Acres of Diamonds
By
RUSSELL H. CONWELL
VOLUME 2
NATIONAL
EXTENSION UNIVERSITY
597 Fifth Avenue, New York
Acres of Diamonds
Copyright, 1915, by Harper & Brothers
Printed in the United States of America
An Appreciation of
Russell H. Conwell
AN APPRECIATION
Though Russell H. Conwell's Acres of Diamondshave been spread all over the United States,time and care have made them more valuable,and now that they have been reset in black andwhite by their discoverer, they are to be laid in thehands of a multitude for their enrichment.
In the same case with these gems there is afascinating story of the Master Jeweler's life-workwhich splendidly illustrates the ultimate unit ofpower by showing what one man can do in oneday and what one life is worth to the world.
As his neighbor and intimate friend in Philadelphiafor thirty years, I am free to say thatRussell H. Conwell's tall, manly figure standsout in the state of Pennsylvania as its first citizenand "The Big Brother" of its seven millions ofpeople.
From the beginning of his career he has been acredible witness in the Court of Public Works tothe truth of the strong language of the NewTestament Parable where it says, "If ye havefaith as a grain of mustard-seed, ye shall say untothis mountain, 'Remove hence to yonder place,'AND IT SHALL REMOVE AND NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE UNTO YOU."
As a student, schoolmaster, lawyer, preacher,organizer, thinker and writer, lecturer, educator,diplomat, and leader of men, he has made hismark on his city and state and the times in whichhe has lived. A man dies, but his good work lives.
His ideas, ideals, and enthusiasms have inspiredtens of thousands of lives. A book full of theenergetics of a master workman is just what everyyoung man cares for.
Acres of Diamonds
Friends.—This lecture has been delivered under these circumstances:I visit a town or city, and try to arrive there earlyenough to see the postmaster, the barber, the keeper of the hotel,the principal of the schools, and the ministers of some of thechurches, and then go into some of the factories and stores, andtalk with the people, and get into sympathy with the local conditionsof that town or city and see what has been their history,what opportunities they had, and what they had failed to do—andevery town fails to do something—and then go to the lectureand talk to those