"The Universal Instructor in All Arts and Sciences and
Pennsylvania Gazette": this was the high-sounding name of a
newspaper which Franklin's old employer, Keimer, had started in
Philadelphia. But bankruptcy shortly overtook Keimer, and
Franklin took the newspaper with its ninety subscribers. The
"Universal Instructor" feature of the paper consisted of a page
or two weekly of "Chambers's Encyclopedia". Franklin eliminated
this feature and dropped the first part of the long name. "The
Pennsylvania Gazette" in Franklin's hands soon became profitable.
And it lives today in the fullness of abounding life, though
under another name. "Founded A.D. 1728 by Benj. Franklin" is the
proud legend of "The Saturday Evening Post", which carries on, in
our own times, the Franklin tradition.

The "Gazette" printed bits of local news, extracts from the
London "Spectator", jokes, verses, humorous attacks on Bradford's
"Mercury", a rival paper, moral essays by the editor, elaborate
hoaxes, and pungent political or social criticism. Often the
editor wrote and printed letters to himself, either to emphasize
some truth or to give him the opportunity to ridicule some folly
in a reply to "Alice Addertongue," "Anthony Afterwit," or other
mythical but none the less typical person.

If the countryman did not read a newspaper, or buy books, he was,
at any rate, sure to own an almanac. So in 1732 Franklin brought
out "Poor Richard's Almanac". Three editions were sold within a
few months. Year after year the sayings of Richard Saunders, the
alleged publisher, and Bridget, his wife, creations of Franklin's
fancy, were printed in the almanac. Years later the most striking
of these sayings were collected and published. This work has been