Russell H. Conwell Acres of Diamonds

I got this speech free from http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/rconwellacresofdiamonds.htm

Russell Conwell,
Acres of Diamonds, delivered over 5000 times at various times and places from 1900-1925

When going down the Tigris and Euphrates rivers many years ago with a party of English travelers I found myself under the direction of an old Arab guide whom we hired up at Baghdad, and I have often thought how that guide resembled our barbers in certain mental characteristics. He thought that it was not only his duty to guide us down those rivers, and do what he was paid for doing, but to entertain us with stories curious and weird, ancient and modern strange, and familiar. Many of them I have forgotten, and I am glad I have, but there is one I shall never forget.

The old guide was leading my camel by its halter along the banks of those ancient rivers, and he told me story after story until I grew weary of his story-telling and ceased to listen. I have never been irritated with that guide when he lost his temper as I ceased listening. But I remember that he took off his Turkish cap and swung it in a circle to get my attention. I could see it through the corner of my eye, but I determined not to look straight at him for fear he would tell another story. But although I am not a woman, I did finally look, and as soon as I did he went right into another story. Said he, I will tell you a story now which I reserve for my particular friends. When he emphasized the words particular friends, I listened and I have ever been glad I did. I really feel devoutly thankful, that there are 1,674 young men who have been carried through college by this lecture who are also glad that I did listen.

The old guide told me that there once lived not far from the River Indus an ancient Persian by the name of Ali Hafed. He said that Ali Hafed owned a very large farm; that he had orchards, grain-fields, and gardens; that he had money at interest and was a wealthy and contented man. One day there visited that old Persian farmer one of those ancient Buddhist priests, one of the wise men of the East. He sat down by the fire and told the old farmer how this old world of ours was made.

Russell Herman Conwell (February 15, 1843 December 6, 1925) was an American Baptist minister, orator, philanthropist, lawyer, and writer. He is best remembered as the founder and first president of Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and for his inspirational lecture Acres of Diamonds. He was born in South Worthington, Massachusetts and was buried in the Founder's Garden at Temple University.[1]

Russell Conwell Acres of Diamond

"Acres of Diamonds" originated as a speech which Conwell delivered over 6,000 times around the world. It was first published in 1890 by the John Y. Huber Company of Philadelphia.[4]
The central idea of the work is that one need not look elsewhere for opportunity, achievement, or fortune—the resources to achieve all good things are present in one's own community. This theme is developed by an introductory anecdote, told to Conwell by an Arab guide, about a man who wanted to find diamonds so badly that he sold his property and went off in futile search for them; the new owner of his home discovered that a rich diamond mine was located right there on the property. Conwell elaborates on the theme through examples of success, genius, service, or other virtues involving ordinary Americans contemporary to his audience: "dig in your own back-yard!".
In A People's History of the United States, The historian Howard Zinn comments that the message was that anyone could get rich if he tried hard enough while impying that Conwell held elitist attitudes by quoting him from his speech the following:
"I say that you ought to get rich, and it is your duty to get rich.... The men who get rich may be the most honest men you find in the community. Let me say here clearly .. . ninety-eight out of one hundred of the rich men of America are honest. That is why they are rich. That is why they are trusted with money. That is why they carry on great enterprises and find plenty of people to work with them. It is because they are honest men. ... ... I sympathize with the poor, but the number of poor who are to be sympathised with is very small. To sympathize with a man whom God has punished for his sins ... is to do wrong.... let us remember there is not a poor person in the United States who was not made poor by his own shortcomings. ..."
Conwell's capacity to establish Temple University and his other civic projects largely derived from the income that he earned from this speech.

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[MakeMoneyOnlineMyth]

It's amazing to be able to listen to the original speach of Russell Conwell - to think that this has been delivered 5,000 times and now we can watch it on YouTube where it can be "delivered" many thousand more times

[samuellsadv]

Eu li o livro "Uma Fortuna Ao Seu Alcance", de Russell H. Conwell, e fiquei positivamente impressionado. Se alguém puder pôr legendas em português neste vídeo para possibilitar o seu entendimento a pobres monoglotas como eu, ficarei imensamente grato.

[ELIMANN7]

thank you for the message russell!

[tripiization]

thanks for putting that up