The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-06-28
PROF. MORSE'S SUCCESS,
hccoiiections of n Rema arItnble md Historic
Scene I'm The Cnpitol.

what Is new to-day Will be old to-
morrow, remarked Ex-Governor James
POLLOCK, Naval Officer OF THIS port, dur
lng recent conversation. "No fu:Iro
discovery will be received with the samo
stubborn lncrcdulity that greeted tho
electric telegraph. Speaking of the telc-
graph have always thought that Pro-
lessor Joseph Henry laid tie foundation
tor Morses wonderful triumph as carly
as 1882. Henry had stretched three or
four miles of wire, through which ho ac-
tually sent signals. However, after
Morse had completed his experiments,
and had demonstrated the practicability
of his invention, he applied to the
Twcnty-cighth Congress, Of which ] was
member, for an appropriation of $50.
600 to assist in the erection of n line be-
tween Daltim )re and Washington.
"Thc bill was referred to the Wavs
and Means committee, [ think, but when
reported back to the House it was ridi-
culcd by many members, especially by
some gentlemen from the West. To in
dlcatc the abs,udity with which he re-
%ardcd the invention, ono member
E.oved to increase the appropriation to
SlOC,OOO, III order to extoud the wires to
the moon. emphasizing bad pun by
saying tnnt no one but llma-tic would
want to use such medium of commute
cation. Another gentleman suggested
Sl5o,uOO, III order to CHtrnd the lines TO
the North Pole and into Simm's Hole so
thai the people at the center OF the ,"rth
could ID" communicated with. The bill
passed House and Senate. The money
was appropriated. All of this is we'll
known, and is only predatory to what T
now say.
'1n May, 1914, it was announced in
Congress that on the opening of tho
Democratic National Convention at Bnlti
more the new telegraph lines would be
ready Tor business. The Wnmhincton
terminus WAS i'll one of the rooms of the
Cnpito!. When the day arrived IL few of
the members of Congress assembled in
that room, among the number. After
waiting considerable time, amid cxprcs-
sions of hope or doubt from the friends
or critics OF the inventor, all talk WAS
suddenly checked 10y the clicking of the
machine. An impressive silence OF
seventeen minutcs followed The ma.
chine worked Finally the operator
| read with considerable Solcmnty the first
| message ever received: What haiti
| God wrought? All were awc-strickcl
| lor moment. 1t has always been {
l!eaaant memory that I was present
Silence was followed by expressions OF
| admiration.
'Thcn few gentlemen boldly de
nomccd the message as Il trick. Some
warm words were spoken. But in tn,
course OF an hour the proceedings from
the National Convention began to arrive
The unbclicvcrs continued to doubt Nc
decision could he reached until the morn
ing papers were received 1t is needless
to say that the tclcgraphic messages
were fully substnntiatcd. This wonder
full scene continued each day during the
session of the convention Mt Baltimore
closing with the domination of James X.
| Polk. The result was SO unexpected rs
to carry conviction. Then there were
! only forty miles of telegraph; to-day
there are over SOC, 900 miles in opcration
| saw the bcginning-it was only thirty
nine years ago. "--THiIadclphia 7Tu,cs