1、TheProjectGutenbergEBookofAcresofDiamonds,byRussellH.ConwellThiseBookisfortheuseofanyoneanywhereatnocostandwithalmostnorestrictionswhatsoever.Youmaycopyit,giveitawayorre-useitunderthetermsoftheProjectGutenbergLicenseincludedwiththiseBookoronlineatwww.gutenberg.orgTitle:AcresofDiamondsAuthor:RussellH
2、.ConwellReleaseDate:June29,2008EBook#368LastUpdated:November3,2016Language:English*STARTOFTHISPROJECTGUTENBERGEBOOKACRESOFDIAMONDS*ProducedbyCharlesKellerandDavidWidgerACRESOFDIAMONDSByRussellH.ConwellFounderOfTempleUniversityPhiladelphiaHisLifeAndAchievementByRobertShackletonWithanAutobiographicalN
3、oteCONTENTSANAPPRECIATIONACRESOFDIAMONDSHISLIFEANDACHIEVEMENTSI.THESTORYOFTHESWORDII.THEBEGINNINGATOLDLEXINGTONIII.STORYOFTHEFIFTY-SEVENCENTSIV.HISPOWERASORATORANDPREACHERV.GIFTFORINSPIRINGOTHERSVI.MILLIONSOFHEARERSVII.HOWAUNIVERSITYWASFOUNDEDVIII.HISSPLENDIDEFFICIENCYIX.THESTORYOFACRESOFDIAMONDSFIF
4、TYYEARSONTHELECTUREPLATFORMANAPPRECIATIONTHOUGHRussellH.ConwellsAcresofDiamondshavebeenspreadallovertheUnitedStates,timeandcarehavemadethemmorevaluable,andnowthattheyhavebeenresetinblackandwhitebytheirdiscoverer,theyaretobelaidinthehandsofamultitudefortheirenrichment.Inthesamecasewiththesegemstherei
5、safascinatingstoryoftheMasterJewelerslife-workwhichsplendidlyillustratestheultimateunitofpowerbyshowingwhatonemancandoinonedayandwhatonelifeisworthtotheworld.AshisneighborandintimatefriendinPhiladelphiaforthirtyyears,IamfreetosaythatRussellH.Conwellstall,manlyfigurestandsoutinthestateofPennsylvaniaa
6、sitsfirstcitizenand“TheBigBrother”ofitssevenmillionsofpeople.FromthebeginningofhiscareerhehasbeenacrediblewitnessintheCourtof Public Works to the truth of the strong language of the New TestamentParablewhereitsays,“Ifyehavefaithasagrainofmustard-seed,yeshallsayunto this mountain, Remove hence to yon
7、der place, AND IT SHALLREMOVEANDNOTHINGSHALLBEIMPOSSIBLEUNTOYOU.”Asastudent,schoolmaster,lawyer,preacher,organizer,thinkerandwriter,lecturer,educator,diplomat,andleaderofmen,hehasmadehismarkonhiscityandstateandthetimesinwhichhehaslived.Amandies,buthisgoodworklives.Hisideas,ideals,andenthusiasmshavei
8、nspiredtensofthousandsoflives.Abookfulloftheenergeticsofamasterworkmanisjustwhateveryyoungmancaresfor.1915.signatureACRESOFDIAMONDSFriends.Thislecturehasbeendeliveredunderthesecircumstances:Ivisitatown orcity,andtrytoarrive thereearlyenough to seethepostmaster, thebarber,thekeeperofthehotel,theprinc
9、ipaloftheschools,andtheministersofsomeofthechurches,andthengointosomeofthefactoriesandstores,andtalkwiththepeople,andgetintosympathywiththelocalconditionsofthattownorcityandseewhathasbeentheirhistory,whatopportunitiestheyhad,andwhattheyhadfailedtodoandeverytownfailstodosomethingandthengotothelecture
10、andtalktothosepeopleaboutthesubjectswhichappliedtotheirlocality.“AcresofDiamonds”theideahascontinuouslybeenpreciselythesame.Theideaisthatinthiscountryofourseverymanhastheopportunitytomakemoreofhimselfthanhedoesinhisownenvironment,withhisownskill,withhisownenergy,andwithhisownfriends.RUSSELLH.CONWELL
