Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-02-14

MOTses lfOis bAlt, MIA S0lTn. and himself. and
so did not apply for letters patent.
1t Will be observed that Prof Morse really in
vented nothing OF importance ia regard to the
electr0-ii agn6ic telegraph, neither discovering
its spirit, nor providing it With sulable body,
when brought TO him by Prof (5ae in his
speech at the Academy of Music. Jane 10 1871.
Prot Morse lGd the address to concede TO Prof
Gale, MIR. Vail, and another gentleman of as
much impol lance TO him as they THE Hon. +,
q. >. Smlhl some recognition of their valuable
services; but this concession was eyidently but
part of his adroit tactics, as he who carefully
reads Pro. MofscS speech in the light OF This
article will readily see. 4 monument had been
that day erected, ny designing and duped citi-
zens, to the sole honor of Prof. Morse, in the
Central farh of New York, and another of n IA
tioua character, to lie erected at WASHINGTON.
to Prof M0rse's glory, had been designed Per-
hagS The fact tempted Prof. Morse 70 withhold
their tue honorS from his old associates-tle
inventors proper of thel elcctro.mapnctir tel.
graph. But whatever were his temptations. his
course was quite incXcusahle; and though, in
the language of Chief Justice Chase he was a
fortunate man" in that he had been able to
adroitly 'lnk his fame forever with the greatest
wonder and ilie greatest benefit of the ace" be
ought in justice to have Acknowledged more ful-
ly so than he did the merits OF the man who not
oult enabled him to ''linlS his name, but point
ed out the method, aud provided him with the
link" itself
We have alluded to Hon. FOL. Smith, TO
accorded the credit Of eaily apprcsating the in
venfon. Mr.. Smith was one of those ufen just
as necessary to Prot Mnrse'S commercial and f.
nancial success with the telegraph Ms were Prof.
Gale and Mi. Vail to its invention aid Practical
perfection, MIR. Smith, though but thirty years
of age, was then serving His third term in con.
gTess, representing the Portland district Maine,
"a man OF great energy, clear intellect and pre-
vision. when, in 1898 Prof. Morse went to
Washington TO exhibit tie telegraph, and either
sell TO the government the invention, 6F rbtain
aid to build an governmental line, Mr.. Smith
was Chairman at the committee OF commerce, to
whose notice the matter Vas brought. While
most of even the leading men in congress ieered
at the project Of the telegraph, Mr.. Smith fore
saw its grand possibilities, and its great finan-
cial value ii property liafidlPd. lie brought the
matter to the attention OF con rres$ III Il Muster
ly report, and eventually entered into business
relations With Prof. Morse, Prof. Gale and Mr..
Vail regarding tile telegraph; aud, indeed, TO
him is due the chief credit for the skilful man
agement by which the electromagnetic tee4
graph was forced upon the attention of the peo.
pie, and erected into a public necessity, Mr..
Smith, though young, was even theft, an astute
and eminent LAWYER; and from what light the
writer oil tti5 has npon the subject, be is led to
the belief that, without alr. Sntirs counsel
and assistance the invention would ncitliet Fave
been secured under proper letters patent, nor
preserved, even uiid6. these.
In the record of the case of Morse Of ALI vs..
smith, in tile Superior court of New York, in
1852, among other similar evidences of Mr..
Smiths controlling and protecting relations to
Prof Morse, the writer finds the professor titus
addressing Mr.. Smith, under date New York,
May "a, 1899. 81 sometimes am astonishcd,
when reflect how | haze been able to take the
stand, with MY telegraph, III competition with
European rivals, backed as they are with the
purses Of tue kidgs aud wealthy of their couu-
trles, While our own government icaFcs me to
fight their battles for the honor of this invention
fettered hand and foot Thanks will be due TO
YOU not to them, ii am able to maintain the
ground occupied by the American telegraph
company"
The reports Of the cases in which the validity
of the Morse patent was called in question,
show to the mind accustomed to deal with legal
SuhtIities, that only the nj 1St discreet uiauage-
ment aud skill on the part of Mr.. Smith could
have saved the patent. The wonder is, that
Mr.. Smiths able opponents (somc of them the
first LAWYERS OF the landj did net discover the
most vulnerable points of Prof. MOrSe's claims.
