The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-10-28
TALKED Of WICHITA
Russell ConwelI Sees Great
Possibilities Here.
DISGRACE To BE POOR
In Such a County and Such a
Time as This.

Russell H. Conwell, pastor of the Grace
| Baptist church, Philadelphia, president of
Temple college and founder OF the Samar-
itan hospital, spoke to 1000 people at the
Auditorium last night. This was the
first number in the Lyceum Course. The
Utopian Quintette furnished excellent mu-
sic. The lecture Acres of Diamonds" was
no theoretical fim-f1am of attempts to be
impressive or 70 say fine things in a fine
way. 1t was Simply Conwell. the success
full author, business man and pastor, talk
ing as he talks in Philadelphia. working
as he worked to build up a church Of
nearly 5000 members and college accom-
modsting 5000 students.
II am a worker he said, after being
introduced by Mr. Sherman, who paid the
lecturer a brillian compliment in his in
troductory remarks. 'T came here to
work. If you have come here with the
idea that I am going to entertain you,
then 1 wish you'd go home now or go to
sleep. 1 expect 10 hear of results from my
lectures or talks. l nearly always do.
People write to me almost every day tell
ing me Of things they do from suggestions
they get in my talks These lectures must
bear fruit or else am wasting your time.
and mine, and the waste is criminal. So
1 say L have come to you to work"
The lecturer then related story that an
old Arabian guide had once told him of
the way the Golconda mines were discGy-
cred. Then several stories OF men who
had disposed Of their farms to go away
and get wealthy and the same farm had
turned out to be rich in commodities, hold
ing fortunes.
why isn't Wichita the greatest grain
and commercial center in the western
states? You have the corn, the wheat,
you raise the products. You send your
grain away. You send it to Kansas City.
to st. Louis, to Chicago, etc England to
get it manufactured. The very wheat you
send to England is manufactured. sent
back here and the product sold in two Of
your stores. It's the waste of clumsy COM
merce that has kept Wichita from being
a great city. Manufacture your wheat
and corn here
There is no greater fruit state in the
world than Kansas. yet you have no can
ming factory here.
"In all my travels over this great coun-
try 1 have never seen the opportunity to
get rich from factories that there is right
here in Wichita now.
ACRES of Diamonds. Do not get an idea
that you've got to go away off to get rich.
You can do it in Wichita. II you can get
rich at al. you can get rich here. If you
anywhere.
at is a disgrace to be poor I make
that remark in order to create some pref
udice in order that 1 may accomplish
what I purpose in this lecture. 1t is
disgrace 10 be poor.
"Oh you tell me that I don't know
Wichita That you've got to have capital
to do business. Capital. Capital. That's
the great baneful cry of the coming gtncr-
alton of dudes, the generation that can't
see over its collar. Capital.
He had no sympathy with the long faced
cry that the love of money was evil, that
rich men are dishonest.
ITS the rich men. the well-to-do men.
who are honest and the dishonest men
are poor, as rule. I say as a rule.
''Who owns your best blocks, your finest
residences, your best stores. It's your best
citizens. Isn't it? You know 1t is. Money
is power With It you can fight the bat
ties of peace, and they are greater than
the victories OF war. Get money. Get all
you can Of It and use it right.
IF you have been in Wichita ten years
and made only a thousand dollars. clear
of expense, then that's all you've been
worth 10 the town. You get all your
worth"
He paid great tribute 10 Garfield and
Lincoln and the greatest Of heroes of war
and peace. whose names were never writ
ten in history. He had enough of humor
and anecdote in his lecture to keep the
close attention of his hearers and It was
not till the close of the two hours and
twenty-five minutes talk that there were
any signs Of uneasiness in the big hall.
Here are some OF his sayings:
"If you can only make a little In your
community, then you are only worth just
that little 10 yourself and to your COM
munity; +; you can make twice that much.
then You are valuable 70 your yourself
and TO your community just twice that
much.
Not at some far away point but right
here at home you can find your opportun-
ity Not IN the far OF Klondyke but rigat
here in Wichita is your chance for wealth
and ali that wealth implies.
When I return TO this city ten or TWEEN
y years hence. II the old man is permit
ted to live that long I hope 70 find the
fru;tage Of this nights talk 10 you-a bet
ter city. WIKI its streets and avenues
stretching far out where you hoped them
- extend ten years ago
The Office does not make n. man