11、.ACRESOFDIAMONDS1WHENgoingdowntheTigrisandEuphratesriversmanyyearsagowithapartyofEnglishtravelersIfoundmyselfunderthedirectionofanoldArabguidewhomwehiredupatBagdad,andIhaveoftenthoughthowthatguideresembledourbarbersincertainmentalcharacteristics.Hethoughtthatitwasnotonlyhisdutytoguideusdownthoserive
12、rs,anddowhathewaspaidfordoing, but also to entertain us with stories curious and weird, ancient andmodern,strangeandfamiliar.ManyofthemIhaveforgotten,andIamgladIhave,butthereisoneIshallneverforget.Theoldguidewasleadingmycamelbyitshalteralongthebanksofthoseancientrivers,andhetoldmestoryafterstoryunti
13、lIgrewwearyofhisstory-tellingandceasedtolisten.IhaveneverbeenirritatedwiththatguidewhenhelosthistemperasIceasedlistening.ButIrememberthathetookoffhisTurkishcapandswungitinacircletogetmyattention.Icouldseeitthroughthecornerofmyeye,butIdeterminednottolookstraightathimforfearhewouldtellanotherstory.But
14、althoughIamnotawoman,Ididfinallylook,andassoonasIdidhewentrightintoanotherstory.Saidhe,“IwilltellyouastorynowwhichIreserveformyparticularfriends.”Whenheemphasizedthewords“particularfriends,”Ilistened,andIhaveeverbeengladIdid.Ireallyfeeldevoutlythankful,thatthereare1,674youngmenwhohavebeencarriedthro
15、ughcollegebythislecturewhoarealsogladthatIdidlisten.TheoldguidetoldmethatthereoncelivednotfarfromtheRiverIndusanancientPersianby thenameofAli Hafed. HesaidthatAli Hafedownedaverylargefarm,thathehadorchards,grain-fields,andgardens;thathehadmoneyatinterest,andwasawealthyandcontentedman.Hewascontentedb
16、ecausehewaswealthy,andwealthybecausehewascontented.OnedaytherevisitedthatoldPersianfarmeroneoftheseancientBuddhistpriests,oneofthewisemenoftheEast.Hesatdownbythefireandtoldtheoldfarmerhowthisworldofourswasmade.Hesaidthatthisworldwasonceamerebankoffog,andthattheAlmightythrustHisfingerintothisbankoffo
17、g,andbeganslowlytomoveHisfingeraround,increasingthespeeduntilatlastHewhirledthisbankoffogintoasolidballoffire.Thenitwentrollingthroughtheuniverse,burningitswaythroughotherbanksoffog,andcondensedthemoisturewithout,untilitfellinfloodsofrainuponitshotsurface,andcooledtheoutwardcrust.Thentheinternalfire
18、sburstingoutwardthroughthecrustthrewupthemountainsandhills,thevalleys,theplainsandprairiesofthiswonderfulworldofours.Ifthisinternal molten mass came bursting out and cooled very quickly it becamegranite;lessquicklycopper,lessquicklysilver,lessquicklygold,and,aftergold,diamondsweremade.Saidtheoldprie
19、st,“Adiamondisacongealeddropofsunlight.”Nowthatisliterallyscientificallytrue,thatadiamondisanactualdepositofcarbonfromthesun.TheoldpriesttoldAliHafedthatifhehadonediamondthesizeofhisthumbhecouldpurchasethecounty,andifhehadamineofdiamondshecouldplacehischildrenuponthronesthroughtheinfluenceoftheirgre
20、atwealth.AliHafedheardallaboutdiamonds,howmuchtheywereworth,andwenttohisbedthatnightapoorman.Hehadnotlostanything,buthewaspoorbecausehewasdiscontented,anddiscontentedbecausehefearedhewaspoor.Hesaid,“Iwantamineofdiamonds,”andhelayawakeallnight.Earlyinthemorninghesoughtoutthepriest.Iknowbyexperienceth
