Ollie Brown the Rock Hound
Out in the Ozarks, back when a horseless carriage was scarcer than snowflakes in July, there lived a boy
who loved to collect rocks.
His name was Ollie Brown.
Ollie’s love of rocks began when he was just a baby.
As Ollie grew so did his love for rocks. In fact every summer day after his chores, Ollie chose to hunt rocks rather than cool off in the creek.
“A curious hobby to collect rocks” said his mother.
“A boy should not bother with such silly things” said his father.
In the evening Ollie would take the rocks that he found and study them by candlelight.
His favorite rocks were the little pebbles that glittered against the candles flame.
As time passed Ollie’s rock hunting habits began to interfere with his chores.
“Maybe Ollie is not meant to be a farmer” said his mother.
“What good is a boy who collects rocks?” said his father.
One day while working the plow Ollie’s father injured his leg.
Ollie and his mother carried him into the house.
Ollie’s mother tended to her husband’s leg day and night.
But after a week Ollie’s father’s leg did not heal. To make things worse Ollie’s mother had taken on a fever.
“How will we survive the winter without father to tend the farm?” said mother.
Ollie knew that his parents needed a doctor, but the closest one was in the town of Murfreesboro.
Ollie also knew that a doctor would cost money.
Ollie’s mother gave Ollie what little money she had.
Ollie then collected eggs, dug potatoes, and gathered pecans to sell to the grocer.
Ollie also brought a small pouch of his finest rocks.
“Perhaps there is someone in town that would be interested in my ‘glittering pebbles’” Ollie thought.
The next morning Ollie saddled up the horse and loaded it with all his goods.
Ollie also brought a few biscuits for himself.
Ollie traveled up and down hills and in and out of woods and through creeks and brush until he reached Murfreesboro.
Ollie went straight to the grocer were he sold the eggs, potatoes, and pecans.
Ollie then took all of his money and went straight to the doctor’s office.
Ollie told the doctor of how his father had hurt his leg and how his mother had a fever.
Ollie then gave the doctor all of his money.
“I am sorry son, but the medicine for your mother alone cost more then what you have.”
Ollie was devastated.
Ollie was also very hungry.
Ollie remembered the biscuits he had packed for the journey.
As he pulled out a biscuit, he came upon his small pouch of rocks.
“Maybe the town jeweler can tell me about my rocks” thought Ollie.
Inside the jewelry shop Ollie saw many fine watches and rings and necklaces inside a big glass case.
“These are my glittering pebbles” Ollie said to the jeweler.
The jeweler studied them closely.
“These are diamonds!” he exclaimed.
The jeweler then brought out a metal box filled with gold coins.
“I can offer you 350.00 dollars for these diamonds” said the jeweler.
Ollie did not know what to say.
Back home Ollie’s parents began to worry.
“It takes no more than a day to get to Murfreesboro” said his mother.
“He probably got lost hunting for rocks” said his father.
Then just over the hill Ollie’s parents heard a clink and a clunk.
It was Ollie with the horse, but the horse now pulled a wagon.
Next to Ollie in the wagon sat the town doctor.
Ollie then pulled out a sack of gold coins which he gave to his mother.
It was more money than his parents had ever seen in their lives.
“How did you come upon these things?” said his father.
“I sold some of my rocks” replied Ollie.
From that day on Ollie’s parents never had to work the farm again, although they still did.
Eventually Ollie inherited his parent’s farm.
There he spent sunrise to sunset collecting and studying rocks.
On occasion Ollie would make his way into Murfreesboro for supplies. By now he had a long white beard and salt and pepper hair.
“Who is that?” children would ask.
“That’s Ollie Brown the Rock Hound” their parents replied.
One evening while Ollie was admiring some of his favorite rocks he fell asleep and never woke up.
In his will Ollie gave the people of the Ozarks his land in hopes they would come to collect and love rocks as much as he did.
Today Ollie’s land is one of the many spots in the Ozark Mountains where precious stones can be found.
The most famous place is Crater of the Diamonds State Park where young and old alike come to try their skills as ‘rock hounds’ in hopes of finding diamonds like Ollie did so many years ago.
(Diamonds were discovered in Arkansas in 1906 when a farmer named John Wesley Huddleston found a “glittering pebble” on his property. The next year the New York Times described “Diamond John’s” treasure in epic terms: “The story of the discovery of diamond fields in one of the poorest counties of the not over-rich state of Arkansas reads like a chapter of Sinbad’s adventures.”)
(More than 10,000 dreamers flocked to Murfreesboro filling up the ramshackle Conway Hotel and striking up a tent city between town and the diamond field. It was not an easy life, says Mike Howard of the Arkansas Geological Survey. “Many people came, but few people found,” he says. “Most were gone within a couple of years.” The majority of Arkansas diamonds, then as now, come in at under ten points, or about 1/10th of a carat. But in 1924 one lucky miner pulled a 40-carat monster out of the ground. Christened ‘Uncle Sam’, it remains the largest diamond ever discovered in the United States.)
