531From Benjamin Franklin to James Alexander, 1753 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Benjamin Franklin, Experiments and Observations on Electricity (London, 1769), pp. 282–3. Suppose a tube of any length open at both ends, and containing a moveable wire of just the same length, that fills its bore. If I attempt to introduce the end of another wire into the same tube, it must be done by pushing forward the wire it already contains; and the instant I press and move...
532To Benjamin Franklin from John Franklin, [January 1753] (Franklin Papers)
Draft: New York Academy of Medicine With Regard to our fathers Estate I can only so far Inform you that the houshold Stuf as sold at Vendue amounted to a Little more than [ illegible ] old Tenor. The house and Land was apprisd at £200. This letter answered BF ’s inquiry of January 2; it was drafted in the margin of BF ’s letter, Dec. 8, 1752. Torn in MS , but the figure was probably £70....
533From Benjamin Franklin to John Franklin, 2 January 1753 (Franklin Papers)
Transcript: Vassar B. Carlton, Titusville, Florida (1955) Yours of the 12th past gave me a great deal of Pleasure, as it informed me that you are better and have reason to think the Stone either lessen’d or made smoother. I pray God to continue it to a perfect Cure. When you have a little Leisure please to inform me how our Fathers Estate turns out as I hear every thing is now sold. Who bought...
534To Benjamin Franklin from [William Parsons], 15 January 1753 (Franklin Papers)
Draft: Historical Society of Pennsylvania When I left Philadelphia and every Friend and Acquaintance that was dear to me it was with a View and, as I then thought, with a study [ sic ] Resolution to lead a quiet and private Life without even so much as thinking of publick Affairs, other than paying Taxes and Fines if any should be imposed upon me for not appearing if at any Time I should be...
535To Benjamin Franklin from Peter Collinson, 27 January 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Tho’ I am much engaged yett I cannot Lett Mesnard Sail without Acquainting you how Matters stand Here. and first for Business The Paduasoye is the best and I hope will please your Good Wife—it is well paper’d and is Packed in a Trunk By John Samuel who haveing other Silk Goods it was putt with his to have the Drawback. As there is three different Breadths...
536To Benjamin Franklin from James Alexander, 29 January 1753 (Franklin Papers)
Copies of letter and enclosure: New-York Historical Society The rare transits of Venus across the sun’s surface were among the most important astronomical occurrences in the eighteenth century because they offered astronomers opportunities to calculate the solar parallax—the angle subtended at the sun by the earth’s radius—and thus not only provided a basis for computing the actual distance...
537To Benjamin Franklin from John Perkins, February 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS and AD : American Philosophical Society I send you inclosed a Short account of a Me[teor?]. You have on many accounts a Right to every new Th[ing?] in natural Phylosophy. I leave it to your [Resolu?]tion whether there be any Thing in my Notion of [ torn ] phenomena as I value your Thoughts upon every Thing. And tho’ ever so Short, Yet Sir Your very much ob[liged] and humble [Servant]...
538From Benjamin Franklin to John Perkins, 4 February 1753 (Franklin Papers)
Draft: American Philosophical Society I ought to have wrote to you long since, in Answer to yours of Oct. 16. concerning the Water Spout: But Business partly, and partly a Desire of procuring further Information by Inquiry among my Seafaring Acquaintance, induc’d me to postpone Writing from time to time, till I am now almost asham’d to resume the Subject, not knowing but you may have forgot...
539From Benjamin Franklin to James Bowdoin, 28 February 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Massachusetts Historical Society The enclos’d is a Copy of a Letter and some Papers I received lately from a Friend, of which I have struck off Fifty Copies by the Press, to distribute among my ingenious Acquaintance in No. America, hoping some of them will make the Observations proposed. The Improvement of Geography and Astronomy is the common Concern of all polite Nations, and I trust...
540From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 28 February 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society I return you herewith Professor Kanster’s Remarks. As far as I am able to judge, the Translation is just, and your Answer a good one. I am pleas’d with the Omission of that part of a Paragraph relating to the German and Pensilvanian Electricians, and have corrected the Copy as you direct. I have but one other Alteration to propose, which is, to omit some Part...
