The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1858-11-03
For the Register.
Who has Invented the Telegraph ?

Who has Invented the Telegraph
PROF. MoRsE's PATENT.
Prof. Morse made his application tor
patent on the 7th of April, 1888, but on
the 18th of May, in the same year he re-
ouested the Commissioner of Patents to de-
lay its execution until has return from
Europe He waited after that two years
and during that time changed his whole
specification. On the 29th Of May. .lS4O,
he renewed his request for his patent.
The following was given, dated the 2Oth
of June For a new and useful inn
proremeat in the mode OF communicating
information by Signals by the application
Of electro magnetism. " Particularly styled
all improvement not an invention.)
Prof. Morse says in his specification
l." | have invented new and useful ma
chine and system of signs for transmit
ting intelligence between distant points by
the means of a new application and effect
of electromagnetic in producing sounds
or signs, or either, and also for recordtng
permanently by the same means and ap-
plication and effect of electro-ma gnetism,
any signs thus produced"
He claims here the invention of ma
chine, system of signs and method Of
recording. But this patent was taken
back on the 18th Of January, 1846, and
another one executed. In the specifca-
ton Prof Morse says: There are vari-
GUS known modes Of producing motions
by electro-magnetism, but none Of these
have hitherto been applied to actuate or
give motion to printing or recording ma.
chinery, which is the chief point Of my
invention and improvement"
Here is a mistake. The telegraph of
Steinheil had since 1886, an apparatus
Of recording, and Prof Morse had seen
it in activity. Now would ask how can
Prof. Morse be styled the inventor of the
telegraph
One may say he was the first who has
erected long line. But facts show the
contrary. The Congress of the United
States granted to Prof. Morse $4,000 in
order to erect line between Washington
and Baltimore, and this line forty miles
long) came into use in June, 1874.
The reason why the telegraph did moi
come into practical use bofore, is founC
in the uncertainty of its being good in
vestment of money. Stockholders doubted
a long time after the successful expert
ments of Steinheil and Wheatstone, ,wheth
er the erection and operations of tele
graph would pay. Prof. Morse wrote il
1s4O to the Commissioner Of Patents
complaining of this apathy, and recall
the fact, that rich English company hat
brought Wheatstone's telegraph instru
ment into use for distance of thirteel
miles, and that the telegraph of Steinhei
between Munich and BrodsrhauSen, wa
was used at that time, being supported b.
the government of Bavaria. Here VI
have Prof. Morses own confession for th
refutation of the facts in the above namet
letter.
Taking these facts together We find tha
Morse can have the credit neither for tn
invention of the electric, or the electri
magnetic telegraph, that he was not tn
first who gave the description of it, VIII
received the first patent for it, nor VIII
built the first line for public USE A
this is confirmed without doubt by Pro
Morse's own confessions
That which be has not acknowledge
(but which is Notwithstanding true) is th
! fact that a recording apparatus for tell
graphic purposes was already known b.
tore he discovered his
In spite of these undeniable facts, Pro
, Morse has modestly begged from the FL
ropean governments grant OF money ft
his great invention.
} 1t is not very probable that these go'
ernments would ask the advice of the Pi
tent Office and pay him some $4,000
for that which European men of scien
have invented before him. These Cover
ments have baptized the continent
: America in order to honor him who VI
not the discoverer of it. while Columb1
was buried with chains.
, 1t is an old story
And remains yet etsrnally new"