OF THE SADDLE AND SIRLOIN CLUB 239 
OUR MASTER PHILOSOPHER 
93. The preeminent diplomat of 18th Century America and 
possibly her greatest diplomat of all time if his paucity of mate- 
rials be considered, was BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. Reared under con- 
ditions of adversity, “the youngest son of a youngest son” for 
five generations, the triumphs of intellect, diplomacy and states- 
manship he acquired were titanic. As a physicist his name comes 
down to posterity almost equivalent to Str Isaac NEWTON; as a 
journalist he combined the talents of a JoHNsoN with the energies 
of a GREELEY; as a state builder he found no rival in the forma- 
tive republic; and as a diplomat no Hay nor Root could vie with 
his prowess. The polyhedric personality of this Pennsylvania 
printer finds not a rival on the scroll of fame of our nation. 
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN was born January 17, 1706, of pure Eng- 
lish descent. His father was a soap maker and tallow chandler 
of Boston, and BENJAMIN was fourteenth of a double brood that 
totalled seventeen. The tenth son of his father, he was early 
destined for the clergy, but financial troubles removed him from 
the Boston grammar school after one year’s attendance. Vicissi- 
tude stalked the young boy, but he found employment to his lik- 
ing in the print shop of his brother James. Here he read much 
from the library of MATHEW ARNOLD and from books he pur- 
chased with his frugal savings due to living on a vegetable diet. 
Even during his adolescence he was earnestly striving to perfect 
his style, and when the colonial assembly forbade JAMES to pub- 
lish “The New England Courier,” Benjamin succeeded to the 
post, although still a boy in his teens. 
Fraternal friction drove him out within a few months and he 
landed in Philadelphia after some minor adventures. Here at 
eighteen he made the friendship of the Royal Governor, Sir Wm. 
KEITH, and secured his backing to send him to England for a 
printing press. On arrival in London the necessary credits were 
lacking, however, and he secured employment for a twelvemonth 
