The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-05-10

| the great unknown deep TO seek an unknown
land. How he perseyered you all know.
| See him on the solitary sea that never
! before had been stirred by the keel of
| ships-alOne in hope-none but a mu-
tinous crew about him. 1t was sublime, as
| he stood upon the tOpmost part OF his bark,
with stout heart filled with high purpose
| and strengthened by unwavering faith, ANXIOUS
| ly watching and piercing through the dim dis
tance to catch q glimpse OF the shores of that
and, unknown, but believed by him to exist.
Watching, waiting, till that memorable night
when he saw the torches of the natives CLEAN
along the shores and fit from spot TO spot, and
then saw the completion of his own project and
the ful6lment Of his promise to his compa-
Mons, when on the next morning he set foot
upon the shores OF America, swept by pure and
balmy breeZes, where the soft climate, the beau
tful land, and the beautiful scenes, gave IL the
semblance Of Paradise found. But ihousands-
ay, many thousands-have fulfilled their pur.
poses, have made their dis coveres have given the
world all their benpdts-and yet have been lett
in the darkest Obscurty by an unfriendiy peo-
pie. Curiosity is the vital element of prosperity
and progress; without II there could be no ad-
vancement in civilization, for everything that
is performed for the revelation of hidden truths
is prompted by it. Men must first feel an inte-
rest IN any project before they will consider it
earnestly, and once interested the faculties are
set in motion, and the inquiries come fast, ''Why
tins, and whv that?" until the element Of
curiosity is fully engrOssed in the subject; and
1t seeks to know, and it investigates and
divuloes new truths and forms new combina.
brings out some grand truth and some
grand discovery which may excite nay,
even reyolu1onize and reform the scientific
world. Glance Ovec the pages of past history;
note the men who have been the main pillars
upon which have been reared the grand temple
OF civil cation; those men who have invented
the curious combinations of mechanical forces
that can Ceave the waters, rush across the land,
do all work better finer, faster than human
hands can do; who have chained the fiery ele
ment which can flash the words, and they are
known throughout all the Kingdoms; and you
Will End them to be those who we're melted to
patient arduous continued labor by the one
motive, in the first place, OF curiosity. Watt
when first he saw The steam hssing from the
kettles spout, and the lid tremble by the force
of the ebulition within, was interested; it
was something unusual - How came
it" There was the appearance of
that desire to know, which grew stronger
work OF the BRAIN, and the result achieved was
one of the most glorious on record. Samuel
Morse-Who from 1885 10 1874 struggled hard
and long, and finally completed the greatest of
scientific discoveries, the power of the electric
current and its applcation-Waited nine long
years, during which it would seem as if hope
had almost died, for recognition of his great
achievement. The session of Congress was in
its last night; the subject of the electric tele-
graph was there to be decided. The hours were
hurrying towards midnight; no steps were taken
for the adoption of Mr.. Morse's telegraph; and
he left the House hopeless, discouraged. Years
of toll, years of hard laborious thought,
seemed all for naught. Not so! In the last
hour of the session, on March 4, l843, bill was
passed making an appropriation of $4,000 for
the building of line between Baltimore and
Washington. 1t was done-gloriOusly achieved
and the first message which flashed across
the wires was, "What hath God wrought!n The
practlcabilty and utility of the electric tele-
graph was fully demonstrated; and now, by the
perseverance of great men of great minds, the
system OF telegrapning has eliminated in the
Atlantic CABLE which IS an additional bond of
hnfyu nd
All honor to Samuel Morse and noble Cyrus
Field, who though discouraged six times, still
persevered, and finally completed the grand
| work of the Atlantic Telegraph.
| Curiosity, then, is the grand prompter to the
gaming OF all kinds OF knowledge: it incites man
| to certain actions OF the mind for the gathering
| of information, obtaining facts, thoughts, and
| ideas. But we should not always wear the
| clothes that others attained; we should make
| efforts to discover ourselves. We should not
| be content to receive and take upon ourselves
what others have learned, but should endeavOr
| to bring to light some hitherto unknown fact.
once saw man in Scotland who, from the
first of Genesis TO the amen of the last chapter
of Revelation, could repeat every word almost,
and yet, If you should speak to him of some
thing not in the Bible, he would turn about and
curse most blasphemOusly. Wisdom is know
ledge made our own, and practically
applied: knowledge and wisdom may have
no comparative connection. knowledge
is the material with which wisdom builds h er
supersIucture. knowledge is proud that it
knows so much; wisdom is humbled that it
knows no more. But the curiosity of med
ding, gosspping, nquiring, too-much-nvesti-
gatlng-lntoo other-tolks' business people is
source of wonder to some, astonishment to
others, and annoyances or sources of pleasure.
Many letters of an inquistOry nature have |
received, ard one, indeed, like this:-"I hope
you will answer this letter in your own hand.
as ] wish to preserve 1t as a momentum"
Another, which was the source of much mirth
and laughter, ended-'I am sorry to trouble
you with another letter; l hope you will not
consider me boar"
Some people seem to be afflicted with moral
letter. which keep them itching, constantly
heard of an old lady-one of those kind of
persons (some men too) who always know or
want to know, all the personal matters about
everybody else - who stationed herself at
window, and peerng through the blinds saw
| an individual 90 into a neighbors yard and ring
| the bell. Quick she screams out Jim James
who is that ringing at No. Al ?" ''The fish man
| saws James. "Fsh fish They had fish yes
tefday. What do they want with fish to-day? 2"
| Old people Ga portion OF them), in common with
the young, have all their faculties and senses
alive, to know what is going on.
| Nothing can pass without their notice.
| There's no better example OF this disposition
| than the interview of MIR. Pickwick with
| the waterman, as recorded in the ever
memorable posthumous papers of the Pickwick
| Club
"How old is that horse, my friend ?" inquired
the inqulstive Mr.. Pickwick.
"Forty-twO."
"And how long do you keep him out at a
time ?"
1.-Two or three weeks"
"Weeks ~ SAID Mir. Pckwick, in astonishment
HE lives at Pentonwlll when hes at 'ome
zur; but we seldom take him 'ome on account Of
his weakness
ION account of his weakness? ?" reiterated the
| perpleXed PiCkWiCk.