The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1873-03-14
A STORY OF THE FIRST TELE-
GRAM,
From scribner's for march,

IRON ScriDners for March
The bill met with neither sneeis nor OPP
position in the senate, but the business of
that house went on with discouraging
slowness. AT twilight ON tho last even
ing of the session, March ,, 1913, there
were one hundred and nineteen bills be-
fore it. As it seemed impossible Tor 1t to
be reached in regular course before the
hour of Adjournment should arrive, tho
professor, who had nnxiously watched the
tardy movements OF business ali day from
the gallery of the senate chamber, went
with u sad heart 20 his hotel and prepared
to leave for New York at an early hour
next morning. While at breakfast a ser-
want informed him that young lady de-
sired TO see him in the parlor.
Theoe he met Miss Anna Ellsworth,
then q young schoolgirl, the daughter OF
his intimate friend, MIR. l.. Ellsworth, the
first commissioner Of patents, who said, us
she extended her hand TO him, 81 have
come to congratulate you.
upon WHAT" asked the professor.
Upon the passage of your BILL sho re-
piled.
"Impossiblel It's fate was decided at
dusk last evening. You must be mista-
ken"
mo. at ALL she responded. Father
sent me to tell you that your bill was
passed. He remained until the session
| was closed, and yours was the last bill
but one acted upon, and it was passed just
| 1--WE minutes before the ADJOURNMENT ana
/ am so glad to be the first one to tell
you, Mother says, too, that you must
come home with me to breakfast"
| Tho invitation was readily accepted,
and the Joy in tho household was I'M
bounded. Both Mr.. and Mrs. Ellsworth
had fully believed in the project, and the
former, in his confidence in it and in his
warm friendship for Professor Morse,
had spent oil tho closing hours Of the sos-
sion in the senate chamber, doing what he
could to help the bill along, and giving it
all the influence of his high personal and
official position.
Grasping the hand OF his young friend,
the professor thanked her again and again
for bearing him such pleasant tidings
and assured hcr that she should send over
the wires the first message, as her reward.
| The matter was talked over in tho family,
and Mrs. Ellsworth suggested q message,
which Professor Morse referred to the
| daughter for her approval; and this was
the one which was subsequently sent.
| A little more than a year after that
time the line between Washington and
Baltimore WAS completed. Professor
Morse was in the former city, and Mr..
Vail, his assistant, in the latter; the first
in the chamber Of the supreme court the
last in the Mount Glare depot. when the
circuit being perfect, Professor Morse
sent to Miss Ellsworth for her message,
and it came; "What hath God Wrought!
1t was sent in triplieate in the dot-and'
line language OF tho instrument to Bal,i-
more, and was the first message ever
transmitted dy recording telegraph.
The story of this first message has been
often told with many exaggerations. II
has rosmed about Europe with various
romantic material attached to 1t, original
ting mainly in tho French imagination
and has started up anew from time tC
time in our own country under fresh
forms, but the above story is simply anC
literally true. An inventor In despair re
ceives the news of his unexpected success
from his friends daughter, and he makes
her a promise which he keeps, and thus
links her name with his own; and with ~
invention which becomes one of the con
trolling instruments of civilization fo
all time.