Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-01-18
EARLY STRUGGLES OF THE
ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

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The dinner to Professor Morse, given
not long ago, brought bafore the public,
in review, the story Of the invention
aud perfection Of the electric telegraph.
The manner of the invention, the intro
ductory matters, the struggles of the
inventor, his slow progress in couvinc-
ing the world Of the merit of the plan,
and his final success, have been made
known heretofore in various ways. Pro-
lessor Morse, in his speech, referred to
them, but nothing suggested by him
was as curious as the statement of the
manner in which his proposition to
Congress for aid to establish the cleo
trio telegraph was received by the
learned statesmen there assembled.
Cave Johnson, Of Kentucky, afterwards
Postmaster General, distinguished him
self by efforts, in ls43, to turn the mat
ter into ridicule. He moved that one
half of the money appropriated for
Morse's experiment should be given to
a travelling lecturer upon Mesmerism,
who happened to be in Washington at
that time. Another honorable gentle
man, equally as funny, proposed that
q Millerism" should be favored With q
portion Of the money. Cave Johnson
eyen went so far in the intensity Of his
sarcasm that he reduced his amendment
to writing, that one-half Of the appro-
priation should be expended for mes
meric experiments, under the direction
of the Secretary of the Treasury. The
Speaker of the House was compelled to
make n decision whether such amend
ment was in order. Notwithstanding
these attempts to kill the measure BY
ridicule, the bill was eventually passed
by a vote Of SO yeas to SO nays, showing
how strong was incredibly among a
very large proportion Of the members.
The telegraph set up under this appro-
priation between Washington and Bal
timore soou showed the great value Of
the invention. But even then, although
messages were received and sent, and
communication was instantaneous, the
wise men ut Washington failed to per-
ceive the real value of that means Of
communication. Morse offered to sell
out the invention to the Government
for one hundred thousand dollars, but
there was no eagerness to accept. On
the contrary, in ls45, the matter was
referred to the Postmaster General,
who at that time happened to be Cave
Johnson, the mover. Of the mesmeric
amendment two years before. He had
not yet been convinced, although the
telegraph erected by the Congressional
appropriation had been placed under his
official control. Mr.. johnson could not
forgive the telegraph for proving that it
was superior to his ridicule, and pos
sessed merit. He, therefore, failed to
make any report upon tho subject.
Morse aud his associates became tired
Of waiting, and after due time took
10 n,t,hl.1L Nha Gnsk alanfRo-
magnetic company for n line between
Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York,
from which small beginning the i'm
mense telegraphic interest of the present
day had its origin. Even then the Gov
ernmeut was offered an extended oppor-
turity to obtain control Of the inyen-
ton, but Cave Johnson, Postmaster
General, was against it. He threw dis
credit upon it, and under that stimulus
the Government allowed the time to 60
by without awaiting itself Of the oppor-
tunity. Since that period the Govern
ment, which might have possessed this
great advantage for n comparatively
small sum, has spent many hundred
thousands Of dollars for tolls alone.
The story Of Professor Morse is n Of
those interesting episodes in real life,
which are more interesting than the
most skillful fiction.