acres of diamonds-第2部分

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ut　one　chapter　of　that　story；　and　the　hero　was　dead。

When　the　guide　came　back　and　took　up　the　halter　of　my　camel；　he　went　right　ahead　with　the　story；　into　the　second　chapter；　just　as　though　there　had　been　no　break。　　The　man　who　purchased　Ali　Hafed's　farm　one　day　led　his　camel　into　the　garden　to　drink；　and　as　that　camel　put　its　nose　into　the　shallow　water　of　that　garden　brook；　Ali　Hafed's　successor　noticed　a　curious　flash　of　light　from　the　white　sands　of　the　stream。　　He　pulled　out　a　black　stone　having　an　eye　of　light　reflecting　all　the　hues　of　the　rainbow。　　He　took　the　pebble　into　the　house　and　put　it　on　the　mantel　which　covers　the　central　fires；　and　forgot　all　about　it。

A　few　days　later　this　same　old　priest　came　in　to　visit　Ali　Hafed's　successor；　and　the　moment　he　opened　that　drawing…room　door　he　saw　that　flash　of　light　on　the　mantel；　and　he　rushed　up　to　it；　and　shouted：　　‘‘Here　is　a　diamond！　　Has　Ali　Hafed　returned？''　　‘‘Oh　no；　Ali　Hafed　has　not　returned；　and　that　is　not　a　diamond。　　That　is　nothing　but　a　stone　we　found　right　out　here　in　our　own　garden。''　　‘‘But；''　said　the　priest；　‘‘I　tell　you　I　know　a　diamond　when　I　see　it。　　I　know　positively　that　is　a　diamond。''

Then　together　they　rushed　out　into　that　old　garden　and　stirred　up　the　white　sands　with　their　fingers；　and　lo！　there　came　up　other　more　beautiful　and　valuable　gems　than　the　first。　　‘‘Thus；''　said　the　guide　to　me；　and；　friends；　it　is　historically　true；　‘‘was　discovered　the　diamond…mine　of　Golconda；　the　most　magnificent　diamond…mine　in　all　the　history　of　mankind；　excelling　the　Kimberly　itself。　　The　Kohinoor；　and　the　Orloff　of　the　crown　jewels　of　England　and　Russia；　the　largest　on　earth；　came　from　that　mine。''

When　that　old　Arab　guide　told　me　the　second　chapter　of　his　story；　he　then　took　off　his　Turkish　cap　and　swung　it　around　in　the　air　again　to　get　my　attention　to　the　moral。　　Those　Arab　guides　have　morals　to　their　stories；　although　they　are　not　always　moral。　　As　he　swung　his　hat；　he　said　to　me；　‘‘Had　Ali　Hafed　remained　at　home　and　dug　in　his　own　cellar；　or　underneath　his　own　wheat…　fields；　or　in　his　own　garden；　instead　of　wretchedness；　starvation；　and　death　by　suicide　in　a　strange　land；　he　would　have　had　‘acres　of　diamonds。'　　For　every　acre　of　that　old　farm；　yes；　every　shovelful；　afterward　revealed　gems　which　since　have　decorated　the　crowns　of　monarchs。''

When　he　had　added　the　moral　to　his　story　I　saw　why　he　reserved　it　for　‘‘his　particular　friends。''　　But　I　did　not　tell　him　I　could　see　it。　　It　was　that　mean　old　Arab's　way　of　going　around　a　thing　like　a　lawyer；　to　say　indirectly　what　he　did　not　dare　say　directly；　that　‘‘in　his　private　opinion　there　was　a　certain　young　man　then　traveling　down　the　Tigris　River　that　might　better　be　at　home　in　America。''　　I　did　not　tell　him　I　could　see　that；　but　I　told　him　his　story　reminded　me　of　one；　and　I　told　it　to　him　quick；　and　I　think　I　will　tell　it　to　you。

