v. A BENJAMIN FRANKLIN LETTER By William Frederic Worner In the Division of Manuscripts in the Library of Congress in Washington, D. C., there is an original letter writen by Benjamin Franklin to Edward Ship- pen, Esq., of Lancaster, Pa. The communication is a short one, and in it the illustrious

stated that President Buchanan "returned to his home [Wheatland] following his term as President of the United States and prac- tised law at the Lancaster bar." James Buchanan was admitted to the bar, in Lancaster, November 17th, 1812, and practiced law here until he entered upon his political career

church, and sat with them during divine service. During the first year, twenty pupils earned prayer books, and this enabled them to participate in the public services. Attached to the school was a library. The books were presented by members of the congregation. The library was used as an additional

land, he published an account of his travels in the new world. A copy of this work, in two volumes, is in the Library of Congress, and is entitled, "Letters from North America Written During a Tour in the United States and Canada." The book was published in London in 1824. In Volume 2, page 103

on August 27, 1776. He, evidently, served with distinction, for he was subse- quently appointed captain, as the follow ing letter dated August 16, 1779, and addressed to Captain James Hamilton would seem to indicate: " Sir:— "Agreeable to Orders received yesterday, You are to notify the Seventh Class

letters, autographs, etc., by his uncle, the later George M. Steinman, president of the Lancaster County Historical Society for twenty years,—from the time of its re-organization in 1896, until the end of 1916. In this history is an interesting letter, written, by William Augustus Atlee, in June, 1781

volumes, published in 1908, by the J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia and London. The Society gladly welcomes all such letters and other historical docu- ments, either as a gift or for publication, where the way is clear. The Pennsylvania State Library owns three original letters of James Buchanan