301Proposals 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....
302Poor 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...
303From 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.
304From 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.
305From 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...
306From 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...
307From 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...
308From 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...
309From 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...
310From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 2 June 1750 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; facsimiles of ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania and Boston Public Library The Person from whom you had the Power of Attorney to receive a Legacy, was born in Holland, and at first call’d Aletta Crell; but not being Christen’d when the Family came to live among the English in America, she was baptiz’d by the Name of Mary . This Change of Name probably might be unknown to...
311Last Will and Testament, 22 June 1750 (Franklin Papers)
ADS (mutilated): American Philosophical Society I Benjamin Franklin of the City of Philadelphia Printer, being in perfect Health of Body and Mind, (blessed be God) do this twenty second Day of June, in the Year 1750, make, publish, sign and seal this my last Will and Testament, viz. First, I give to my honoured Mother Abiah Franklin, Twenty Pounds per Annum during her Life, to be paid...
312From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 28 June 1750 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society I wrote a Line to you last Post, and sent you some Electrical Observations and Experiments. You formerly had those Papers of mine out of which something has been taken by Mr. Watson, and inserted in the Transactions: If you have forgot the Contents of those Papers, I am afraid some Things in that I last sent you will be hardly understood, as they depend on...
313From Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson, 27 July 1750 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: American Academy of Arts and Sciences Mr. Watson I believe wrote his Observations on my last Paper in Haste; without having first well considered the Experiments related in §17 *Of the third Letter. which still appear to me decisive in the Question; Whether the Accumulation of Electrical Fire be in the Electrified Glass, or in the Non-electric Matter connected with the Glass? and to...
314From Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson, 29 July 1750 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: American Academy of Arts and Sciences As you first put us on Electrical Experiments by sending to our Library-Company a Tube with Directions how to use it; and as our honourable Proprietor enabled us to carry those Experiments to a greater Height, by his generous Present of a complete Electrical Apparatus; ’Tis fit that both should know from Time to Time what Progress we make. It was in...
315Opinions and Conjectures, [29 July 1750] (Franklin Papers)
Copy: American Academy of Arts and Sciences Opinions and Conjectures concerning the Properties and Effects of the Electrical Matter, arising from Experiments and Observations made in Philadelphia, 1749. §1. The Electrical Matter consists of Particles extreamly subtile, since it can permeate common Matter, even the densest Mettals, with such Ease and Freedom, as not to receive any perceptible...
316Paper on the Academy, [31 July 1750] (Franklin Papers)
MS Minutes of the Common Council: Free Library of Philadelphia Within a few weeks of their organization, Nov. 13, 1749, the Academy trustees had received subscriptions amounting to more than £700. Twenty-three trustees alone subscribed £383 annually for five years—William Allen’s pledge of £75 a year was the largest; and some forty or fifty other citizens promised a total of £322 8 s. the...
317From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Johnson, 9 August 1750 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Columbia University Library At my Return home I found your Favour of June the 28th. with the Bishop of Cloyne’s Letter enclos’d, which I will take care of, and beg Leave to keep a little longer. Mr. Francis, our Attorney General, who was with me at your House, from the Conversation then had with you, and reading some of your Pieces, has conceiv’d an Esteem for you equal to mine: The...
318From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Johnson, 23 August 1750 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from The Port Folio , n.s., II (1809), 115–16. We received your favour of the 16th instant. Mr. Peters will hardly have time to write to you per this post, and I must be short. Mr. Francis spent the last evening with me, and we were all glad to hear that you seriously meditate a visit after the middle of next month, and that you will inform us by a line when to expect...
319From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Johnson, 13 September 1750 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Columbia University Library I am sorry to hear of your Illness: If you have not been us’d to the Fever and Ague, let me give you one Caution. Don’t imagine yourself thoroughly cur’d, and so omit the Use of the Bark too soon. Remember to take the preventing Doses faithfully. If you were to continue taking a Dose or two every Day for two or three Weeks after the Fits have left you, ’twould...
320From Benjamin Franklin to Jane Mecom, 20 September 1750 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from Jared Sparks, ed., A Collection of the Familiar Letters and Miscellaneous Papers of Benjamin Franklin (Boston, 1833), pp. 19–20. I received yours the 11th instant, with one enclosed for cousin Benny; but he, I suppose, is in Boston with you before this time, as he left New York fifteen days since with a fair wind for Rhode Island. I do not know how long his master...
