Memoirs of Benjamin Franklin; Written by Himself. [Vol. 1 of 2]: With His Most Interesting Essays, Letters, and Miscellaneous Writings; Familiar, Moral, Political, Economical, and Philosophical, Selected with Care from All His Published Productions, and Comprising Whatever Is Most Entertaining and Valuable to the General ReaderFranklin, Benjamin
History
Memoirs of Benjamin Franklin; Written by Himself. [Vol. 1 of 2]: With His Most Interesting Essays, Letters, and Miscellaneous Writings; Familiar, Moral, Political, Economical, and Philosophical, Selected with Care from All His Published Productions, and Comprising Whatever Is Most Entertaining and Valuable to the General Reader
Franklin, Benjamin
Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790; Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790 -- Correspondence; Statesmen -- United States -- Biography
It is to be noted, that the contributions to this building being made by
people of different sects, care was taken in the nomination of trustees,
in whom the building and ground were to be vested, that a predominance
should not be given to any sect, lest in time that predominance might be
a means of appropriating the whole to the use of such sect, contrary to
the original intention; it was for this reason that one of each sect was
appointed; viz., one Church of England man, one Presbyterian, one
Baptist, one Moravian, &c., who, in case of vacancy by death, were to
fill it by election among the contributors. The Moravian happened not to
please his colleagues, and on his death they resolved to have no other
of that sect; the difficulty then was, how to avoid having two of some
other sect, by means of the new choice. Several persons were named, and
for that reason not agreed to: at length one mentioned me, with the
observation that I was merely an honest man, and of _no sect_ at all,
which prevailed with them to choose me. The enthusiasm which existed
when the house was built had long since abated, and its trustees had not
been able to procure fresh contributions for paying the ground rent and
discharging some other debts the building had occasioned, which
embarrassed them greatly. Being now a member of both boards of
trustees, that for the building and that for the academy, I had a good
opportunity of negotiating with both and brought them finally to an
agreement, by which the trustees for the building were to cede it to
those of the academy; the latter undertaking to discharge the debt, to
keep for ever open in the building a large hall for occasional
preachers, according to the original intention, and maintain a free
school for the instruction of poor children. Writings were accordingly
drawn; and on paying the debts, the trustees of the academy were put in
possession of the premises; and by dividing the great and lofty hall
into stories, and different rooms above and below for the several
schools, and purchasing some additional ground, the whole was soon made
fit for our purpose, and the scholars removed into the building. The
whole care and trouble of agreeing with the workmen, purchasing
materials, and superintending the work, fell upon me, and I went through
it the more cheerfully, as it did not then interfere with my private
business, having the year before taken a very able, industrious, and
honest partner, Mr. David Hall, with whose character I was well
acquainted, as he had worked for me four years; he took off my hands all
care of the printing-office, paying me punctually my share of the
profits. This partnership continued eighteen years, successfully for us
both.
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