t that I would assist him in procuring
a subscription for erecting a new meeting-house. It was to be for the
use of a congregation he had gathered among the Presbyterians, who were
originally disciples of Mr. Whitefield. Unwilling to make myself
disagreeable to my fellow-citizens by too frequently soliciting their
contributions, I absolutely refus'd. He then desired I would furnish
him with a list of the names of persons I knew by experience to be
generous and public-spirited. I thought it would be unbecoming in me,
after their kind compliance with my solicitations, to mark them out to
be worried by other beggars, and therefore refus'd also to give such a
list. He then desir'd I would at least give him my advice. "That I
will readily do," said I; "and, in the first place, I advise you to
apply to all those whom you know will give something; next, to those
whom you are uncertain whether they will give any thing or not, and
show them the list of those who have given; and, lastly, do not neglect
those who you are sure will give nothing, for in some of them you may
be mistaken." He laugh'd and thank'd me, and said he would take my
advice. He did so, for he ask'd of everybody, and he obtained a much
larger sum than he expected, with which he erected the capacious and
very elegant meeting-house that stands in Arch-street.

Our city, tho' laid out with a beautiful regularity, the streets large,
strait, and crossing each other at right angles, had the disgrace of
suffering those streets to remain long unpav'd, and in wet weather the
wheels of heavy carriages plough'd them into a quagmire, so that it was
difficult to cross them; and in dry weather the dust was offensive. I
had liv'd near what was call'd the Jersey Market, and saw with pain the
inhabitants wading in mud while purchasing their provisions. A strip
of ground down the middle of that market was at length pav'd with
brick, so that, being once in the market, they had firm footing, but
were often over shoes in dirt to get there. By talking and writing on
the subject, I was at length instrumental in getting the street pav'd
with stone between the market and the brick'd foot-pavement, that was
on each side next the houses. This, for some time, gave an easy access
to the market dry-shod; but, the rest of the street not being pav'd,
whenever a carriage came out of the mud upon this pavement, it shook
off and left its dirt upon it, and it was soon cover'd with mire, wh