21、atapriestisverycrosswhenawakenedearlyinthemorning,andwhenheshookthatoldpriestoutofhisdreams,AliHafedsaidtohim:“WillyoutellmewhereIcanfinddiamonds?”“Diamonds! What do you want with diamonds?” “Why, I wish to beimmenselyrich.”“Well,then,goalongandfindthem.Thatisallyouhavetodo;goandfindthem,andthenyouh
22、avethem.”“ButIdontknowwheretogo.”“Well, if you will find a river that runs through white sands, between highmountains, in those white sands you will always find diamonds.” “I dontbelievethereisanysuchriver.”“Ohyes,thereareplentyofthem.Allyouhavetodoistogoandfindthem,andthenyouhavethem.”SaidAliHafed,
23、“Iwillgo.”So he sold his farm, collected his money, left his family in charge of aneighbor,andawayhewentinsearchofdiamonds.Hebeganhissearch,veryproperlytomymind,attheMountainsoftheMoon.AfterwardhecamearoundintoPalestine,thenwanderedonintoEurope,andatlastwhenhismoneywasallspentandhewasinrags,wretched
24、ness,andpoverty,hestoodontheshoreofthatbayatBarcelona,inSpain,whenagreattidalwavecamerollinginbetweenthepillarsofHercules,andthepoor,afflicted,suffering,dyingmancouldnotresisttheawfultemptationtocasthimselfintothatincomingtide,andhesankbeneathitsfoamingcrest,nevertoriseinthislifeagain.Whenthatoldgui
25、dehadtoldmethatawfullysadstoryhestoppedthecamelIwasridingonandwentbacktofixthebaggagethatwascomingoffanothercamel,andIhadanopportunitytomuseoverhisstorywhilehewasgone.Iremembersayingtomyself,“Whydidhereservethatstoryforhisparticularfriends?”Thereseemedtobenobeginning,nomiddle,noend,nothingtoit.Thatw
26、asthefirststoryIhadeverheardtoldinmylife,andwouldbethefirstoneIeverread,inwhichtheherowaskilledinthefirstchapter.Ihadbutonechapterofthatstory,andtheherowasdead.Whentheguidecamebackandtookupthehalterofmycamel,hewentrightaheadwiththestory,intothesecondchapter,justasthoughtherehadbeennobreak.Themanwhop
27、urchasedAliHafedsfarmonedayledhiscamelintothegardentodrink,andasthatcamelputitsnoseintotheshallowwaterofthatgardenbrook,AliHafedssuccessornoticedacuriousflashoflightfromthewhitesandsofthestream.Hepulledoutablackstonehavinganeyeoflightreflectingallthehuesoftherainbow.Hetookthepebbleintothehouseandput
28、itonthemantelwhichcoversthecentralfires,andforgotallaboutit.AfewdayslaterthissameoldpriestcameintovisitAliHafedssuccessor,andthemomentheopenedthatdrawing-roomdoorhesawthatflashoflightonthemantel,andherusheduptoit,andshouted:“Hereisadiamond!HasAliHafedreturned?”“Ohno,AliHafedhasnotreturned,andthatisn
29、otadiamond.Thatisnothingbutastonewefoundrightouthereinourowngarden.”“But,”saidthepriest,“ItellyouIknowadiamondwhenIseeit.Iknowpositivelythatisadiamond.”Thentogethertheyrushedoutintothatoldgardenandstirredupthewhitesandswiththeirfingers,andlo!therecameupothermorebeautifulandvaluablegemsthanthefirst.“
30、Thus,”saidtheguidetome,and,friends,itishistoricallytrue, “was discovered the diamond-mine of Golconda, the most magnificentdiamond-mineinallthehistoryofmankind,excellingtheKimberlyitself.TheKohinoor,andtheOrloffofthecrownjewelsofEnglandandRussia,thelargestonearth,camefromthatmine.”WhenthatoldArabgui