I　told　him　of　a　man　out　in　California　in　1847　who　owned　a　ranch。　　He　heard　they　had　discovered　gold　in　southern　California；　and　so　with　a　passion　for　gold　he　sold　his　ranch　to　Colonel　Sutter；　and　away　he　went；　never　to　come　back。　　Colonel　Sutter　put　a　mill　upon　a　stream　that　ran　through　that　ranch；　and　one　day　his　little　girl　brought　some　wet　sand　from　the　raceway　into　their　home　and　sifted　it　through　her　fingers　before　the　fire；　and　in　that　falling　sand　a　visitor　saw　the　first　shining　scales　of　real　gold　that　were　ever　discovered　in　California。　　The　man　who　had　owned　that　ranch　wanted　gold；　and　he　could　have　secured　it　for　the　mere　taking。　　Indeed；　thirty…eight　millions　of　dollars　has　been　taken　out　of　a　very　few　acres　since　then。　　About　eight　years　ago　I　delivered　this　lecture　in　a　city　that　stands　on　that　farm；　and　they　told　me　that　a　one…third　owner　for　years　and　years　had　been　getting　one　hundred　and　twenty　dollars　in　gold　every　fifteen　minutes；　sleeping　or　waking；　without　taxation。　　You　and　I　would　enjoy　an　income　like　thatif　we　didn't　have　to　pay　an　income　tax。

But　a　better　illustration　really　than　that　occurred　here　in　our　own　Pennsylvania。　　If　there　is　anything　I　enjoy　above　another　on　the　platform；　it　is　to　get　one　of　these　German　audiences　in　Pennsylvania　before　me；　and　fire　that　at　them；　and　I　enjoy　it　to…night。　　There　was　a　man　living　in　Pennsylvania；　not　unlike　some　Pennsylvanians　you　have　seen；　who　owned　a　farm；　and　he　did　with　that　farm　just　what　I　should　do　with　a　farm　if　I　owned　one　in　Pennsylvaniahe　sold　it。　　But　before　he　sold　it　he　decided　to　secure　employment　collecting　coal…oil　for　his　cousin；　who　was　in　the　business　in　Canada；　where　they　first　discovered　oil　on　this　continent。　　They　dipped　it　from　the　running　streams　at　that　early　time。　　So　this　Pennsylvania　farmer　wrote　to　his　cousin　asking　for　employment。　　You　see；　friends；　this　farmer　was　not　altogether　a　foolish　man。　　No；　he　was　not。　　He　did　not　leave　his　farm　until　he　had　something　else　to　do。　　_*Of　all　the　simpletons　the　stars　shine　on　I　don't　know　of　a　worse　one　than　the　man　who　leaves　one　job　before　he　has　gotten　another_。　　That　has　especial　reference　to　my　profession；　and　has　no　reference　whatever　to　a　man　seeking　a　divorce。　　When　he　wrote　to　his　cousin　for　employment；　his　cousin　replied；　‘‘I　cannot　engage　you　because　you　know　nothing　about　the　oil　business。''

Well；　then　the　old　farmer　said；　‘‘I　will　know；''　and　with　most　commendable　zeal　（characteristic　of　the　students　of　Temple　University）　he　set　himself　at　the　study　of　the　whole　subject。　　He　began　away　back　at　the　second　day　of　God's　creation　when　this　world　was　covered　thick　and　deep　with　that　rich　vegetation　which　since　has　turned　to　the　primitive　beds　of　coal。　　He　studied　the　subject　until　he　found　that　the　drainings　really　of　those　rich　beds　of　coal　furnished　the　coal…oil　that　was　worth　pumping；　and　then　he　found　how　it　came　up　with　the　living　springs。　　He　studied　until　he　knew　what　it　looked　like；　smelled　like；　tasted　like；　and　how　to　refine　it。　　Now　said　he　in　his　letter　to　his　cousin；　‘‘I　understand　the　oil　business。''　　His　cousin　answered；　‘‘All　right；　come　on。''

