Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1872-04-25


least the contributor of the greatest
share of the origIuation, and the one
successful promoter Of its realization
HIS first idea was To pass n strip OF
chemically prepared paper in contact
with the wire, lecomposing the chem.
icals so ~ TO form marks Of different
lengths which should form assign alpha.
bet. Next no thought of the action of
electricity upon lever ssa mode OF
using pens and ink, but this he aban-
doned for the inden,iny steel point on
the end of lever, which il now in
use. In 1885 he completed rude
apparatus, all made by himself, with
an experimental wire OF half mile
around n room, bat this only trans.
mitted in one direction. BY 1887 he
had ready an improved apparatus,
which he exhibited at one OF the
rooms of the University. This year
he went to Washington, filed his cav.
eat, and asked for Congressional
appropriation for line thence tn Bal,
tImore, The session passed without
action, and he went abroad. Eng
land refused him patent. Wheat
stone having in the meantime got to
work in France he obtained bre.
yet dincention. But he met with lit.
tie encouragement abroad, and came
back to struggle through ridicu.e and
poverty for four long years. There
was terrible excitetncnts gainst snch
squandering Of the pubIic money; n
prominent politician was defeated as
State Governor, largely because he
had voted for the ab bsnrd waste OF the
public funds Session after session
he perservered. His bill was amenI-
cd by Congressional wits to inclu'le
experiments in meSmerlsm and Mil
lerism, the chair refusing to rile out
the amendment on the plea that " 1t
would require scientific analysis TO
determine how far the magnetism OF
mesmerism WAS analogous TO that to
be employed in the telegraphs.' Al
last came the session OF '43. On the
evening of March 3, the Professor
gave up in despair, returned to h'S
hotel " broken in spirit and bankrupt
IN purse" to start for New York the
next day. "At the midnight hour of
the expiring session." by vote OF 80
to 81, the bill was passed, and IN the
morning. the inventor knew the dawn
which follows the darkest hour
But there were more difficulties.
The first plan was ot buying the wires
in lead pipes. Ezra Cornell devised
a machine, drawn by oxen, which
opened the trench, lad the pipe and
i closed ii again !; bu. the expense was
great aad the plain failed otherwise.
It Il sad that Cornell saved hun con
frs>ion of failure by " accidentally on
purpose smashing the mioh'pe
against rock Only $1,000 ut the
appropriation then remained bat
Cornell suggested the use Of poles
and on tha 9th My, ;8u, " Wha,
Ihath God wrought y hishel praise
AMI victory from |, ,Itmore 10 Wash
lngton The first information given
los the telegraph was that of the nom
ination of Jas. X Pix tpr til, Pre.'
dency by the B,Iiinqrc Convention,
There i. no need 1, g any further
IN the history of the telegraph, save
to say that in 1912 the first snb'nar--
me cable was laii by him --acro's
New York harbOr winning the gold
medal of the American Institute, airl
that letter to the Secretary of the
Treasury, 10Th Of August, 1913, con
tanned the first suggestion OF the Al
Ilantic telegraph. IIonors were pour.
cd in upon him. In 1851 convcn'
ton to select a uniform system for all
Germany adopted his; in 1857 the
representatives Of the ch,et European
powers, assembled in Paris, presented
him with 400, 900 francs on account
of his invention. Yaie made h'm a
doctor of laws. France enrolled him
Iia her Legion of Honor. Austria
the German Staes, Denmark, Tar
key, gave him of their highest honors
| His fame followed the wires till the
globe was gilaeh.
Since then he has been growing in
to q ripe old age, dividing his time
between New York and his place on
the IIadsou, 4" Locust Grove" jaSt
below Poughkeepslc. Last year thr
Central Park statue TO him wa
raised. and the gran | celebration
held at the Academy of Music. lie
honored the Franklin celebration will
his presence.
The following letter, which is entire
" in Professor Morse's handwriting
T will show that CID age did not impair
the yigor Of his faculties. The chiros
raphy is wonderful for its clearnesS
and would do credit to any yonn.
man. Below is the letter, wnici
speaks TOR itself
We may add that when this letter
was read AL the Convention alluded 10,
prolonged cheers were given to IT'S an
thor. and the letter itself was ordered
Ito be printed among the records d
, the Convention.
New York, Dec. 4, 1871 Nv
dear Mr.. Fieta Excuse my delay n
writing YOU. The excitement ocea
, .ipned 6y The visit Of the Grand Dnk'
Alexis has bu, iist ceased, and
have been wholly engro.sed by The
various duties connected with hl'
presence.