Out in the Ozarks, back when a horseless carriage was scarcer than snowflakes in July, there lived a boy
who loved to collect rocks.
His name was Ollie Brown.
Ollie’s love of rocks began when he was just a baby.
As Ollie grew so did his love for rocks. In fact every summer day after his chores, Ollie chose to hunt rocks rather than cool off in the creek.
“A curious hobby to collect rocks” said his mother.
“A boy should not bother with such silly things” said his father.
In the evening Ollie would take the rocks that he found and study them by candlelight.
His favorite rocks were the little pebbles that glittered against the candles flame.
As time passed Ollie’s rock hunting habits began to interfere with his chores.
“Maybe Ollie is not meant to be a farmer” said his mother.
“What good is a boy who collects rocks?” said his father.
One day while working the plow Ollie’s father injured his leg.
Ollie and his mother carried him into the house.
Ollie’s mother tended to her husband’s leg day and night.
But after a week Ollie’s father’s leg did not heal. To make things worse Ollie’s mother had taken on a fever.
“How will we survive the winter without father to tend the farm?” said mother.
Ollie knew that his parents needed a doctor, but the closest one was in the town of Murfreesboro.
Ollie also knew that a doctor would cost money.
Ollie’s mother gave Ollie what little money she had.
Ollie then collected eggs, dug potatoes, and gathered pecans to sell to the grocer.
Ollie also brought a small pouch of his finest rocks.
“Perhaps there is someone in town that would be interested in my ‘glittering pebbles’” Ollie thought.
The next morning Ollie saddled up the horse and loaded it with all his goods.
Ollie also brought a few biscuits for himself.
Ollie traveled up and down hills and in and out of woods and through creeks and brush until he reached Murfreesboro.
Ollie went straight to the grocer were he sold the eggs, potatoes, and pecans.
Ollie then took all of his money and went straight to the doctor’s office.
Ollie told the doctor of how his father had hurt his leg and how his mother had a fever.
Ollie then gave the doctor all of his money.
“I am sorry son, but the medicine for your mother alone cost more then what you have.”
Ollie was devastated.
Ollie was also very hungry.
Ollie remembered the biscuits he had packed for the journey.
As he pulled out a biscuit, he came upon his small pouch of rocks.
“Maybe the town jeweler can tell me about my rocks” thought Ollie.
Inside the jewelry shop Ollie saw many fine watches and rings and necklaces inside a big glass case.
“These are my glittering pebbles” Ollie said to the jeweler.
The jeweler studied them closely.
“These are diamonds!” he exclaimed.
The jeweler then brought out a metal box filled with gold coins.
“I can offer you 350.00 dollars for these diamonds” said the jeweler.
Ollie did not know what to say.
Back home Ollie’s parents began to worry.
“It takes no more than a day to get to Murfreesboro” said his mother.
“He probably got lost hunting for rocks” said his father.
Then just over the hill Ollie’s parents heard a clink and a clunk.
It was Ollie with the horse, but the horse now pulled a wagon.
Next to Ollie in the wagon sat the town doctor.
Ollie then pulled out a sack of gold coins which he gave to his mother.
It was more money than his parents had ever seen in their lives.
“How did you come upon these things?” said his father.
“I sold some of my rocks” replied Ollie.
From that day on Ollie’s parents never had to work the farm again, although they still did.
Eventually Ollie inherited his parent’s farm.
There he spent sunrise to sunset collecting and studying rocks.
On occasion Ollie would make his way into Murfreesboro for supplies. By now he had a long white beard and salt and pepper hair.
“Who is that?” children would ask.
“That’s Ollie Brown the Rock Hound” their parents replied.
One evening while Ollie was admiring some of his favorite rocks he fell asleep and never woke up.
In his will Ollie gave the people of the Ozarks his land in hopes they would come to collect and love rocks as much as he did.
Today Ollie’s land is one of the many spots in the Ozark Mountains where precious stones can be found.
The most famous place is Crater of the Diamonds State Park where young and old alike come to try their skills as ‘rock hounds’ in hopes of finding diamonds like Ollie did so many years ago.
(Diamonds were discovered in Arkansas in 1906 when a farmer named John Wesley Huddleston found a “glittering pebble” on his property. The next year the New York Times described “Diamond John’s” treasure in epic terms: “The story of the discovery of diamond fields in one of the poorest counties of the not over-rich state of Arkansas reads like a chapter of Sinbad’s adventures.”)
(More than 10,000 dreamers flocked to Murfreesboro filling up the ramshackle Conway Hotel and striking up a tent city between town and the diamond field. It was not an easy life, says Mike Howard of the Arkansas Geological Survey. “Many people came, but few people found,” he says. “Most were gone within a couple of years.” The majority of Arkansas diamonds, then as now, come in at under ten points, or about 1/10th of a carat. But in 1924 one lucky miner pulled a 40-carat monster out of the ground. Christened ‘Uncle Sam’, it remains the largest diamond ever discovered in the United States.)