the antiquated ovens,
doubtless the brown bread and baked beans of New England succeeded the
roast beef of Old England, and the _entrees_, _fricassees_ and _pates_
of the French _cuisine_.

In the gloom of this chamber Franklin no doubt uttered some of his wise
sayings, gems of philosophy, which in his "Poor Richard's Almanac" had
for years been familiar in every chimney corner of New England.

[Illustration: Franklin]

In the _Montreal Gazette_, which is still in circulation, the present
voluminous and influential journalism of the Metropolis of the Dominion
had here its origin in the setting up of this old hand printing-press,
similar to if not the same which is now preserved in the Patent Office
at Washington. For it Franklin sometimes made his own type and ink,
engraved the wood cuts, and even carried in a wheelbarrow through the
streets of Philadelphia the white paper required for the printing of his
paper, the _Pennsylvania Gazette_. It is now called the _Saturday
Evening Post_, and has about it a certain quaintness and originality
suggestive of the great mind which gave such an impetus to the American
and Canadian press of over a century ago.

"For nearly one hundred and seventy years there has been hardly a week,
except only when a British army held Philadelphia, when this paper has
not been sent to press regularly."

His identification with the history of letters in the United States and
Canada was an epoch in the development of both. In the great army of
newsboys in America Franklin was the first; he was also the first editor
of a monthly magazine in the country, his having on its title page the
Prince of Wales' Feathers, with the motto: 'Ich Dien.'

"He has never been surpassed in the editorial faculty, at the same time
being apt as compositor, pressman, verse-maker, compiler and reporter;
but as adviser, satirist and humorist he was perhaps at his best. His
one and two line bits of comment and wisdom were models of pithiness,
and few writers have equalled him in masterly skill in argument. He is
spoken of by David Hume as the first great man of letters to whom
England was beholden to America."

In addition to these qualifications, he founded the Library of
Philadelphia, the American post-office system, made several valuable
inventions for the improvement of heating, was the first to call
practical attention to ventilation, and to attempt experiment with
electricity. "He founded the American Philosoph