Dwight Goddard 
Eminent Engineers 
Brief Biographies of Thirty-Two of the Inventors and Engineers Who Did Most to Further Mechanical Progress

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. Franklin was a many sided man and it is hard to say on which he was the greatest. Was he most notable as a statesman? It might be. His native good sense, shrewdness and wealth of resource combined in one eminently genial, tactful, patient and persistent — made him an ideal diplomat. He sought in everything to allay friction and bring about friendly rela tions.