Charles Cist received ridicule towards his later years in life in Philadelphia in the late 1790's and early 1800's when he tried to market his coal stones. People thought that the coal rocks where difficult to burn, so they thought that he was trying to scam the community into buying a worthless product.
Cist was a life long learner in natural sciences. He graduated form the University of Halle, Germany, he was a physician in the royal court of Catherine the Great in Imperial Russia, he learned how to print American Revolutionary War pamphlets, and he was a treasurer of the Continental Congress, he married Mary Weiss and fathered children. He was very active in life.
Society can be very fickle and undeserving. He made improvements in society.
Thomas Paine was similar to Cist in not being recognized for his contributions until after he died. His Common Sense and American Crisis were his two most notable works.
I spent part of the summer in a men's homeless shelter. I experienced a helpful network of people and resources that helped me get to the next level in my life. I would not have moved forward as quickly as I did if I just stayed at a hotel every night just watching T.V.
I can imagine Charles Cist networking through Siberia and Europe to get to America during the 1770's. He did this with the help of a network of people and resources.
I need to take a break now. I will return later.
