58 Eliot: Franklin 



lead, and thus supplied the deficiencies of the office. 

 The autobiography says: " I also engraved several things 

 on occasion; I made the ink; I was warehouse man and 

 everything, and in short quite a factotum." Neverthe- 

 less, he was dismissed before long by his incompetent 

 employer, who, however, was glad to re-engage him a 

 few days later on obtaining a job to print some paper 

 money for New Jersey. Thereupon Franklin contrived 

 a copperplate press for this job — the first that had been 

 seen in the country — and cut the ornaments for the bills. 

 Meantime Franklin, with one of the apprentices, had 

 ordered a press and types from London, that they two 

 might set up an independent office. Shortly after the New 

 Jersey job was finished, these materials arrived in Phila- 

 delphia, and Franklin immediately opened his own 

 printing office. His partner " was, however, no com- 

 positor, a poor pressman, and seldom sober." The office 

 prospered, and in July, 1730, when Franklin was twenty- 

 four years old, the partnership was dissolved, and Frank- 

 lin was at the head of a well-established and profitable 

 printing business. This business was the foundation of 

 Franklin's fortune; and better foundation no man could 

 desire. His industry was extraordinary. Contrary to 

 the current opinion, Dr. Baird of St. Andrews tes- 

 tified that the new printing office would succeed, " For 

 the industry of that Franklin," he said, " is superior to 

 anything I ever saw of the kind; I see him still at work 