321From Benjamin Franklin to John Franklin, 27 September 1750 (Franklin Papers)
Transcript: Vassar B. Carlton, Titusville, Florida (1955) I received yours of the 17th Inst. with the Plan of Halifax for which I thank you. Pray send me the Heads of Shirley and Pepperill with the Price. I received also yours per Mr. S. Cooper [?] who arived here last Night. We shall look over the Town Plan to morrow (Mr. Etter and I) and if I can think of any Thing that may be advantageous,...
322Additional Experiment, [27 September 1750] (Franklin Papers)
Copy: American Academy of Arts and Sciences Additional Experiment proving that the Leyden Bottle has no more Electrical Fire in it, when charg’d, than before; nor less when discharg’d. That in Discharging, the Fire does not issue from the Wire and Coating at the same Time, as some have thought; but that the Coating always receives what is discharg’d by the Wire, or an equal Quantity: the outer...
323From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 11 October 1750 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society I have learnt by different hands, that Dr. Mitchel continues in a bad State of Health, which I suppose obliges him to drop his Correspondencies. ’Tis a Loss to us all. Messrs. Bertram and Evans did not go their intended Journey to Lake Erie, but are both safe at home. Mr. Weiser is just return’d from Onondago, and gives a melancholly Account of the declining...
324From Benjamin Franklin to James Bowdoin, 25 October 1750 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Massachusetts Historical Society Enclos’d with this I send you all my Electrical Papers fairly transcrib’d, and I have as you desir’d examin’d the Copy and find it correct. I shall be glad to have your Observations on them; and if in any Part I have not made my self well understood, I will on Notice endeavour to explain the obscure Passages by Letter. My Compliments to Mr. Cooper and the...
325From Benjamin Franklin to Jared Eliot, 25 October 1750 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library I ought to have inform’d you sooner that we got well home, and should have enquir’d after your Health as we left you in the Hands of a Fever; I beg you’d excuse the Delay, and desire you would remember in my favour the old Saying, They who have much Business must have much Pardon . Whenever Mr. Francis and I meet of an Evening, we drink your Health among our other...
326From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Johnson, 25 October 1750 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from Adrian H. Joline, Meditations of an Autograph Collector (London and N.Y., 1902), p. 129. Enclosed I return your Noetica as you desired, that you may add or alter what you think fit before it goes to the Press, in which I should be glad you would be as speedy as conveniently you can. Since your Way to us is at present block’d up by the Spreading of the Small Pox...
327Advertisement, 1 November 1750 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , November 1, 1750. Whereas on Saturday night last, the house of Benjamin Franklin, of this city, printer, was broken open, and the following things feloniously taken away, viz. a double necklace of gold beads, a woman’s long scarlet cloak, almost new, with a double cape, a woman’s gown, of printed cotton, of the sort called brocade print, very remarkable,...
328Rules for Making Oneself a Disagreeable Companion, 15 November 1750 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , November 15, 1750. Rules , by the Observation of which, a Man of Wit and Learning may nevertheless make himself a disagreeable Companion. Your Business is to shine; therefore you must by all means prevent the shining of others, for their Brightness may make yours the less distinguish’d. To this End, 1. If possible engross the whole Discourse; and when...
329From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Johnson, 22 November 1750 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New York Public Library (Berg) You are very obliging in your Compliments on my Sketch of the English School; But I find ’tis deficient in the main Thing; like the Man’s excellent Race-Horse that had every good Quality, Courage excepted. I approve exceedingly of the Additions you propose, and guess you could if you would make an equal Amputation as much to its Advantage: But you are too...
330Franklin and Hall: Account with Benjamin Franklin, 1750–54 (Franklin Papers)
MS Account: Historical Society of Pennsylvania Two sheets have been found of Franklin and Hall’s record of Franklin’s personal purchases from the firm, probably opened soon after the partnership was formed in 1748 (see above, III , 263). The first page, numbered 4, covers the period from Nov. 27, 1750, to Jan. 11, 1752, and starts with an entry of £97 3 s. brought forward from the three...