Every
nation has its heroes, of course, If a nation is lucky, it has
one who was so able in everything he or she did
that the person''s
legacy stretches in many directions. Michelangelo comes to mind. Well,
America has been fortunate in this respect, too.Ben Franklin was an inventor not only of
things, but of ideas. First
some of the things, Ben Franklin invented the lightning rod; he created
the first wood stove with a pipe out the back that extended through the
wall. You may say: "So what in these days of forced air heating?" But
in his time, the Franklin Stove produced far more heat than a
fireplace, cost less to operate, was less smoky, and became popular all
over the world. Franklin also published America''s first magazine and
organized its first postal service and its first lending library.Ben Franklin was also famous-- still is, 200 some years after his
death-- for his witty observations, like, "Keep your eyes wide open
before marriage, half--shut afterwards. " Or, "There never was a good
war or a bad peace. " Another one: "In this world nothing is certain
but death and taxes. "