31、detoldmethesecondchapterofhisstory,hethentookoffhisTurkishcapandswungitaroundintheairagaintogetmyattentiontothemoral.ThoseArabguideshavemoralstotheirstories,althoughtheyarenotalwaysmoral.Asheswunghishat,hesaidtome,“HadAliHafedremainedathomeandduginhisowncellar,orunderneathhisownwheat-fields,orinhiso
32、wn garden, instead of wretchedness, starvation, and death by suicide in astrangeland,hewouldhavehadacresofdiamonds.Foreveryacreofthatoldfarm,yes,everyshovelful,afterwardrevealedgemswhichsincehavedecoratedthecrownsofmonarchs.”WhenhehadaddedthemoraltohisstoryIsawwhyhereserveditfor“hisparticularfriends
33、.”ButIdidnottellhimIcouldseeit.ItwasthatmeanoldArabswayofgoingaroundathinglikealawyer,tosayindirectlywhathedidnotdaresaydirectly,that“inhisprivateopiniontherewasacertainyoungmanthentravelingdowntheTigrisRiverthatmightbetterbeathomeinAmerica.”IdidnottellhimIcouldseethat,butItoldhimhisstoryremindedmeo
34、fone,andItoldittohimquick,andIthinkIwilltellittoyou.ItoldhimofamanoutinCaliforniain1847whoownedaranch.HeheardtheyhaddiscoveredgoldinsouthernCalifornia,andsowithapassionforgoldhesoldhisranchtoColonelSutter,andawayhewent,nevertocomeback.ColonelSutterputamilluponastreamthatranthroughthatranch,andoneday
35、hislittlegirlbroughtsomewetsandfromtheracewayintotheirhomeandsifteditthroughherfingersbeforethefire,andinthatfallingsandavisitorsawthefirstshiningscalesofrealgoldthatwereeverdiscoveredinCalifornia.Themanwhohadownedthatranchwantedgold,andhecouldhavesecureditforthemeretaking.Indeed,thirty-eightmillion
36、sofdollarshasbeentakenoutofaveryfewacressincethen.AbouteightyearsagoIdeliveredthislectureinacitythatstandsonthatfarm,andtheytoldmethataone-thirdownerforyearsandyearshadbeengettingonehundredandtwentydollarsingoldeveryfifteenminutes,sleepingorwaking,withouttaxation.YouandIwouldenjoyanincomelikethatifw
37、edidnthavetopayanincometax.But a better illustration really than that occurred here in our ownPennsylvania.IfthereisanythingIenjoyaboveanotherontheplatform,itistogetoneoftheseGermanaudiencesinPennsylvaniabeforeme,andfirethatatthem,andIenjoyitto-night.TherewasamanlivinginPennsylvania,notunlikesomePen
38、nsylvaniansyouhaveseen,whoownedafarm,andhedidwiththatfarmjustwhatIshoulddowithafarmifIownedoneinPennsylvaniahesoldit.Butbeforehesoldithedecidedtosecureemploymentcollectingcoal-oilforhiscousin,whowasinthebusinessinCanada,wheretheyfirstdiscoveredoilonthiscontinent.Theydippeditfromtherunningstreamsatth
39、atearlytime.SothisPennsylvania farmer wrote to his cousin asking for employment. You see,friends,thisfarmerwasnotaltogetherafoolishman.No,hewasnot.Hedidnotleavehisfarmuntilhehadsomethingelsetodo.*OfallthesimpletonsthestarsshineonIdontknowofaworseonethanthemanwholeavesonejobbeforehehasgottenanother.T
40、hathasespecialreferencetomyprofession,andhasnoreferencewhatevertoamanseekingadivorce.Whenhewrotetohiscousinforemployment, his cousin replied, “I cannot engage you because you knownothingabouttheoilbusiness.”Well,thentheoldfarmersaid,“Iwillknow,”andwithmostcommendablezeal(characteristicofthestudentso
