Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-02-10
RISE OF THE TELEGRAPH
The FIRST Message that Ever
Went Over Wire.

the luDlc bF One OF HIS Earliest Friends.
Pathetic pictures. says The AeiO York
Times, have been given by writer's ga
lore OF the saddening experiences that
were Prof. Morse's in the early days
OF his telegraph's inception-scientsts
grimacmg aud politicians sneerng
earnest endeavor rebuled, proifered
evidence secuted. hope kept ever for
lorn and hytng. And the tale is twice
told even to schOol-boy ears now of
how, through these crowdng trials
and trooping disappointments. genius
finally came TO its reward and gave TO
the brave old man the glory of hero
TO whom all human kind are debtors.
But has the story ever been told of
the da when for the first time his Wis
ions were materalized in public sight,
of the day VIXEN for prom ses che Of
fered proofs, when the people. forget
ting all theic der sion, hurrahed for
him in the streets because of the
wonder of his accomplishment?
Certainly it has not been told. IN
pr.nt at least, 10y the one man now liv-
ing who best may tell it--a man who
was officially close 10 the hopeful in
ventor in dark days, and who was
beside him on the eventful afternoon.
unchronicled in passing histories, when
expectation bloomcA finally into rap
turoW@ reality and huz2as chronicled
the conversion of popular opiu-
ion.
A 81 mpse of it came out Il night or
two ago when. in easy-chairs up in
the GilSey house. half dozen friends
--men'of consequence in this town
>cus-ed the past and the present
Nv nat wonders have been worked
since Mor>c's day. quoth three or
four of the company at once.
1hcn the gray-haired man.
JOHN w. KIRK.
noted in telegraph circles these Jnany,
many Years, broke his silence.
Il knew Morse" he said, "kRew him
intmael,. and was with him during
the days that were most trying 20 him.
l saw him stretch his first work lng
telegraph line. helped Inn encounter
experience Just before he was finally
and completely successful, and on the
day that that final and complete sue
cess came | was in his company still. "
STORY story ran the ejaculation
round. STORY! story And there
was no escaping the call. The grizzled
and gray Old gentleman dropped into
"Reminiscences. and for an hour or more
attentive listeners ranged around de-
lighted. They heard much that was
new-certainly much that before had
never been sad. except through sug-
gestion of scant gossip.
Back in the winter Of 1884 Mr.. Kirk
was taken from Ohio to Washington to
look after bids that he and his business
associates had made to carry the mails
over stage routes to the west-as the
towns of Pittsburgh. Wheeling, and
Cleveland were then described. His
business was not the task of single
day; II had months of waiting in it. and
Mr.. Kirk settled down in the congress
ional presence for the season. The
postoilice department saw good deal
of him before the winter was over.
When you expect n b contract you
are apt to be gracious; aud T genial,
young. with spare time on your hands
AS Mr. Kinks case WAS fortv-four
years ago-an odd enterprise isn't like
ly to shock your tastes Thus came
Kirk TO know Prof. Morse.
John A. BRYAN. second assistant post
master general at that time. was one of
the cleverest Ohio politicians of the
day. Il man of attainmeuts in many de-
parlments OF learning. but inclined to
all the cautiousness of the keen pOliti-
cal leader and withal excitable when
affairs were not to his personal liking.
''sEE HERE
he cried one morning a. Mr., X rk en-
tered his office. See here! There $
on abomnible scheme to ruin mc--ruin
me, sir?' The gentleman : language
was little more ornamental than type
permits. as he proceeded to make clear
to his friendly caller that superior of
ficers had plotted to sacrifice hini by
putting in his hands the duty of hand
ling the thirty thousand dollar appro-
priation which congress had voted in
its haste to adjourn at previous ses-
sion, had voted for elcctr experiments
bv Morse. ITO be identified W tn such
foolishness," declared this officer was
course. the end of the whole business
would be that Morse would be recog
nized as crazy, and men consort NC
with him would be looked upon Tia
suspicion. a.. the assistant postmaster
general seemed to think. they deserved
to be. You must help ma out of the
scrape," he said to Mr.. Kirk. II want
you to undertake the duty of look ng
after Morse Ii he puts up wires you
see that its all right and I'll pay the
bills--only. you see. | really cant af-
fort to have any CLOSER connection
with the thing"
Morse had possessed himself Of lit
tie room in the east end of the capitol,
and there. distracted but active, the
new attache OF the posIoflice depart
ment found him. thin spare, c areworn
anxious man. in the midst Of confusn z
heaps of wire and pots aud apparen
debris. The worker paid little heed to
his visitor. He was on the eve of test
whereby he hoped to satisfy official
doubters. A congressional committee
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