Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1885-01-09
BARBER COUNTY INDEX
Prof.. Morse and the Telegraph.

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Prof. Morse and the Telegraph.
Two interesting letters from the late
Prof. s. +. b. Morse. describing his
early struggles and ambitions regard
ing the telegraph. were addressed to
the late Judge William W. Boardman,
OF New Haven. then amember OF Con-
gross. ard \ warm friend and support
er Of the invention They are as fol-
lows:
NEW YORK. March I. 1894. /
MY DEAR SIR:-i intended long since
to have written vou and thanked YOU
for your kind attention in relation 10
my telegraph AMI for your resolution
OF inquiry. Please now accept my
thanks. / have been constantly occu-
pied this winter in simplifying some
parts of the mechanism, aud had hoped
to have everything complete to shew it
in Nashing gton this session. / still NAV
be able. but dare make 20 promise.
knowing fun well from experience the
ba Hing and protracting nature of in
vention. My instrument is much more
complete than It has eveEd en-, and If
in.its ruder stateait createia,o much in
terest, | feel confident of a 1reater when
the perfect Instrument l. seen. have
just received a letter from Proc ssor
Henry, of Princeton, which copy for
your perusal, and with view of having
IL handed to the committee. Ineed not
say to YOU that Prof. Henry has hi cher
character as aphiloso Dher apd discov-
erer in the department of electricity and
electro magnetism than any man i'm the
country, and there is no man of the
present a se who stands higher in Eu-
rope in this particular department.
You may recOllect it was Prof Henry
who lirst successfully caused the mag
net to bold suspended 1000 pounds,
and invented the first magnetic engine.
With regard to the resolution OF inquiry
before the Committee Of Commerce.
may ask the favor of you to have
them suspend action upon it until l can
show the telegraph in Washington. un-
less they are disposed to report the bill
reported by the former committee9 IL
they are ready to do this without seeing
the operation of the instrument, verv
well. shall then be able to show
them more extended application to
its power the next session. But If they
are not ready and should report il in
eNpedieut, il might injure my opera
tions nc t session. The following IS the
copy of Prof. Henry's letter.
PRINcEroN COLLEGE. Feb. "a 1879.
PROFESSOR Morse: Dear Sir:-I am
pleased to learn that you have again
petitioned Congress in reference to your
tele rrapb, and | most sincerely hope
that you viii succeed in convincing our
Representatives of the Importance of
inVnpf L.,
may perhaps find some iii .lculty. since,
in the minds Of many, the electro mag
netic telegraph is associated with the
various chimerical pro,e:ts constantly
presented 10 the public, and part cular-
~ with the schemes so popular q year
or two ago for the application of cies-
tricity a moving power in the arts.
/ have asserted from the first that all
attempts OF this kind are rre nature and
male without r proper knowledge of
scientific principles. The case is, how
ever, entirely different in regard to
the electro magnetic telegraph. Science
5 now fully ripe for this application.
andI have not the ieastdoubt. if proper
means be a 'orded. of the iperfect sue.
cess 81 1he invention. The. idea of
transmitting intelligence to dis
- h4Nlu1 Va OACtAlitdi aCiiOu
has been suggested by varions per
sous, from the time. Of Franklin to
the present; but until within
the last few years, orsince the priacipal-
discoveries In electro o-magnetisrri, all
attempts to reduce it to practice were
necessarily unsuccessful. About the
same tine with yourself Profess
sOr Wheatstone, of London. and
DIR. Steinheil. of Munich. Germany,
proposed pans of the electro-mag-
netic telegraph, but these iii er as
much from yours as the nature of the
common principle could we'll permit,
and unless some essential Improvements
havefately been male in these european
plans | should prefer the one siuvented
BY yourself With my best wishes for
your success. remain, with much es-
TEEN. yours truly, JosEPH HeNtY.
Thus You will perceie that Prof
Henry accordsprecisely in opinion with
che committee of the French Govern
ment whi amined both Wheat
stones and Steinhers in connection
with mine, and gave preference TO the
American. can not do when the
sub ect is fnliy understood, That our
Government will app eciate the inn
po tance'Of this invention. The mind
NAV speculate very freely on the -evo-
luton which the instantaneo IS inter-
change of Thought from one part of the
co ntry U may say of the world) to
another has elected. and although to
one who is ignorant of the nature of the
invention these speculations may seem
the yagaries of 4 prurient imag nation,
the reality viii still outstr p his cpn-
a - \
in giving this invention to the world.
and demonstrating its American origin
and perfection. VIII they do it,
II thought advisable in the ex-
isting state of the finances of
the country to appropriate a
less sum than Is asked by the bill
formerly reported, less sum. say
SI5.O)o or s.0. 900. wenld give the in
vention sufficiently extensive trial ON
which to founa future Legislative action.
i leave the sub ect to the wisdom of
Congress. have written on the SUBJ
ject (some weeks since) TO several
friends in Washington, to whom. If yoa
are so disposed, please show this letter
Ito Mr.. Barnard. Mr.. Winthrop. Mrs
/ Gushing, Mr.. Granger, and any Others
at your convenience aud pleasure.
With sincere esteem. your friend and
servant. 80 SAifBEL Z. B. MORSE.
The HoN. WILLIAM W. BoAanMAN-
The next letter has more cheerful
tone: go
wAsHrNoroN. Tuesday. Dec u. 1872. )
My DEAR SIR;-My telegraph is in fine
order this morning and established be-
tween the Committee of Commerce Of
the House aud the Naval Committee OF
the senate. shall be happy to show