Prof. Morse may indeed be considered as one of
the most lucky" men that ever lived, finding
ever at the right time the right man to act for
him, and so not only succeeded in "linking his
name with the greatest wonder Of the age," but
being enabled to keep the "linking" force un.
broken, through the guardian talents Of an en-
nent counsel, until he has achieved OF wealth
not enough, perhaps, and of glory not only
what little is que 10 him, but, besides, about all
llttJ oo lutlllttlf DCtOliLS 10 OiileIS. DuC MS
tory will probably, in due time, rive Prof. Morse
Ills proper place in relation to science, and ac-
cord to Prof. Henry his true position, as well as
render full honGrs to Prof. Gale and Mr.. Vail
as the immediate inventors Of the practical
elcctro-magnetlc telegraph, and TO Mr.. Smith
MS due merit for having made it Il commercial
success. The complete history of the electro
magnetic telegraph will, when written, be one
of the most interesting of books, disclosing as
II must, the Vaccinations of subtle minds, and
many strange tcrgiverSations, much false pre-.
ence, etc from sources not generally suspected.
It IS to be hoped that it will be written while
Prot Morse is living, for it is eminently proper
lhnt he should revise those portions, especially
IN winch no human power but his own cunning
| viii be able to find anything less than dubious
| dealln% upon his part, and where that cunning
| will probably no longer be able to serve him.
Mr. Vail, fortunately for the true history Of the
| electromagnetic telegraph, left Il large amount
OF correspondence, drawings, speculative (scien-
| thc) dealgns, queryingS, daily records, and i'm
| portant statements in.WritinT, which will ena
| bic the historian to establish all the claims
| herein made for him, and more.
Inc writer OF this article has designed to give
| nothing more than the most meaore history of
| the origin aud growth Of the electromagnetic
| telegraph, and to intimate TO whom the credit is
| que Tor lis existence in practical shape. That
Prof. Morse may have suggested to DIR. Jackson
on board the Sullv, in 1882, the desirabtv of
conveying intelligence by electricity is possible.
But DR.. jackson claims the honor of the first
suggestion. These gentlemen, it seems, enter
tam but little respect for each others honesty
and we will nor attempt to settle their dsputc
Tor il is clear that they had no thought OF the
ELECTROMAGNETIC telegraph (unlesS Prof Morse
deliberately lasifies); and if they had not, then
the telegraph proper, did not, as Prof Morse de
cFUed 10 ms audience on the 10th of June it did,
have its birth in an American ship" and was
not, though he said it was, "cradled upon the
ocean," Bur Prof Morse is a rhetorician, as
well as 'inventor, and perhaps intended moth
ing but Figure of speech" in this declaration.
The writer's research into this matter of inven-
ton OF the telegraph has disclosed to him some
very strange things, which ought TO be given TO
the public. This is work for the patient hiSto.
RAN to do, and il is to be hoped it will sometime
he done. But enough has been showa, it is
thought, TO establish the electro magnetic or
Morse telegraph as American in its origin
and perfection, even without Morse himself
tSaVe as sort of DrOyidential hvphen, or UNI
whiting magnet, by which Prof Henry's science
. became at last united TO Mr.. Wallis constructive
geniuS).
Perhaps this article should not be brought to
aconclusion wthour the intimation to the I'M
suSpecting reader of the object of the "artfnl
men" spoken of in the early part of this paper
IN erecting monuments and giving ovatons to
Prot. Morse like that Of the 10Th of June The
Western Union telegraph company is managed
by cunning men. The alleged value of its capt.
TAI Is about forty millions and this cost its own
crs perhaps twelve per cent. thereof, or say
five millions. 1t is anxious to induce the GOV
eminent to buy up its lines for forty millions, so
that it may pocket thirty-fve millions, and the
stockholders retire each with a fortune. 1t
might be desirable for the nation to own univer.
sal lines Of telegraph. But it would be much
wiser to build new lines, than to purchase these
old ones at a ruinous price. As the Morse pat
ent has expired, it would be no injustice to any
one if the government should build new lines
from "Great Industries Of the United States.