Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-03-11
THE HERALD.
The True Story Of the First Tele-
gram.


The bill met With neither eneers
nor opposition in the Senate, but the
business of the House went on with
Encouraging slowness. At twilight
en- the last evening of the session
March 3, l843) there were ll9 bills
before 10. As it seemed impossible
for it to be reached in regular course
before the hour OF adjournment
should arrive, the Professor, who
had anxiously watched the tardy
movements of business all day from
the gallery of the Senate cham Der,
went with a sad heart TO his hotel
Ggd y, epared TO leave for New York
a. an early hour the next morning
White a. breakfast, servant inform
ed him hat young lady desired &c
zee him 10 the parlor.
There he met Miss Annie Z Is
worth, then young school girl the
daughter Of his intimate friend, Hon
Henry L. Ellsworth, the first Con-.
missioner Of Patents-who said, ~
she extended her hand to him IL
have come 10 congratulate you"
upon what !" inquired the Pro.
fessor.
Upon the passage of your BILL"
the replied.
impossible Its fate VISA sealed
at dusk last evening You must be
mistaken"
NJ st ALL" she responded
Father sent me TO tell you that
SOU, OH VAS passed. lie remained
until the session closed, aud yours
was the last bill bit one acted upon,
and it passed just i've minutes before
th" adjournment; and | am 80 glad
TO be The fist one TO tell you Mother
says, too, that you must cone hope
with me 10 breakfast.
The invitation was readily accept
ed, and the JOY i the household was
uNbou"ded. Both Mr.. add Mrs.
Ellsworth had fully believed in the
project, and rhe former, in bis con-
hience ~ il aud 10 his warm friend
ship for Prot. MIr-e, had spent all
tho closing hours Of ths session ~
the Senate cham Ger, doing what he
could 20 help tho bill along, aud
giving il all The influences ut hl.
high personal AID officltl poss,ion.
u 1splng tho hand OF III. young
friend, the Professor Lhank cd her
again and again for bearing him such
peasant tldings, and assured her
that sho should send over the wires
the first message, as Der reward.
The mat or was taxed over ~ the
family, and Mrs. Elrw nth suggested
IL message which Prot. Morse referr, d
10 The daughter, tor her approval ;
aud this was the one which was
subsequently sent.
A ntle more than year after
that time, the line betweer Washing
ton and Baltimore was comp letod.
Pr1f Nurse was 10 the former city,
aud Mr Alfred Vail, bis assistant, IN
the latter; the first IN the cham Der
Of the Supreme Court, the last in the
Mount Care iepot, when the circuit
be ny perfect, Prot, NJ rise sent to
M-s Edew nth for her message, and
IL came.
"WHAT HATH GoD WRoUGHT!'
1t was sent ia lriplicate in the dot
Rnd-ine lauguage of the instrument
To Baltimore, and was the first mes
sage eDer transmitted Jy a recording
telegraph.
Ihv story Of this fist message haa
been oiteu Told with many CORA,
lions. IL has rOAmed abnu Elrnpe
with various romantic material at
tpched 80 ~ originating mainly 10
tho French Inauguration, and har
started up anew from 90 time in our
own country under fresh forms, but
the above story Ia simply aud
literally true. An inventor IN die.
pair receives tho news ! his UDpect-
Ell SUCCESS from his friends daughter,
and he makes her a promise which
no keep, and thus links her name
WIN his own, and with an invention
which becomes one Of che controlling
ihsuum-nts OF civil zItiOn for ali
Time. ScribRer's for March.