"Men who work for me must give better heed to their business," said he. "If they care more for a noise in the street than for their work, it is time they left."
"I am ready to leave any time you please," retorted Benjamin, who was considerably nettled by such treatment. "I am not dependent on you for a living, and I shall not be treated in this way long, I a.s.sure you."
"That, indeed!" exclaimed Keimer. "You would not stay another hour if it were not for our agreement, in accordance with which I now warn you that, at the end of a quarter"s time, I shall hire you no more."
"You need not regret that you cannot send me away to-day," answered Benjamin. "I shall work no longer for a man who will treat me thus;"
and, taking his hat, he left. As he pa.s.sed down, he requested Meredith, one of the hands, to bring some things which he left behind to his lodgings.
In the evening Meredith went to see Benjamin, carrying the articles referred to.
"What shall you do now?" Meredith inquired.
"I shall return to Boston forthwith."
"I wouldn"t do that. You can do much better here than you can there."
"What can I do here now?"
"Set up business for yourself."
"I have no money to do it with."
"My father has," said Meredith; "and I will go into company with you if he will furnish the means. I am not acquainted with the business, and you are; so I will furnish the capital, and you shall manage the concern, and we will share the profits equally."
"Your father will never do it," suggested Benjamin.
"I am confident that he will," replied Meredith. "He has a high opinion of you, and he wants a good opportunity to set me up. I will ask him, at any rate."
"I would like such an enterprise myself," added Benjamin; "but can we succeed against Keimer? He will now do all he can to crush me."
"He will be crushed himself before long," answered Meredith. "I happen to know that he is in debt for all the property in his hands. He keeps his shop miserably, too; often sells without profit in order to raise money; and trusts people without keeping accounts. He will fail as surely as he keeps on in this way."
"I will agree to your plan if you can make it work," said Benjamin.
"See your father immediately, and let me know the result."
Accordingly, Meredith saw his father, and he was ready to furnish the necessary capital, because of his high regard for Benjamin.
"I am the more ready to do this," said he to Benjamin, afterwards, "because of your good influence over my son. You have prevailed upon him to leave off drinking to excess, and I hope he will be persuaded, by your more intimate connection in business, to reform entirely."
It was settled that they should set up business as soon as they could procure the necessary articles from England.
CHAPTER XXIII.
SETTING UP BUSINESS.
Agreeably to the arrangement with Meredith, Benjamin made out an inventory of articles, which were immediately ordered from England. In the mean time he expected to find work at Bradford"s printing-office, but was disappointed. It was only a few days, however, before he received a very civil message from Keimer, in which he said, "that old friends should not part for a few words, the effect of sudden pa.s.sion," and urged him to return. The fact was, he had a prospect of being employed to print some paper-money in New Jersey, which would require cuts and various types that Benjamin only could supply, and, therefore, he wanted to re-engage him. Benjamin was not quite inclined to accept the proposition at first, but Meredith urged him to do it, on the ground that he himself would become better acquainted with the business in consequence; he, therefore, agreed to return.
It was several months before the new types arrived from London, and Benjamin continued in Keimer"s service. Most of the time he spent with his employer at Burlington, executing the paper-money, and there made many friends, among whom was Judge Allen, the Secretary of the Province, several members of the a.s.sembly, and the Surveyor-General, all of whom were of service to him when he set up business for himself. They were much pleased with Benjamin"s intelligence and fidelity, so that they frequently invited him to their houses, while the ignorance and rudeness of Keimer so disgusted them, that they took little notice of him.
"You are completely master of your business," said the Surveyor-General to him; "and success is before you."
"I have improved my opportunities," modestly replied Benjamin, "to become as well acquainted with my business as I could. This half way of doing things I do not like."
"I commenced business in a very humble way," continued the Surveyor-General, "without expecting to ever possess such an estate as I do now."
"What was your business?"
"I wheeled clay for the brick-makers, and had not the opportunity of going to school at all in my boyhood. I did not learn to write until I became of age. I acquired my knowledge of surveying when I carried a chain for surveyors, who were pleased with my desire to learn the business, and a.s.sisted me. By constant industry and close application, with a good deal of perseverance, I have succeeded in reaching the place where you now see me."
"That is all the way any one can work his way up to an honourable position," said Benjamin.
"True, very true, and I am glad to see that you understand it. I am confident that you will beat this man Keimer at the business, and make a fortune in it at Philadelphia, if you go on as you have begun."
This example of industry and perseverance was encouraging to Benjamin in his circ.u.mstances. It was exactly suited to confirm him in his very proper views of industry and fidelity.
Meredith and Benjamin settled with Keimer and left him just before their types arrived, without letting him into the secret of their plans. The first intimation he had of their intentions was the opening of their printing-office near the market.
Many people were taken by surprise, and most of them predicted a failure, since there were two printers established there already. Not long after they commenced, an elderly man, whose name was Samuel Mickle, happened to be pa.s.sing just as Benjamin came out of his office.
"Are you the young man," said Mickle, "who has lately opened a new printing-house?"
"I am, sir."
"I am sorry for you," said he, "for it is an expensive undertaking, and you are throwing away your money."
"How so?"
"Because Philadelphia is degenerating, and half the people are now bankrupt, or nearly so, and how can they support so many printers?"
"But the appearance of Philadelphia," replied Benjamin, "indicates thrift. See how many buildings are going up, and how rents are rising every month. This does not look like going backward."
"These are among the very things that will ruin us," responded Mickle.
"They are not evidence of prosperity, but of extravagance, that will bring disaster sooner or later."
In this strain, Mickle, who was one of those eccentric and unhappy men who always look upon the dark side of things, went on, until Benjamin really began to feel dismayed. But on the whole, he believed that the evidence of his own senses was to the contrary, and so he soon forgot the interview. Mickle continued to live there some years, refusing to buy a house because the town was going to ruin, and at last he purchased one for five times what he could have had it for at the time he talked to Benjamin.
In their printing-office, Franklin suspended the following lines, which he composed:--
"All ye who come this curious art to see, To handle anything must careful be; Lest by a slight touch, ere you are aware, You may do mischief which you can"t repair, Lo! this advice we give to every stranger!
Look on and welcome, but to touch there"s danger."
This singular notice attracted some attention, and elicited remarks from different visitors.
In order to win the confidence of the public, and secure their patronage, Benjamin resolved at the outset to exhibit to all beholders several qualities which guarantee success; namely, industry, economy, integrity, and close application to his business. All of them had become habits with him, and hence it was easy for him to conduct in this manner.