THOUGH Russell H. Conwell’s Acres of Diamonds have been spread all over
the United States, time and care have made them more valuable, and now
that they have been reset in black and white by their discoverer, they
are to be laid in the hands of a multitude for their enrichment.
In the same case with these gems there is a fascinating story of the
Master Jeweler’s life-work which splendidly illustrates the ultimate
unit of power by showing what one man can do in one day and what one
life is worth to the world.
As his neighbor and intimate friend in Philadelphia for thirty years, I
am free to say that Russell H. Conwell’s tall, manly figure stands out
in the state of Pennsylvania as its first citizen and “The Big Brother”
of its seven millions of people.
From the beginning of his career he has been a credible witness in the
Court of Public Works to the truth of the strong language of the
New Testament Parable where it says, “If ye have faith as a grain of
mustard-seed, ye shall say unto this 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 his
mark on his city and state and the times in which he has lived. A man
dies, but his good work lives.
His ideas, ideals, and enthusiasms have inspired tens of thousands of
lives. A book full of the energetics of a master workman is just what
every young man cares for.