1To Benjamin Franklin from John Perkins, 17 February 1752 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I received your Bill by the last Post and thank you for it as I do likewise for the Pamphlets last Summer. It was a sincere pleasure to me to see good Dr. Thompson so well defended by his generous Friend Dr. Hamilton. I am much pleas’d with both these Gentlemen’s Performances. I beg’d your Plain Truth of Mrs. Mecom a few Weeks since which I had never seen...
2To Benjamin Franklin from John Perkins, 3 August 1752 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society This comes to you on account of Dr. Douglass. He desired me to write to you for what you know of the Number that died of the Inoculation in Philadelphia telling me he design’d to write something on the Small-pox shortly. We shall both be oblig’d to you for a word on this Affair. The chief Particulars of our Visitation you have in the public prints. But the...
3To Benjamin Franklin from John Perkins, 16 October 1752 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I received yours of Septr. with the Observations for which I am obliged to you. It is a very informing Piece and I think it should be read and well considerd by every Englishman who wishes well to his Country But more especially by those in power and Ability to promote the Nation’s Intrest. Your Papers on the Weather I deliver’d to your Brother Franklin in...
4To Benjamin Franklin from John Perkins, 23 October 1752 (Franklin Papers)
ALS and AL : American Philosophical Society In the Inclos’d you have all I have to say of that Matter. It prov’d longer than I expected so that I was forced to ad a Cover to it. I confess it looks like a Dispute but that is quite contrary to my Intention. The Sincerity of Friendship and Esteem were my motives nor do I doubt your scrupling the goodness of the Intention. However I must confess I...
5To 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]...
6To 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...
7John Perkins: Causes of Water Spouts, 1753 (Franklin Papers)
AD : American Philosophical Society Spouts have been generally believ’d Ascents of water from below, to the Region of the Clouds, And Whirlwinds the Means of Conveyance. The World has been very well satisfied with these Opinions, and prejudiced with Respect to any Observations about them. Men of Learning and Capacity have had many Opportunitys in passing those Regions where these phenomena...
8To Benjamin Franklin from John Perkins, 12 March 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society When I imagin myself possess’d of any new Thought I think it, in the first place, due to your Inspection and accordingly have inclos’d my Conjectures on the Caudae Cometive; to gether with the small Tract on Epidemic Colds. I confess there is something unnatural in phylosophic Speculations at a Time when the Nation is involv’d in such Disorder and...
9To Benjamin Franklin from John Perkins, 12 March 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Just as I was about inclosing my papers it came in my head to mention to you a notion I have sometimes had that Pit-Coal is a vegitable production as of Grass or other Herbage of which the rich and fat Soil of our fresh Marshes is form’d. We know that these are constantly filling up by the Annual Supplys of this kind so that perhaps many places that were...