41、fTempleUniversity)hesethimselfatthestudyofthewholesubject.HebeganawaybackattheseconddayofGodscreationwhenthisworldwascoveredthickanddeepwiththatrichvegetationwhichsincehasturnedtotheprimitivebedsofcoal.Hestudiedthesubjectuntilhefoundthatthedrainingsreallyofthoserichbedsofcoalfurnishedthecoal-oilthat
42、wasworthpumping,andthenhefoundhowitcameupwiththelivingsprings.Hestudieduntilheknewwhatitlookedlike,smelledlike,tastedlike,andhowtorefineit.Nowsaidheinhislettertohiscousin,“Iunderstandtheoilbusiness.”Hiscousinanswered,“Allright,comeon.”Sohesoldhisfarm,accordingtothecountyrecord,for$833(evenmoney,“noc
43、ents”).Hehadscarcelygonefromthatplacebeforethemanwhopurchasedthespotwentouttoarrangeforthewateringofthecattle.Hefoundthepreviousownerhadgoneoutyearsbeforeandputaplankacrossthebrookbackofthebarn,edgewiseintothesurfaceofthewaterjustafewinches.Thepurposeofthatplankatthatsharpangleacrossthebrookwastothr
44、owovertotheotherbank a dreadful-looking scum through which the cattle would not put theirnoses.Butwiththatplanktheretothrowitallovertooneside,thecattlewoulddrink below, and thus that man who had gone to Canada had been himselfdamming back for twenty-three years a flood of coal-oil which the stategeo
45、logistsofPennsylvaniadeclaredtoustenyearslaterwaseventhenworthahundred millions of dollars to our state, and four years ago our geologistdeclaredthediscoverytobeworthtoourstateathousandmillionsofdollars.ThemanwhoownedthatterritoryonwhichthecityofTitusvillenowstands,andthosePleasantvillevalleys,hadst
46、udiedthesubjectfromtheseconddayofGodscreationcleardowntothepresenttime.Hestudiedituntilheknewallaboutit,andyetheissaidtohavesoldthewholeofitfor$833,andagainIsay,“nosense.”ButIneedanotherillustration.IfounditinMassachusetts,andIamsorryIdidbecausethatisthestateIcamefrom.ThisyoungmaninMassachusettsfurn
47、ishesjustanotherphaseofmythought.HewenttoYaleCollegeandstudiedminesandmining,andbecamesuchanadeptasaminingengineerthathewasemployedbytheauthoritiesoftheuniversitytotrainstudentswhowerebehindtheirclasses.Duringhissenioryearheearned$15aweekfordoingthatwork.Whenhegraduatedtheyraisedhispayfrom$15to$45aw
48、eek,andofferedhimaprofessorship,andassoonastheydidhewentrighthometohismother.*Iftheyhadraisedthatboyspayfrom$15to$15.60hewouldhavestayedandbeenproudoftheplace,butwhentheyputitupto$45atoneleap,hesaid,“Mother,Iwontworkfor$45aweek.Theideaofamanwithabrainlikemineworkingfor$45aweek!LetsgooutinCaliforniaa
49、ndstakeoutgold-minesandsilver-mines,andbeimmenselyrich.”Saidhismother,“Now,Charlie,itisjustaswelltobehappyasitistoberich.”“Yes,”saidCharlie,“butitisjustaswelltoberichandhappy,too.”Andtheywerebothrightaboutit.Ashewasanonlysonandsheawidow,ofcoursehehadhisway.Theyalwaysdo.TheysoldoutinMassachusetts,and
50、insteadofgoingtoCaliforniatheywenttoWisconsin,wherehewentintotheemployoftheSuperiorCopperMiningCompanyat$15aweekagain,butwiththeprovisoinhiscontractthatheshouldhaveaninterestinanyminesheshoulddiscoverforthecompany.Idontbelieveheeverdiscoveredamine,andifIamlookinginthefaceofanystockholderofthatcopper
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