As an Apprentice; by David

“Just a little bit more to the left.  Aaaahhh!  Finally my shop is finished.  Now Ben go home and tell Pa that the shop is now finished.”

“Sure thing James”

Running home, I saw Pa in the window, working.

When I arrived home to Pa I told him the news about James’ shop. 

“Do you want to become his apprentice?”  Pa seriously asked me.

“No” 

“Yes”

“Fine.  I’ll become his apprentice.”  In 1717 my brother set up his own printing shop. I loved to visit his shop. 

I always liked printing more than making soap but more than both of those jobs, I want to become a sailor as I always did as a younger boy.  My Pa Josiah  was afraid of me becoming a sailor.  He wanted me to become a printers apprentice so he kept asking me to become one.  I refused the first couple of times but after a while, I signed a few papers that said I had to be a printers apprentice until I was twenty-one and that I would have to do anything that James told me to do.

“Start sweeping the floors, set type up, make the ink, sell all the goods, greet all the costumers and operate the printing press.”

Some of those chores were fun like operating the printing press because I was pretty good at it , if I don’t say so myself but sometimes when James says “that’s not good enough do it over again!”

I just felt like I was going to run away. The shop was busy and noisy and sometimes it hurt my ears.   I wanted to get paid but James would say “Get Paid? Your still just an apprentice and apprentices like you don’t get paid.” I had to look at the bright side though and I made friends with the apprentices of booksellers.  James also taught me how to print at a young age.  I got upset with James and after a while of putting up with him, I decided to run away, but that is a different story. 

  

 Author’s note

Benjamin Franklin was a famous inventor.  He was born on January 17, 1706.  When he was a child, his father (Joshiah Franklin) wanted him to become a soap maker but he became a printers apprentice for his brother James Franklin.  After a while of being an apprentice he ran away.  When he ran away he took a boat to Philadelphia.  In Philadelphia he opened up his own printing shop and made alot of money.  After Ben had retired fom being a printer he got interested in lightening and became a scientist and made many inventions like the lightening rod and he discovered electricity.  In 1776 Ben had helped write the declaration of independence and signed it.  On April 17, 1790 Ben Franklin had died in his home in peace.  Along with him were his inventions, family and much books.