Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/61

Rh Logan from the ancient and essays on matters of practical import testify to his learning and industry. With such training and tastes he would naturally welcome any effort to secure and extend the advantages of learning to the young generations around him, and having confidence in Franklin's executive ability to carry to maturity any scheme he would formulate in furtherance of this, and reliance on his practical judgment, he naturally gave his interest and influence to it; and his name heading the new trust in compliance with Franklin's desire, was in itself an augury of success to the enterprise. Logan writes to Peter Collinson in London 1 July 1749, "Benjamin Franklin has been here to day, to show me some new curiosities in electricity, but the weather was too warm and moist." And on 20 October our most ingenious printer and postmaster, Benjamin Franklin, has the clearest understanding, with as extreme modesty as any man I know here. Thou hast seen several of his pieces on electricity, wherein he almost excels you all.

His practical interest in the new Academy was evidenced in his early offer to the Trustees of "the gift of a lot of ground on Sixth Street to erect an Academy upon, provided it should be built within the Term of Fourteen Years." This lot was opposite the State House Square, probably immediately North of the building for his Library which Logan had before this date erected on the northwest corner of Walnut and Sixth Streets, at that time considered out of town. To this however the President was desired to acquaint Mr. Logan [at the meeting of 26 December] that the Trustees had a most grateful sense of his regard to the