So　he　sold　his　farm；　according　to　the　county　record；　for　833　（even　money；　‘‘no　cents''）。　　He　had　scarcely　gone　from　that　place　before　the　man　who　purchased　the　spot　went　out　to　arrange　for　the　watering　of　the　cattle。　　He　found　the　previous　owner　had　gone　out　years　before　and　put　a　plank　across　the　brook　back　of　the　barn；　edgewise　into　the　surface　of　the　water　just　a　few　inches。　　The　purpose　of　that　plank　at　that　sharp　angle　across　the　brook　was　to　throw　over　to　the　other　bank　a　dreadful…looking　scum　through　which　the　cattle　would　not　put　their　noses。　　But　with　that　plank　there　to　throw　it　all　over　to　one　side；　the　cattle　would　drink　below；　and　thus　that　man　who　had　gone　to　Canada　had　been　himself　damming　back　for　twenty…three　years　a　flood　of　coal…oil　which　the　state　geologists　of　Pennsylvania　declared　to　us　ten　years　later　was　even　then　worth　a　hundred　millions　of　dollars　to　our　state；　and　four　years　ago　our　geologist　declared　the　discovery　to　be　worth　to　our　state　a　thousand　millions　of　dollars。　　The　man　who　owned　that　territory　on　which　the　city　of　Titusville　now　stands；　and　those　Pleasantville　valleys；　had　studied　the　subject　from　the　second　day　of　God's　creation　clear　down　to　the　present　time。　　He　studied　it　until　he　knew　all　about　it；　and　yet　he　is　said　to　have　sold　the　whole　of　it　for　833；　and　again　I　say；　‘‘no　sense。''

But　I　need　another　illustration。　　I　found　it　in　Massachusetts；　and　I　am　sorry　I　did　because　that　is　the　state　I　came　from。　　This　young　man　in　Massachusetts　furnishes　just　another　phase　of　my　thought。　　He　went　to　Yale　College　and　studied　mines　and　mining；　and　became　such　an　adept　as　a　mining　engineer　that　he　was　employed　by　the　authorities　of　the　university　to　train　students　who　were　behind　their　classes。　　During　his　senior　year　he　earned　15　a　week　for　doing　that　work。　　When　he　graduated　they　raised　his　pay　from　15　to　45　a　week；　and　offered　him　a　professorship；　and　as　soon　as　they　did　he　went　right　home　to　his　mother。　

_*If　they　had　raised　that　boy's　pay　from　15　to　15。60　he　would　have　stayed　and　been　proud　of　the　place；　but　when　they　put　it　up　to　45　at　one　leap；　he　said；　‘‘Mother；　I　won't　work　for　45　a　week。　　The　idea　of　a　man　with　a　brain　like　mine　working　for　45　a　week！_　　Let's　go　out　in　California　and　stake　out　gold…mines　and　silver…mines；　and　be　immensely　rich。''

Said　his　mother；　‘‘Now；　Charlie；　it　is　just　as　well　to　be　happy　as　it　is　to　be　rich。''

‘‘Yes；''　said　Charlie；　‘‘but　it　is　just　as　well　to　be　rich　and　happy；　too。''　　And　they　were　both　right　about　it。　　As　he　was　an　only　son　and　she　a　widow；　of　course　he　had　his　way。　　They　always　do。

They　sold　out　in　Massachusetts；　and　instead　of　going　to　California　they　went　to　Wisconsin；　where　he　went　into　the　employ　of　the　Superior　Copper　Mining　Company　at　15　a　week　again；　but　with　the　proviso　in　his　contract　that　he　should　have　an　interest　in　any　mines　he　should　discover　for　the　company。　　I　don't　believe　he　ever　discovered　a　mine；　and　if　I　am　looking　in　the　face　of　any　stockholder　of　that　copper　company　you　wish　he　had　discovered　something　or　other。　　I　have　friends　who　are　not　here　because　they　could　not　afford　a　ticket；　who　did　have　stock　in　that　company　at　the　time