Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 June 1894 — THE FIRST TELEGRAM [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE FIRST TELEGRAM

•ENT FROM WASHINGTON FIFTY YEARS AGO. Disheartening Trials of Inventor MorseHow He Secured the Aid of the Govern-ment—Fac-SimUe of the First Message Ever Transmitted. Invented in 1833. It has been fifty years since the first telegraph line was completed and the first message, “What hath God wrought?” was transmitted from Washington City to Baltimore. Prof. Samuel F. B. Morse invented the telegraph in 1832, but did not perfect it so that It could be operated for three or four years thereafter. Even then, being a poor man, he

found it impossible to put it in op-i eration. After he had exhausted every resource within his power to enlist capital in the enterprise, the thought came to Professor Morse of presenting the matter to the United States Government and asking its aid. He fully believed in the value of his invention and felt convinced that if he could only get a line in operation the telegraph would at once take a foremost position as one of the great inventions of the age. He foresaw that in a few years the lines would be extended and instantaneous communication would be established between the cities of this country and would extend over Europe, though the wild dream of ocean cables never entered his mind at that time. He reasoned that his enterprise was a proper one for Congress to aid, and finally, in 1837, he made his appeal for an appropriation of 830,000 to enable him to construct a line and put it in operation. The application to Congress was met with derision and Jeers. One Congressman moved that one-halt of the sum asked for be appropriated for experiments in mesmerism. Representative Sam Houston suggested that “Mlllerism” was equally entitled to recognition and aid from Congress, and Congressman John White, of Kentucky, who occupied the chair,

remarked, amid great laughter, that “it would require scientific analysis to determine how far the magnetism of mesmerism was analagous to that to be employed in telegraphs.” There was but little faith in the reliability of Prof. Morse or his proposition, but finally after the bill had passed from one committee to anotbef and had been pigeon-holed time and again it did pass the lower house along toward the end of the session, but did not reach the Senate. The next session it had about the same experience, and, in fact, the bill fared along from year to year with little prospect of ever becoming a law until 1843. Yet Prof. Morse had not grown utterly discouraged. Passed at the Last Moment. The last day of the session of 1843 arrived. The telegraph bill had passed to the third reading in the Sedate, but there were 119 bills ahead of it Professor Morse gave up in despair. He had spent all his money; he had spent hia time for six years trying to obtain the desired aid from Congress, and nowall was to end in failure The case seemed hopeless. There was but four hours remaining of the session. Professor Mbrse was a sanguine man and an earnest Christian. During his struggles be had been filled with hope, and

that hope had urged him on to the consummation of his cherished object. He had done all he could, he bad exerted all the influence among his friends it waxpossible for him to exert, and so he determined that so far as he was concerned he could do no more. He went to his room in his hotel not knowing what to do—only to give up all hope. He had prayed often to God to help him, and now he thought the only chance for success was from omnipotence. He afterward told an old college friend that in this extremity he knelt down alone in his room and brought the matter in prayer to God. Then, resolving to worry no more about the matter, the inventor went to bed and slept. The next morning, March 4, 1843, while Professor Morse was yet sleep ing, a knock came at his door and awakened him. Upon going to the door he received the card of a young lady, Miss Annie G. Ellsworth, daughter of his old friend, who was then commissioner of patents. As soon as possible he dressed himself and went to the parlor to meet Miss Ellsworth, who, with great enthusiasm, gave him the news that his bill had passed.

“The Lord be praised; He has answered my prayer,” replied Professor Moise. “Last night when 1 left the Senate I thought there was no possibility of my bill being passed. I came to my room and left it all with the Lord, and here is the answer to my prayer.” Miss Ellsworth explained to the inventor that her father had remained in the Senate chamber until the last, and just five minutes before the midnight hour—the time of adjournment —he saw the opportunity and procured the help of a Senator at whose side he was sitting. This Senator moved the passage of the bill for humanity’s sake, for the nation’s sake, and It was passed. Professor Morse said to Miss Ellsworth: “You shall have the privilege of sending the first message over the first line when it is constructed.” He immediately went to work to carry out his plans, which required more than a year to complete. He put advertisements in the leading newspapers of New York, Baltimore and Washington lor bids to furnish 100 tons of lead pipe and four insulated wirea The bids were let and the materials were supplied, and the lead pipe, with two wires, was laid eighteen Inches under the ground from Mount Clare depot in Baltimore to the Relay House, a distance of nine miles. When the test was

the story telling how Morse discovered that the earth was a conductor of electricity. After about ten daj«’ working a countryman came into the office in the Capitol to tell Professor Morse that one of his wires was down out at Bladensburg. Morse said he “guessed not—the wires were working all right,” and paid no attention to the information. The next day another man came in and said that if Professor Morse did not look out wagons would catch in bis wires and tear them all to pieces; that both wires were down at Bladensburg. Morse wanted to dispute the man’s statement even then, but finally determined to go out and see for himself. He found that more than 100 yards of wire had been torn out by passing wagons, and the ends were grounded. Then for the first time it dawned upon him how the earth might be of assistance in telegraphy. He connected the ends, returned to the city and ran the two wires to the ground, not knowing that one would be sufficient. Then he had two wires to Baltimore and could operate one or both. Professor Morse ordered additional instruments and put the second wire into service.

PROFESSOR MORSE. INVENTOR OF THE TELEGRAPH.

FAO-SIMILE OF THE FIRST MESSAGE.