541Supplemental Experiments and Observations on Electricity, Part II, [March 1753] (Franklin Papers)
Supplemental Experiments and Observations on Electricity, Part II. Made at Philadelphia in America, by Benjamin Franklin, Esq; and Communicated in several Letters to P. Collinson, Esq; of London, F.R.S. London: Printed and sold by E. Cave, at St. John’s Gate. 1753. (Yale University Library) Franklin continued to send Peter Collinson reports of his electrical experiments through 1750–52, and...
542To Benjamin Franklin from James Bowdoin, [March 1753?] (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from extract in Sparks, Works , VI , 161 n. By the post I received your favor, enclosing several printed letters relating to the transit of Mercury over the sun. A gentleman here, who is provided with the proper instruments, and well skilled in astronomy, intends to make the necessary observations; to whom, as well as to several others, I shall communicate said letters....
543To Benjamin Franklin from Peter Collinson, 7 March 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Haverford College I hope Mine by First Ships with some Books for L:C: [Library Company] as per account on other side and for thyself was Abbe Nolet Letters—are come safe to hand. As Lord Bolingbroke in his Letters that I sent last [autu]mn has insinuated very severe reflections on the authenticity of the Old and New Testament, I have collected the several Replies and Vindications per the...
544From Benjamin Franklin to Jehu Curtis, 15 March 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library We send herewith all the Bills in a Trunk, containing as follows 1s. 1s. 6d. 2s. 2s. 6d. 5s. 10s. 1st Sort 40 Quire, containing 4000 4000 4000 4000 — — 2d Sort 11
545To Benjamin Franklin from Aaron Burr, 20 March 1753 (Franklin Papers)
Letterbook copy: Andover-Newton Theological Seminary Your Febry. 28. with the enclos’d Letters was very acceptable. I am sorry we [are] not provid’d with Instruments to observe the approaching Transit of Mercury. But have long since been determined to be ready for Venus 1769. By Mr. Evans’s Advice I wrote to one Mr. Adams’s in London sending a Catalogue of Instruments for a philosophical...
546To Benjamin Franklin from Peter Collinson, 21 March 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society By the Conveyance of our friend Mr. Watson whose Letter I inclose this will informe you the Abbe sent three books. I only send One by this Ship and another by the Next for fear of Accidents and if you give Mee Leave I will keep the third for my Self. You’l see the purport of Mr. Watsons Letter, the Booke is sent to Messr. Neat & Neave to Come in their...
547From Benjamin Franklin to James Bowdoin, 12 April 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Massachusetts Historical Society I have shipt 18 Glass Jarrs in Casks well pack’d, on board Capt. Branscombe for Boston. 6 of them are for you, the rest I understand are for the College. Leaf Tin, such as they use in silvering Looking Glasses, is best to coat them with; they should be coated to within about 4 or 5 Inches of the Brim. Cut the Tin into Pieces of the Form in the Margin, and...
548From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 12 April 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society I received your Favour of March 20. and a subsequent one without Date, containing the Description of Lord Macclesfield’s Mural Quadrant. No Vessel has sail’d hence for England these three Months, but one goes next Week by which I shall send your Answer to the German Professor, corrected as you direct. I see it is not without Reluctance that the Europeans will...
549From Benjamin Franklin to Jared Eliot, 12 April 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library I received your Favour of March 26. and thank you for communicating to me, the very ingenious Letter from your Friend Mr. Todd, with whom, if it may be agreable to him, I would gladly entertain a Correspondence. I shall consider his Objections till next Post. I thank you also for the Hint concerning the Word Adhesion , which should be defin’d. When I speak of...
550From Benjamin Franklin to William Smith, 19 April 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania I received your Favour of the 11th Instant, with your new Piece on Education, which I shall carefully peruse; and give you my Sentiments of it as you desire, per next Post. I believe the young Gentlemen, your Pupils, may be entertain’d and instructed here in Mathematics and Philosophy to Satisfaction. Mr. Allison (who was educated at Edinburgh, or...
