The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1872-04-06
Prof. s. F.B. MOrses

1
lition from an attack of psral ysis /
u the brain The close Of q long 4
.ventful, and eminently useful lie.
,uch as that of Prof Morse, de- / /
serves more than passing notice.
Samuel Finley Breese Morse, thed
eldest son of DR.. Jedidiah Morse,
known to American history as the
Iather of American Geography,
was born in Charlestown, Mass |,
April 81, 1871. He graduated
from Yale College in 1910, and
Immediately proceeded to Eng-l
land to study painting under the
celebrated Benjamin West. In
1913 he received gold medal |
from the hands Of the Duke OF
Norfolk for an original m odle Of the
Dying Hercules his first attempt I
at sculpture. He returned to the
United States IN 1915, and In
l824-5, with some other artistic of
New York, ornanized an associa-
tion, which finally developed into
the present existing Natl onal
Academy Of Design, Mr.. Morse
continuing as its President for y
period Of sixteen years. He spent
three years after this in, Europe,
completing his art education, re
turning home to accept q profess
sorship in the University OF the /
city Of New York, to which he
had been elected during his alb
sense. While student in Yale
Mr.. Morse had paid especial at
tention to chemistry and to natural
philosophy, and these studies, from
being subordinate soon became q
dominant persuit with him gradu
ally leading him to the grand in
vention with which his name will
be forever associated Sig The cleo
trio and recording telegraph ap-
pears to have been first suggested
to his mind on board q packet
ship bound for Havre, in the year
1882. In 1885 he had constructed
his FIRST rude instrument, and ex-
hibited it in New fork; but mas
4 much as there was but one key
and writer, messages could be
transmitted in one direction. Not
until 1837-sdid Mr.. Morse have a
double instrument completed, with
which he went before Congress to
ask for an appropriation for the
construction Of an experimental
8 line between Washington and
Baltimore Writing at this date,
with the world fairly circumscrib-
ed by telegraph wires, within
speaking distance Of the antipodes
it is fairly impossible to imagine
the difficulties with which the nsv
invention was beset and the an
tagonisms it encountered. Ole
citiz ems will remember the storm
OF, ridicule and contempt to which
it was exposed, and the odium intt
which many of :hese Congress.
men fell who had the tcmerity tc
vote an appropriation for a tria
hne.saa 2aG8t4ia sl ~
Il We know that at least one i'm
po-tant political campaign in
ncighboring State was, in . grea
measure, decided against the part
n power, because its candidat
for Governor had voted for th
J electric telegraph when. q membe
of the National Congress. OF Mr.
Morse's trials and disar pointment
, in Washing ton we have no desir
to write at length; they were sue
as meet nearly every genius VIII
has new idea to propose, espe
cially one co startling as the ami
hilation of time and space in III
! transmission ofaintelligence AT
ter q final appeal, which was be
lieved. to be unsuccessful. Mr.
Morse retired to his hotel on tn
; evening Of March 8, 184S, autterl
discouraged, broken in spirit, an
, bankrupt in purse. His intentio
was to return to New York, th
? next day.. When the mornin
, came his astonished gaze met th
, announcement tllat in the expirin
3 hourof the session, Congress ha
, voted him $1,000 The line hc
1 tween Washington and Baltimo,
:. was constructed at once, aud earl
in lS44 the first message fiashe
a over the wires in the prophet
words: Verify, what hath Go
: wrought ? Twenty~eigtt ye
. have passed since then; ever
= civilized country of tie world ust
tho telegraph; comrnerc CO ana eve
war, is carried on by means ,
z Morse's inventions; oceans ha,
= been spanned and coptinen
traversed by the sensate magnet
wire, and the citizen Of Chicago
enabled by conjunction of Il
telegraph, and the printing pre-:
to read in the INTER- OCEAN, at h
breakfast table, the events of Il
4 world for t1e precedent day. S
= Commonplace shave these thing
: become in our lives that they fa
c TO excite passing thought y
): it will be we'll to ponder nome
{. upon their vast Importance, as t!
= great life which made them poss
'r BILE ls ebbing away.
" Prof. Morse has been one
l. the few who have lived to re,
st honor in their lifetime. Eve
n nation and potentate has sought
e bestow grAtuities and testimonis
v upon him. The repetition Of the
= would be tedious; his old age b
70 been passed In quiet dignity Al
of in comparative affluence, but q
ID by anv means in inactivity. Dr.
ing the past year, it will be r
membered, statue to his hon
N n 9