The New York herald., 1851-11-06

filed his cavest, IN the month OF Oct0ber. (Gsle 8
Ev., l23) In the same year, whether earlier or
later is not known, Alexander formed an electric
telegraph by which. through signals somewhat like
Houses, he communicated, and spelt out at q dis
tance, the word Victoria, Walls His, lS5 See
evidence that this was done earlier, using key
board, and letters on each key, like Houses (Evi
dence 50 a. Davenport, too, in Vermont, an
nounced another, and obtained o patent in 1888
q An; Of Elec., 6S5) And M. Cook, Wheatstons,
and Steinheil-some using the needle, detected ;
some making dots and lines and some using the
ground and water for part of the circuit. (See
same articles in Vail and the Annals before cited
Cook and Nv Mheatstone took out patent for theirs
in June, 1887, making the DETECTION of the needle
point to letters on board. (tiibbard Ev., 3l)
Steinheil, that year, had at the Royal Observa-
tory, an electro magnetic telegraph, half a mile
short marks on paper, and preceded Morss's saveat
and Aibbard, Ev. "a. a., S1-2, (beng before July
l9, 1881 Gould, Ev. from i! o, 8 a.
had been before discovered, but which Morse does
not appear to describe or claim, till his first renewal
in ls4s: CDR. Charming, Ev 81, a.
Nor did Morse use poles or posts at first, in l9i4,
and Washington: Avers's Ey. rs, rool Though
Dyer, even in s2S,-Cornell, Ev g. a,-Channing,
Ey sso 40, a; and were sugsested to Morse early as
himself Invented them. i5s ~ After all this,
there still was wanting more perfect succession of
marks to be made or recorded, which were letters
themselves, or signs of letters, Ineligible by an
al phabet and power obtained and applied as to
do it quick enough for purposes of buslness-(Chil-
ton, Ey. 2s6; Gales Ev ia; Renwick's Ev 23i-5 }
This deficiency was at length supplied.
Among about sixty.two competitors to the dis
covery Of the electric telegraph by 1888, Gas com
puted in Oh Awnings Ev, Al, al Morse alone, in
1887 seems have reached the mo st perfect result
desirable for public and practical use. Or. g.,
Morses Ev., l2S-9,r) This may not have been
accomplished 50 wholly by the invention Of much
that was entirely new as by Improvements" to
use the language OF his patent, on what had al.
ready been done on the same subject-improve-
ments, ingenious, useful and valuable By the
needle or lever instead, not only detected by the
magnet, but provided with q pen to write, or, in
other words, pin at the end to make dot or
stroke, when thus detected as the circuit was held
longer closed or broken, with machinery to keen
the paper moving in the meantime, and 80 as to
inscribe the dots and lines Sc parately, and more
especially with an alphabet, invented and ma
tured, assigning letters and figures to these dots
and lines according to their number and COM
Il Remick Ev., 25l Thus the fortunate idea
was at last Termed and announced, which enabled
the dead machine to move and speak intelligibly
at any distance, with lightning speed
1t will be that amidst ali these efforts at tele-
graphic co communication by electricity and electro
magnetism, more or less successful from l7i5 to
1888, none had attained fully to what Morse ac-
Some had succeeded in sending information by
signals, even beyond the decomposition OF water
and the dccliyity of the needle They had made
persons at distance recognise the sign used, and
thus obtain Intelligence. They had also made
marks at distance. But in 40 way docs it appear
that they had sent nformato at a distance, and at
the same moment, by the same achine trac ID do
and recorded 1t permanently, and intellgibly, and
quickly This triumph was reserved to Morse inaex.
bic perseverance in experiments AMI close observa-
op and chiefly after arming the end Of the needle or
lever with pin, by use roller, with appropriate
machinery to move bis paper, so to trace success
sive dots ana marks and by a stenographic alpha
bet to explain the marks made the paper, ami by
more power through his com bined circuits to effect
all at greater distance, and with greater Dispatch
(Galcs' Ev. l23 ~ Afterwards, by the improve.
ments in batteries made by Daniel a7d Groves, in
lSi3, he was enabled without these local circuits
increase the power Of the electro so as to ac
conplish this at any distance, and With speed and
economy which rendered the invention applicable to
general use. Cackson's Ey., 1867 Before 1913,
Harses battery was used, ard was too feeble Uack-
sons Ey, 16i v. Chanin2s 45 v.) and before that
Cruikshank's. The want OF this increased power
had rendered former attempts at times abortve for
practical purposes; and its being recently Supplied
by the science CT Faraday and Henry tended moro
speedily by Daniel and Groves battery, founded
them TO remove the greatest obstacle 10 succeis 8.
(Dayis's Manual, p i25j Sill!man Ey., 9j v; Jack
son, lt6.)
Others had before, and about the same time as
has been noticed already, made marks on paper at
distance by the detection Of the needle, and by
SlarAs, anu ittdCoeu speEltl 10 s4eI, anu
the spaces between them. But the evidence is
strong that Motse's If not the very first, in these
respects, was the most perfect and available for
practical use, and the Improvements By others in
batteries came very opportunatey to aid in its power
for distant operations, beyond wha, even tbs local
circuits had done. (Prof Sillimaa Ev., pa His
special advance beyond others. except some rev
combination, looks as II ehieay mechanical, but
still ii spili ,ed to promote the desired object.
By them ard his Few combinations be was going
step further than any of his predecessors FOR prac
tical use had accomplished and this entities him 70
protection and the fame he has achieved TAis he
and his asgnees therefore protect, but not par
tculars known long before him. or which he
neither claimed, uor described, nor iuvented. As
before explained, he must not be considered have
claimed the iLye Etion OF the general pEin,iple o.
art Of telegraphing by electro Magnetism, could
he, as already shown, have protected it IL ne had
| But al he clearly claimed was "a method" Of do
| ing it-''an improvement in doing it-and these
| ne has right TO protect, aud these only The.
were the pin to mark or trace In the end Of bis eve
or needle, q happy thought, but the movement o
the paper on roller was almost as ssary TO re
| ceive marks IN trccession-and bis alphabet to b
| thus applied and used was the crowning art Of hi
| Invention (ReDpick ev. 2i5 p)
Much more might be offered as 70 the details o
| Morses machinery, and as TO those Inventions ex
isting before and since and how far the latter hay
been Initiative or independent But Il Is not neces
sary TO explain or discuss them. Cor the purpose
setting the preEtnt case.
Il is certain. that in ls37 he had SO far completed
h;s invention as to nounce 1t in bis caveat an,
have IL described also, by brother, in public pa
! per called the Obtoro-; and in Sillimans Journal
And that though specification followed in 50, an
patent in 40, without putting IL In operation TO
| practical purposes, yet by the aid Of Congress II
| ISL, IL was successfuly used from Baltimore L
Warrington. 1t thus became perfected and turne
to PRACTICAL account; and is TO be protected to /.
| legitimate extent against every real violation.
| However ingenious then have been some Of th
attacks on the originality Of Morses invention, an
| however cogent may be some Of the objections /
its validity on other grounds urged in argument B.
the defendants do not End il necessary, as befor
remarked, to give an opinion on them in this case
| Because considering Morses satent as good,
limited to the extent claimed in his specifications
as We have construed 1t on this occasion, and as "
feel bound to eonstrue IL en- the 'aw Of the
the evidence before us, and considering il as orig
nal to the extent We have already explained-ts
situation Of the House machine, as used by the dc
PENDANTS, Is such as 10 render 20 further examina
ton useful concerning the two 6rst points.
The character Of Houqa-s rpa acaua nj, al