Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-03-06
The True Story of the First Telegram.


The bill met with neither sneers nor
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 3,
1S43) there were 119 bills before it. As
it seemed impossible for it to be reached
in regular course before the hour of adj
journment should arrive, the Professor,
who had anxiously watched che tardy
movements of business all day from the
gallery of the Senate Chamber, went
with sad heart to his hotel and pre-
pared to leave for New York at an early
hour the next morning While at break.
fast, servant informed him that Young
lady desired to see him in the parlor.
There he met Miss Annie Ellsworth,
then young school girl-the daughter
of his intimate friend, Hon. Henry L.
Ellsworth, the first Commissioner of Pat
ents-who said, as she extended her
hand to him 81 have come to con-
graduate you"
"Uron what?" inquired the Professor
upon the passage of your bill, - she
replied.
Impossible Its fate was sealed at
taken"
"Not at all, she responded "Father
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 adjournment
and [ am 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 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 Prof. Morse,
had spent all the closing hours of the
session in the Senate Chamber, doing
what he could to help the bill along, and
giving it all the influence of his high
personal and political position
Grasping the hand of his young friend
the Professor thanked her again anc
again for bearing him such pleasant
tidings, and assured her that she should
send over the wires the first message, as
her reward. The matter was talked ovel
in the family, and Mrs. Ellsworth sug
| S0Sucu d llIcSSdSt WHICH, IOl. dOTSS re
ferred to the daughter for her approval
and this was the one which was subse
quently sent.
A little more than year after tina
time, the line between Washington anC
Baltimore was completed. Prof. Mors
WE IN the former city, and Mr.. Alfre,
Vail, his assistant, in the latter tn
first in the chamber of the Suprem
Court, the last in the Mount Glare depot
when the circuit being perfect, Prof
Morse sent to Miss Ellsworth for he
message, and it came :
" What God hath ,Or0ught!"
1t was sent in triplicate in the dot-and
line language of the instrument to Bait
more, and was the first message eve
transmitted by a recording telegraph
The story of this first message ha
been often told with many exaggers
!. tions. 1t has roamed about Europe wit
various romantic material attached to i
: originating mainly in the French imag-
! nation, and has started up anew frol
: time to time in our own country unde
: fresh forms, but the above story
! simply and literally true. An invento
in despair receives the news of his III
expected success from his friends daugl
: ter, and he makes her promise whic
: he keeps, and thus links her name wit
E his own, and with an invention whic
becomes one of the controlling instrr
i ments of civilization for all time
.Scribner's for March.