GETTING WORK.
After a good night's sleep, Benjamin arose and dressed himself as
neatly as he could with his old clothes, and repaired to Andrew
Bradford's printing-office.
"Ah! then you have arrived," said an old gentleman, rising to salute
him as he entered. "I reached here first."
"Oh, it is Mr. Bradford!" exclaimed Benjamin, surprised at meeting the
old printer whom he saw in New York, and who directed him to his son,
Andrew Bradford, of Philadelphia. "I did not expect to meet you here."
"I suppose not. I started off unexpectedly, and came all the way on
horseback. But I am glad that you have reached here safely. This is a
young man from Boston" (addressing his son and introducing Benjamin),
"after work in a printing-office, and I directed him to you. Franklin
is your name, I believe."
"Yes, sir! Benjamin Franklin."
Mr. Bradford received him very cordially, and being about to eat
breakfast, he said: "Come, it is my breakfast hour, and you shall be
welcome to the table. We can talk this matter over at the table;"--and
Benjamin accepted the invitation.
"I told this young man," said the old printer from New York, "that one
of your men died a short time since, and you would want a printer to
take his place."
"That is true," replied Mr. Andrew Bradford. "I did want another hand
to take his place, but I hired one only a few days since. I am sorry
to disappoint this youth who has come so far for work."
"Is there another printing-office here?" asked Benjamin.
"Yes; a man by the name of Keimer has just commenced the business, and
I think he would be glad to employ you."
"I must get work somewhere," added Benjamin, "for I have spent nearly
all my money in getting here."
"If he will not employ you," added Mr. Bradford, kindly, "you may
lodge at my house, and I will give you a little work from time to time
until business is better."
"That will be a great favour to me," answered Benjamin, "for which I
shall be very thankful;" and he really felt more grateful to Mr.
Bradford for the offer than his words indicated.
"I will go with you to see Mr. Keimer," said old Mr. Bradford from
New York. "Perhaps I can be of some service to you in securing a
place."
Benjamin began to think he had fallen into very obliging hands; so he
followed their advice, and went with his aged friend to see the
newly-established printer. On arriving at the office, they met Mr.
Keimer, and old Mr. Bradford introduced their business by saying:
"Neighbour, I have brought to see you a young man of your business;
perhaps you may want such a one."
"That depends on his qualifications," answered Mr. Keimer. "How long
have you worked at the business?" he inquired, turning to Benjamin.
"Several years, sir."
"Do you understand all parts of it so that you can go on with it?"
"I think I do; you can try me and satisfy yourself."
"Take this composing-stick and let me see whether you are competent or
not," said Keimer.
Benjamin proceeded to exhibit his skill at the work, and very soon
satisfied Keimer that he had told the truth.
"Very well done," said Keimer. "I will employ you as soon as I have
sufficient work to warrant such a step. At present I have nothing for
you to do."
Here Benjamin saw the advantage of having attended to his business
closely, so as to learn thoroughly the work he was to do. Some boys
perform their work in just a passable way, not caring particularly
whether it is well done, if they can only "pass muster." But not so
with Benjamin. He sought to understand the business to which he
attended, and to do as well as possible the work he undertook. The
consequence was that he was a thorough workman, and in five minutes he
was able to satisfy Keimer of the fact. This was greatly in his
favour; and such a young man is never long out of business.
Turning to Bradford, Keimer said, supposing him to be a Philadelphian
who wished him well in his new enterprise: "What do you think of my
prospects here, sir? Do you think I shall succeed in my business?"
"That will depend upon your own exertions and business talents," was
Bradford's reply.
"I shall do all in my power to draw the business of the town," added
Keimer; "and I think I can do it."
"But how can you expect to get all the business when there is another
printer here, who has been established some time?"
Keimer answered this last inquiry by disclosing his plans, as Bradford
quietly drew him out on every point, until he learned how he was
calculating to command all the business, and run his son out. Nor did
Keimer dream that he was conversing with the father of the other
printer whom he designed to deprive of his livelihood. All the while
Benjamin stood and listened to their conversation, perceiving that Mr.
Bradford was shrewdly learning Keimer's plans for his son's benefit.
"Did you not know that man?" inquired Benjamin, after Bradford left,
leaving him in the office.
"No; but I thought that he was one of the town's people who wished me
well in my business, and therefore came in to introduce you."
"It is not so," replied Benjamin. "That was the father of Andrew
Bradford, your neighbour, the printer. He carries on printing in New
York."
