The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1872-04-18
BIOGRAPHICAL.
THE LATE PROFESSOR MORSE.

it is not too much to say that the deati
Of Professor Morse may be regarded as I
world wide calamity. In view therefore
of his brilliant fame and eminent achiev
ments, the following biographical sketch
of this distinguished scientist, compll ed
from authentic sources will be read with
interest.
Samuel Finley Breese Morse was born
IN Charlestown, Mass. or the 9Th of April
1901. His father, Jedidiah [. Morse
was prominent Congregational minis
ter, who had acquired considerable &C.
lebrlty IN works both on theology and
geography. At an early age Samuel was
sent to Yale College from whence he
graduated in 1910 Passionatcly fond OF
art, he determined to become q painter,
and for this purpose in the following
year he sailed for Engla land, in company
with Washington Aston, in order to
study under the direction Of Benjamin
West, at that time considered the leading
artist in Europe. Within two years ne
had made such progress that he received
the gold medal of the Adelphi Society,
for q cast Of the Dying Hercules. He
returned to this country 10 1915, and de-
voted himself entirely to his profession.
While on a visit to Concord, n. H., in
order to paint the portraits Of several
persons there, he formed the acquaiDt-
ance of Lucretia Walker, Who soon after
became his wife. He made second trip
10 Europe in 1929, for the purpose of still
further pursuing his professional studies.
During this trip, which lasted three
years, he visited nearly all the famous
galleries of paintings in Europe, and
greatly improved himself in the techni-
cal branches of the art. While abroad
he was elected Professor of Literature of
the Arts Of Design in the University Of
he CITY Of New York and it was on his
return to accept the position that the in
veation that has since made his name il
Iustrious suggested itself to him. While
az college he had devoted much Of his
time to the study of chemistry, under the
Of Prof. Silliman, and even
Ia after years the phenomena Of electric
ity, and of electromagnetic had been
to him the source of considerable spec
ulation, and during the present voyage
which was made from Havre to New
York on the old packet ship Su1ly, the
conversation turned accidentally on this
subject, in connection with discovery
that had shortly before been made in
France, of the correlation of electricity
and magnetism One day while convers-
ing with fellow passenger on this mat
ter, the thought flashed upon Morse S
mind that this chemical relationship
might be made practically useful. 1t
would probably have been impossible
even for the inventor to have said how
the proper means for effecting this pnr
pose suggested themselves to him. it was
something almost supelhuman, as will
readily be seen, when it is said that he
then conceived in his mind, not only III.
idea of the electric telegraph, but of the
electro. and chemical recording
telegraph, substantially az they now
exist. On Iesching home, he devoted
the greater part of his time to making
experiments on this subject. At frs
there was great difficulty in Obtaining
the proper instruments, though in 1885,
he had succeeded in constructing an APP
paratus which enabled him to communi
cate from one extremity of two distan
points, of circuit Of hal; mile. I'm
fortunately, this did not allow him t.
communicate back from the other ex-
tremity, but two years more of persisten
research was sufficient to overcome thi
difficulty, and the invention was nov
ready for exhibition. This was done ii
the Autumn of 1887, the wires being lai,
on the roof of tie University building
opposite Washington.square, New York
A great many hundreds VISITED tn
place, and they all expressed, as wei
they might, their unbounded astonish
ment. In the winter of the same yea
Prof Morse went to Washington to urg
N .ssa raE