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"Ben Franklin"
Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography: Page 54
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still continu'd; the reason may be that, in fact, the whole management of the
business lay upon me. Meredith was no compositor, a poor pressman, and seldom
sober. My friends lamented my connection with him, but I was to make the best of
it.
Our first papers made a quite different appearance from any before in the
province; a better type, and better printed; but some spirited remarks of my
writing, on the dispute then going on between Governor Burnet and the
Massachusetts Assembly, struck the principal people, occasioned the paper and
the manager of it to be much talk'd of, and in a few weeks brought them all to
be our subscribers.
Their example was follow'd by many, and our number went on growing continually.
This was one of the first good effects of my having learnt a little to scribble;
another was, that the leading men, seeing a newspaper now in the hands of one
who could also handle a pen, thought it convenient to oblige and encourage me.
Bradford still printed the votes, and laws, and other publick business. He had
printed an address of the House to the governor, in a coarse, blundering manner,
we reprinted it elegantly and correctly, and sent one to every member. They were
sensible of the difference: it strengthened the hands of our friends in the
House, and they voted us their printers for the year ensuing.
Among my friends in the House I must not forget Mr. Hamilton, before mentioned,
who was then returned from England, and had a seat in it. He interested himself
for me strongly in that instance, as he did in many others afterward, continuing
his patronage till his death.(6)
Mr. Vernon, about this time, put me in mind of the debt I ow'd him, but did not
press me. I wrote him an ingenuous letter of acknowledgment, crav'd his
forbearance a little longer, which he allow'd me, and as soon as I was able, I
paid the principal with interest, and many thanks; so that erratum was in some
degree corrected.
But now another difficulty came upon me which I had never the least reason to
expect. Mr. Meredith's father, who was to have paid for our printing-house,
according to the expectations given me, was able to advance only one hundred
pounds currency, which had been paid; and a hundred more was due to the
merchant, who grew impatient, and su'd us all. We gave bail, but saw that, if
the money could not be rais'd in time, the suit must soon come to a judgment and
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