"It can't be!" exclaimed Keimer, astonished at this bit of news, and
startled at the thought of having made known his plans to a
competitor.
"It _can_ be," replied Benjamin. "He is certainly Bradford, the New
York printer, and father of Andrew Bradford, the printer of this
town."
"How happened it that he should come here with you?"
"I can tell you in few words," said Benjamin; and he went on and told
him of his going to New York, and how he happened to come to
Philadelphia, and meet Mr. Bradford there, and finally how he found
his way to Keimer's office.
"It will learn me a good lesson," said Keimer. "When I divulge secrets
to another man whom I don't know, I shall not be in my right mind."
Benjamin spent a short time in looking over Keimer's office, and found
that his press was old and damaged, and his fount of English types
nearly worn out. Possessing much more ingenuity than Keimer, and
understanding a printing-press much better, he went to work, and in a
short time put it into decent order for service. Keimer was composing
an Elegy on Aquila Rose, an excellent young man who worked for
Bradford, and who had recently died; and he agreed to send for
Benjamin to print it off when it was ready. With this arrangement,
Benjamin returned to Mr. Bradford to eat and lodge. A few days after
he received a message from Keimer that the Elegy was ready to be
printed. From that time Keimer provided him with work.
"You must have another boarding-place," said Keimer to him one day.
Benjamin was still boarding at Bradford's, and this was not agreeable
to Keimer.
"Just as you please," answered Benjamin; "I am satisfied to board
there or go elsewhere."
"I can get you boarded with an acquaintance of mine, I think, where
you will find it very pleasant. I am confident that you will like it
better there than at Mr. Bradford's."
"I will go there, if you think it is best," added Benjamin. "My chest
has arrived, and I can look a little more respectable now than I could
before."
The result was, that he went to board at Mr. Read's, the father of the
young lady who stood in the door when he passed on the aforesaid
Sunday morning with a roll of bread under each arm. His appearance was
much improved by this time, so that even Miss Read saw that he was an
intelligent promising young man.
We learn one or two things about Benjamin from the foregoing, which
the reader may ponder with benefit to himself. In the first place, he
must have been very observing. He understood the construction of a
printing-press so well, that he could put an old one into running
order, youth as he was, when its proprietor was unable to do it. This
is more remarkable, because he was not obliged to study the mechanism
of a printing-press in order to work it. Doubtless many a person
operates this and other machines without giving any particular
attention to their structure. But a class of minds are never satisfied
until they understand whatever commands their attention. They are
inquisitive to learn the philosophy of things. It was so with
Benjamin, and this characteristic proved a valuable element of his
success. It was the secret of his inventions and discoveries
thereafter. It was so with Stephenson, of whom we have spoken before.
As soon as he was appointed plugman of an engine, at seventeen years
of age, he began to study its construction. In his leisure hours, he
took it to pieces and put it together again several times, in order to
understand it. So of William Hutton, whose name is mentioned in
another place. Encouraged by a couplet which he read in Dyce's
Spelling-book--
"Despair of nothing that you would attain,
Unwearied diligence your end will gain,"
he sought to master everything that he undertook. One day he borrowed
a dulcimer, and made one by it. With no other tools than the
hammer-key, and pliers of the stocking-frame for hammer and pincers,
his pocket-knife, and a one-pronged fork that served as spring, awl,
and gimlet, he made a capital dulcimer, which he sold for sixteen
shillings. Here were both observation and perseverance, though not
more finely developed than they were in the character of young
Benjamin Franklin.
Another important truth is learned from the foregoing, namely, that
Benjamin was not proud. A sight of him passing up Market Street, with
three large rolls of bread, is proof of this; or his appearance in the
street and Quaker church in his everyday garb, because his best suit
was "coming round by sea," is equally significant. How many boys of
his age would have stayed away from church until the "best clothes"
arrived! How many would seek for some concealment of their poverty, if
possible, in similar circumstances! But these were small matters to
Benjamin, in comparison with finding employment and earning a
livelihood. He had a destiny to work out, and in working that he must
do as he could, and not always as he would. He cared not for the
laughs and jeers of those who could dress better and live more
sumptuously than himself, since it was absolutely necessary for him to
dress as he did, in order to "make his ends meet." He might have
followed the example of some young men, and run into debt, in order to
"cut a dash;" but he believed then, as he wrote afterwards, that
"lying rides on debt's back," and that it is "better to go to bed
supperless than to rise in debt;" or, as he expressed himself in other
maxims, "Those have a short Lent who owe money to be paid at Easter,"
and "It is easier to build two chimneys than to keep one in fuel."