire after, is now...
478To Benjamin Franklin from Peter Collinson, 25 April 1750 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I wish I have before this advised my Worthy Friend that his pacquet per Cap. Clark came at last to my Hands, with the Electrical Papers, which are now on the Press under the Inspection and Correction of our Learned and Ingenious Friend Doctor Fothergill for Wee thought it a great Pitty that the Publick should be deprived the benefit of so many Curious...
479To Benjamin Franklin from Samuel Johnson, [10 May 1750] (Franklin Papers)
Letterbook copy (fragment): Columbia University Library [ First part missing ] Seat of London. I drew it up at first only for the use of my Son, and had no further tho’ts, but when I tho’t it necessary to take the pains to transcribe it in order for your perusal, I could not forbear having the vanity to wish it might be useful to others, for I was always very desirous if I could, to contribute...
480To Benjamin Franklin from Peter Collinson, [June 1750] (Franklin Papers)
AL (fragment): Library Company of Philadelphia [ First part missing ] Pray give my respects to Lewis Evans. I have not Time to write to Him but I putt his Mapps to Bowles one of the most noted Print and Mapp sellers near the Exchange —and He Tells Mee he has disposed of few of them the Price is so High. Thou will see by Byrd’s Letter the reason no Thermometers was done. So farewell. The Books...