Benjamin was still an adolescent when, tired of tending his father’s cattle, he fled the farm and found work in a stone quarry. There, he saw firsthand “the power of dynamite to blow things up”—an experience that would leave a lasting imprint on his imagination. A brilliant, if largely self-educated, young man, he taught school for a while, dabbled in local politics, and—after immersing himself in Blackstone’s Commentaries—moved into town and set himself up as a lawyer, continuing to practice for about eight years. It was during this period that he married and had a son.1A turning point in his life occurred in 1879. By then, Irwin had sunk into a deep well of self-loathing. In his own estimation, he was “the most wicked man” in the community—a black-hearted sinner who lied to friends, cheated clients, quarreled constantly with neighbors, and beat his wife and child when drunk. Overwhelmed with disgust at his wickedness, he was saved when, during a meeting at the local Mount Zion Baptist Church, his soul was converted to Christ.His awakening took place at a time of intense religious ferment, when a great wave of revivalism swept over the land.
