Rensselaer Union, Volume 3, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 July 1871 — Morse and the Telegraph. [ARTICLE]

Morse and the Telegraph.

Samuel F. B. Mouse was born in Charlestown, Mass, April 27, 1791, and was the eldest son of Bev. Jedediah Morse, D. D., prominent in our early history as a pillar of Congregationalism in New England, and defender of the orthodox faith against the encroachments of Unitarianism. At the age of seven young Morse was sent to school to Andover, and entered Yale College years later, where he graduated in 1810. Having decided to become an artist, he sailed for England In 1811, with Washington Allston, to study painting under him. In 1815 he returned to this county, and practised his art for fourteen years, when, In 1829, he revisited Europe to prosecute his studies stiff further, and returned again in 1832. Respecting Morse’s artist-life, but a word or two can be said In this connection. He painted portraits and historical pieces with success, and in 1826, soon after coming to New York city, he founded, with others, the National Academy of Design, and became its first President. Subsequently, he was elected Professor of Art in the New York University. His prospects, upon his second return from Europe, were promising, and had ho pursued his profession during the remainder of his life, he would doubtless have now been holding an enviable place among American artists, iu the number and excellence of his works.

But he was destined for greater things and a more.. permanent fame. When in college, Morse showed some interest In scientific matters, and afterwards, while" Professor of Art, he gave considerable attention to the subject of electro-magnet-ism ; but hi* investigations in this direction did not interfere with his profession. He had already devoted seventeen years to it, and when, in 1833, he embarked on his second voyage home after three years’study abroad, he felt that his future success as an artist in his native country was assured. But it was on this very voyage that, the whole current «f his life and thoughts became changed. It happened that one day in October, at the midday meal on board the ship (tile Sully) the conversation turned on the then recent discoveries in clcctro-magnctism. One of the passengers, in explaining c.-& tain experiments that had been made, stated that electricity would pass instdnta neously over any known length of wire. Morse, deeply interested, then remarked, “ This being so, I see no reason why intelligence might not be transmitted instantaneously by electricity.” The conversation was’not diverted by this remark, but the idea took deep root in the artist’s mind. He pondered over it on the deck and in his berth, drew diagrams in his sketch-book of signs and devices for regulating the passage of electricity, anil became so entirely absorbed in the whole subject, that before the • voyage was over he had completed the general plan of his invention, and had become firmly convincid of its ultimate success. After reaching the United States, Morse opened a studio, but devoted his spare time to developing and experimenting upon his discovery. After much discouragement and great difficulties, his meaus being limited, lie satisfied himself in 1835 of the merits of the invention, and in 1837 demonstrated its practicability to hundreds of persons at tho University Building, the whole apparatus, Except a clock, having been made by himself With the wires stretched around his room, he sent messages for the wondering spectators, and exhibited for tho first time in miniature what subsequently was to be realized on a vast scale all over the world. The next step was to have the invention introduced anti adopted for public use. Morse and his friende-brought the subject before Congress, but it would require volumes to describe the doubts, discouragements, delays, and even ridicule he experienced in his endeavors to induce the national legislature to appropriate a sum of money tor an experimental telegraph line. The Congress'of 1837—’8 failed to help him, and he accordingly went to England and France with his invention,, but to no purpose. Disheartened, but still inspired with the great idea of his invention, he again besieged Congress in 1043, and triumphed. Nothing is more interesting than the account of his experience in tho final attempt. He had despaired of success as the last day of the session arrived, and was preparing to IcavoHhe city, when at midnight word was brought to him that his telegraph bill had passed. This was the’ dawn he had long been waiting for. In tho following year the first telegraph line was established between Washington and Baltimore, and the first message, “What hath God wrought?” was flashed from one city to the other. *

Thus was the telegraph invented and established by the genius, faith and patience, of our fellow countryman. How truly, in his oise, are the words of Sidney Smith verified, that “ he is not the true inventor who first says the thing merely, but he whp Cads 80 long, so loud, so dearly that he Compels the attention of mankind !”—jy. y. Christian Weekly. A. credulous gentleman of Rutland, who slept with a razor under his pillow, in the belief that a piece of steel would protect him from unpleasant visitations of the nightmare, caused a terrible flight to the chambermaid on discovery, under tho that he designed suicide.