Middletown transcript., 1873-03-08
The True Story Of tha First Tels-
'rG.r fBei p gram. iel tsHi~

The bill met with neither ssssrs nor
opposition In ihc Sssase. bss The bssiness
Of the House went ON with discousaeipg
saoHncss. At twilight on the last svsaipe
Of the session (March 3, 1843) there vers
110 biils oofore It, Az Il seemed impos.
sibls fof Il 10 be reached in regular sosrss
before the hour Of adjournmeus should
arrive. the Professor. who had snxiously
watched the tardy movemcuts Of busissss
al day frow the gallery Of the SeHats
chamber. went with . sad heart to his
hotel and prepared to leave for New York
1t an early hour the next morning. while
q breakfast. = servant informed him thst
: young lady desired to sec him 10 Tho
ssrlor.
There he met Mics Annie Ellsworth,
then a young school girl-tbe dssghtss Of
biz iusiMsse friend, Hon. Henry L. ELS
worth, the 6rst Commissioner Of Patents-
who said. a. she extended her hand TO
him (" have como 10 congratulate you."
Upon what I" inquired the Professor.
"Upon'the I" psssage Of your bill. !" che
replied. 4,
:" Impossible Its fate was sealed At
dusk last evening. You must b. mista-
ken" "ar
=" Not At sll." she responded. "Fssh.
sr sent ne to tsll you that your bill Was
passed. liz remained until the, session
closed, and yours was the last bill but
one acted upon. aud it was passed Just
five minutes before the adjournm sSs lnd
ap - glad to be the first one 70 tell you.
Mo-, Mother says, too, that you must come home
Tho invitation was readily accepted,
and tho joy in the household was un-
bounded. Both Mr. and Mrs. Ellsworth
had fully believed in the project, and the
former, in his confidence in it and iu bis
warm Nhdship for Prof Morse. had
spent oil the closing hours Of the session
in tho 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.
he Professor thanked her again aud again
Tor bearing hun such pleasant tidings.
ind assured her that she should send over
The wires the first message, rs her reward.
The matter was talked over in the family.
md Mrs. Ellsworth suggested u mes-
'agc which Prof. Morse referred to the
lauga,er, FOR her approval aud this was
be one which was subsequently sent.
a little more than wear after tha.
line, the linc between Washington and
Baltimore was completed. Prof. Morse
vas in the former city. and Mr.. Alfred
Vail, his assistant, in the latter; the first
o the chamber Of the Supreme Court. the
asst in the Mount Glare depot, whom the
'ircuit bsing perfect. Prof. Morse sent TO
Miss Ellsworth for hor message, and il
,ainc.
WHAT HATH Con WROUGHT" :"
II was sent in triplicate in the dot-and-
inc language Of the instrument to Bait.
moro, and was the first message cper trans.
aitted by a recording telegraph. A fac.
imile Of that first message, with Professor
'lorso's Endorsement. 10 here given.
The story Of this first message has been
ften told with many cxaggerntions. II
las roamed about Europe with various
omantic material attached to it, origins,-
ng mainly in the French imagination.
nd has started up anew from time to
ime in our own country under fresh farm..
ut the above story is simply and literally
rue. An inventor in despair receives the
ews Of his unexpected success from his
riend's daughter, and he makes her
romise which he keeps, and thus links
cr name with his own. and with an IT,
cntion which becomes one Of the CONTROL
ng instruments Of civilization for al
me -.Scritner's for March.