Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-03-20

The bill met with sneers and oppo-
sition in the Senate, but the business
Of that house went on with discourag-
ing sIowness. At twilight on the last
evening of the session March 8, 49,
43) there were 1l9 bills before it. As
it seemed impossible for it to be reach
ed in regular course before the hour of
adjournment should arrive, the Profess
sor, who had anxiously watched the
tardy movements of business all day
from the gallery of the Senate cham
Der, went with q sad heart TO his hotel
and prepared to leave for Nsw York
at an early hour the next morning.
While at breakfast, a servant informed
him that young lady desired to see
him in the parlor.
There he met Miss Annie Ellsworth
then a young school girl-the daugh-
ter of his intimate friend, Hon. Hen
ry l.. Ellsworth, the first Commission
er of Patents-who said, as she ex-
tended her hand to him: IL have
come TO congratulate you.'
upon what:" inquired the Profess
sor.
Upon the passage of your BILL"
she replied.
Impossible. Its fate was sealed at
dusk last evening. You must be Mis-
taken
Not at ALL" she responded. IA
ther sent me to tell you that Your bill
was passed. He remained until the
session closed, and yours was the last
bill but one acted upon, and it was
passed just five minutes before the adj
journment and am 80 glad to be
the first one to tell you. Mother says,
too, that you must come with me to
breakfast"
The invitation was readily accepted,
and the joy in the household was un-
bounded. Both Mr.. and Mrs. Ellis
worth had fully believed in the prof.
ect, and the former, in his confidence
in it and in his warm friendship for
Professor Morse, had spent all tho
closing hours of the session in tho
Senate Chamber, doing what he
could TO help the bill along, and giving
1t 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 pleas
ant tidings, and assured her that she
should send over the wires the first
message, as her reward. The matter
was talked over in the family, and
Mrs. Ellsworth suggested a message
which Professor Morse referred to the
daughter for approval; and this was
the one which was subsequently sent.
A little more than year after that
time the line between Washington and
Baltimore was completed. Professor
Morse was in the former city, and Mr..
Albert Vail, his assistant, in the latter;
the first in the chamber of the Supreme
Court, the last in the Mount Clare de-
pot, when the circuit being perfect,
Professor Morse sent TO Miss Ellis
worth for her message, and it came:
"What hath God wrought"
1t was sent in triplicate in the dot
and-line language Of the instrument
to Baltimore, and was the first mes
sage ever transmitted by a recording
telegraph. A fac simile of that mes
sage, with Professor Morse's indorse-
ment, is here given.
The story of this first message has
been often told with many exaggera.
tions. 1t has roamed about Europe
with various romantic materials attach.
ed to it, originating mainly in the
French Imagination, and has started
up anew from time to time in our own
country under fresh forms, but the
above story is simply and literally
true. An inventor in despair receives
news Of his unexpected success from
his friends daughter, and he makes
her . promise which he keeps, and
thus links her name with his own, and
with an invention which becomes one
of the controlling instruments OF civ
ilizatiOn for all time From Serb
~ers Monthly for March.