Austria, and the United States. He produced over $25,000,000 worth a
year. He became, in fact, the world's purveyor of an article which was
now exclusively used in mining and engineering works. Thanks to it,
engineers were able to pierce tunnels through the Alps, miners to sink
their shafts into the bowels of the earth, and harbor constructors to
remove sunken rocks out of the way of shipping. But thanks to it, too,
the Communards were enabled to blow up the finest monuments of Paris
in a few hours. It was at once a powerful instrument of industrial
development, and of progress in the conquest of man over inert matter,
and a terrible engine of devastation in warfare, and of massacre and
vandalism where homicidal and destructive passions were aroused in
mankind.

It was perhaps this thought, that in benefiting industry he had also
made war more destructive, which led Alfred Nobel, who was a most
pacific and humane man, endowed with the kindliness and sympathy of a
great mind, to make the provisions he did in his will. He devoted
all his fortune to the encouragement of scientific discovery and the
reward of endeavors to diminish standing armies and the chances of
war, to promote fraternity among nations, and the settlement of
international disputes by peace congresses. His will, in its very
conciseness and unsophisticated simplicity, is characteristic of the
man. It is dated Nov. 27, 1895, and he died a year afterwards, on Dec.
10, 1896, leaving a fortune of $10,000,000. After instituting several
small legacies, the will proceeds:

"With the residue of my convertible estate I hereby direct my
executors to proceed as follows: They shall convert my said residue of
property into money, which they shall then invest in safe securities;
the capital thus secured shall constitute a fund, the interest