551To Benjamin Franklin from Thomas Ringgold, 2 [May?] 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania One Patrick Caron with us is the Man that took up Kelly one of the Murderers of Davis and This same Man has been taken up with us on Suspicion of being a Confederate in that affair but from all the Testimony that cou’d be procured to two severel Grand Jurys at our November and March Courts nothing is found against him and he is discharged, so that, no...
552From Benjamin Franklin to Jared Eliot, 3 May 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library; also draft: American Philosophical Society I received your Essay last Post, and my Presses being at present engag’d in some publick Work that will not admit of Delay, I have engag’d Mr. Parker to print it out of hand at New York. You may expect to see it done in two or three Weeks. The Pacquet was not seal’d, and I observ’d that the Tables showing the Culture of...
553From Benjamin Franklin to William Smith, 3 May 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania Mr. Peters has just now been with me, and we have compar’d Notes on your new Piece. We find nothing in the Scheme of Education, however excellent, but what is, in our Opinion, very practicable. The great Difficulty will be, to find the Aratus , and other suitable Persons, in New York, to carry it into Execution; but such may be had, if proper...
554From Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson, 9 May 1753 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: New York Public Library; also copies: Public Record Office, American Philosophical Society, and (part only) British Museum Although this is one of Franklin’s most important letters, there has been difficulty about both its date and its recipient. Moreover, it has never been printed accurately, nor can it be here, for no Franklin autograph has been found. The two fullest surviving...
555From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 9 May 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Boston Public Library; also duplicate: New York Public Library I have your Favour of Jany. 30 and thank you for the Civility shown on my Recommendation to Mr. Harris. What you mention concerning the Books, was not at all amiss. Neither the 2d Vol. of Bower’s History of the Popes, nor Delaresse’s Art of Painting, nor Crito, are to be found in Mr. Hall’s Trunks. I have settled a Nephew of...
556To Benjamin Franklin from John Perkins, 14 May 1753 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Benjamin Franklin, Experiments and Observations on Electricity (London, 1769), pp. 236–7. I received your letter of April last, and thank you for it. Several things in it make me at a loss which side the truth lies on, and determine me to wait for farther evidence. As to shooting stars, as they are called, I know very little, and hardly know what to say. I imagine them to be passes...
557To Benjamin Franklin from James Mitchell, 19 May 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I Received yours of April 28. Your order on me in favour of Mrs. Benger for one Hundred Dollars, shall be punctualy paid when presented, as was your order on me for fifty Pounds. I shall by Next post send an Account of the Stoves paid and those on hand. I am Your Obedient Servant The Inclosed is for my Son in Law, Expected your way from Fiall, if you heare...
558From Benjamin Franklin to Elizabeth Gardner, 4 June 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Pennsylvania Hospital Please to receive the Bearer into the Hospital, and entertain him there till the Physicians have considered his Case. Your Friend and Servant Elizabeth Gardner was matron of the Pennsylvania Hospital, 1751–60. Thomas G. Morton and Frank Woodbury, The History of the Pennsylvania Hospital (Phila., 1895), p. 544. Not identified.
559From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 4 June 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New York Public Library The above is a Copy of mine per Reeves. This is only to request you would send me here, the Quarto Abridgement of the Philosophical Transactions, except the first five Volumes which I have. Send me also Fielding’s Proposals for employing the Poor. In haste, I am Yours ut supra All well. Mr. Hall out of town. The 5 Vols of Transactions I have, are abridg’d by...
560From Benjamin Franklin to Joseph Huey, 6 June 1753 (Franklin Papers)
Draft: American Philosophical Society; copy: Yale University Library; transcript: Historical Society of Pennsylvania Few of Franklin’s letters were more often copied in the eighteenth century than this, or more frequently printed in the nineteenth. Probably most of the copyists approved the author’s views; a few certainly reprobated them: the editor of the Port Folio , for example, printing...