Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-02-27

THE STORY OF THE FIRST TELE.
GRAM.
From scrlbncr,s Monthlv for Marcn

From scribncr's Monthly for March.
The bill met with neither sncers or
opposition in the Senate, but the bust
ness of that house went on with dis
couraging slowness. At twilight on
the last evening of the session March
B, lS13,) there were 1l9 bills before it.
as 1t seemed impossible for it to be
reached in regular course before the
hour of adjournment should arrive,
the Professor, who had anxiously OBJ
served the tardy movements Of bust
ness all day from the gallery Of the
Senate Chamber, went with sad heart
to his hotel and prepared to leave for
New York at an early hour in the
morning. While at breakfast he was
informed by a servant that young
lady desired to see him in the par
lor.
There he met Miss Annie Ellsworth,
then young school giil--the daugh.
ter of his intimate friend, Hon. Henry
l.. Ellsworth, the First Commissioner
of Paients-who said as she extended
her hand to him: IL have come to con-
graduate YOU"
Upon what ?" inquired the Profes
sOr.
upon the passage of your bill" she
replied.
"Impossiblel It's fate was sealed
last evening at dusk. You must be
mistaken"
"Not at ALL" she responded. "Fath-
err sent me to tell you that your bill
had passed. He remained until after
the session closed, and yours was the
last bill but one acted upon, and il
passed just five minutes before the adj
ionrnment: and am so glad to be the
first one to tell you. Mother says too,
that you must come home with me to
breakfast"
The invitation was readily accepted
and the Joy in the household was
unbounded. Both Mr.. and Mrs. Els
worth had fully believed in the pro-
ject, and the former, in his confidence
in 1t and in his warm friendship for
Professor Morse, had spent all the
closing hours of the session in the Sem
ate 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
faend he thanked her again and again
for bearing him such pleasant tidings.
and assured her that she should send
over the wires the first m essage, as her
reward. The matter was talked over
III the family, and Mrs. Ellsworth sug-
gcstcd message, which Professor
Morse referred to the daughter for her
approval and this is the one which
was subsequently, sent.
A little more than year after tina,
time, the line between Washington
and Baltimore was completed. Prof.
Morse was in the former city. and Mr.
Albert Vail, his assistant in the latter
The first in the Chamber of the Su.
preme Court, the last in the Noun,
Clare Depot, when the circuit being
complete, Professor Morse sent to Miss
Ellsworth for her message and it came
"WHAT HATH GoD WROUGHT ?"
1t was sent in triplicate in the dot.
| and line language of the instrument tt
Baltimore, and was the first messag,
ere,' transmitted bya recording tele
graph. A fac-simile of that first mes
sage, with Professor Morse's indorse
nrent, is here given.
The story of this first message ha.
been often told with many cxagera
tons. II has roamed about Europ,
with various romantic material attach
en- to it, originating mainly in tn,
French imagination, and has started
up anew from time to time in our owl
country under fresh forms. but thu
above story is simple and literally
true. An inventor in despair receive,
the news of his unexpected success
from his friends daughter, and h,
makes her a promise which he keeps
and thus connects her name with hi
own, and with an invention which be
comes one of the controlling ipstru
] ments of civilization for all time to
come. .l..------------.7s-g-