The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-11-23
For the Union.
tn Charles @. Page, esq.

The Telegraph
To Charles g. Page, esq:
DEAR SIR: am unwilling to do injustice TO YOU %
any one else. | certainly would not do so isenton'
ally My communication 10 which you rePlied IN Inc
Union was simple statement OF facts all OF which are
literally true do not understand you to deny any Jda
therein set forth but, the contrary. you admit mat
long time ago you received letter from somebody on
The subject OF an electro chemical telegraph That letter
YOU say is lost You do not say who wrote It, or IRON
what section OF the country II came am glad you rec
oec thus much about it, and hope the letter may yet be
found it will in every way fulfil my statements con-
take il for granted that patent for the invention has
already been taken, and that has been bapsed Pro-
lessor Bains Electro chemical Telegraph" 1t will, per-
haps go by that name however clearly | might prove
myself the inventor 1t is not impossible that the idea OF
writing upon prepared paper with current OF electricity
not think probable in the present instance The nyen-
ton is not accidental, but purely scientific The idea
first occurred to while Witnessing the effects of the
electric fluid upon sheet OF paper saturated with the nj
rate OF silver during some experiments made by Pro-
lessor L. c. Garland in the year 1884 instantly made
ii known TO some Of my classmates They doubted its
practicaby | often afterwards mentioned my plan to
intelligent gentlemen, all OF whom discouraged me.
had the project very much at heart You may therefore
communicating to you fully the principle and 10 some
extent the details Of the invention received no answer
You say that you have sent circular such the
appended to your reply If you have done it is
80 recently as not yet TO have reached me- never
ceved anything from you OF any Kind take It that you
do not say you sent me OF your circulars in
say that you have been in the habit of transmitting those
circulars 10 your correspondents The circular of MIR
Burke. appended 10 your reply has no date The omis
would perhaps, show that Mr. Burke issued it since my
letter to YOU Had received such circular from YOU
Or the same information in any other form in reply to my
opinion matter where the law enlons silence upon
YOU But it must not be supposed that the citizen at
laws of the Patent Office and especially the arbitrary
rules which may be laid down. from time to ime by the
Commissioner OF Patents
You are, doubt greatly troubled with inquiries
corning existing patents and Patenabe inventions Ii
must be remembered, however, that my letter to you
not Of that character addressed you, not officer
of the government, but privately scientific gentle
without any reference to your official station You
had the right if you chose to decline the correspondence
duty II YOU Understood me as making any such charge
hasten to correct the error.
did, however, think il was your official duty to con-
trovert the claim Of another, who might, after my letter
you, to patent the inventions or at least to in
form Of what was going that might do so before
patent granted. 1t seems, however from the cir
cular of Mr.. Burke that in this mistaken. Such
not your official duty.
This affair presented itself my mind in another point
OF view. in which i may be did you Injustice Ac
cording to the public prints, you were, at the time
hand in the science Of electricity; and. as under.
ms ne Of n ay Nv
ton presented principle easily understood radically diff
ierent from Morses PLAN and it is proved to be,
not fail catch the principle in moment and could not
well forget it, thought that when patent applied
for. you would have done the favor personally if not
officially TO have given information OF the fact In all
this, however may have overrated the Importance of
my invention. II may not have made the impress
sion upon your mind as upon mine, and you may have
forgotten il, not taken the view of what due
me from yourself that which took or it may have
been mpraccable for you 10 have given the inior-
nation will not. therefore, hazard the doing you in
justice even by way of nEinuation
You seem to think me hasty in making my statement
the public before comparing notes with those who may
contest tho invention with Now, have no notes to
compare with anybody on this subject II is sufficient
for to knoio that the invention mine, whoever may
claim it, and that the statements make with regard 10
it strictly true, You advise to await with pa
tience the verdict of scientific This shall have to
do, although know their tardy awards generally come
after dead and the world has ceased to care for
him.
have made simple statement OF facts. Whether
shall take the trouble to prove them depends upon
circumstances. If il involves journey to Washington,
think it probable matters will remain they are.
But who pray you, is Professor Balm Where does
he live, and in what college does he hold his professor
ship He is either man in the scientific world or
| greatly behind the intelligence of the age. My re-
tired locality may, however, account for my ignorance
this particular
am yours, with great respect,
JUNiUS l.. CLEMMONS.
LEXINGTON, N. c., Nov. 10, 1s4s.