Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-02-16
RISE OF THE TELEGRAPH
The First Message that Ever
Went Over Wire.

"Reminiscences Of Professor Morse Given TO
the Public b. One Of His Earliest Friends.
Pathetic pictures. says 1he NeO York.
Times, have been given by writer's ga
lore of the saddenng experiences that
were Prof. MOrse's in the early days
OF his telegraph's epton-scientist
grimacng aud politicians sneering
earnest cndeavor rebuifed. proifered
evidence secuted hope kept ever for
lorn and hating And the tale is twice
told even to school-boy ears now of
how, through these crowding trials
and trooping disappointments. genius
finally came 10 its reward and gave to
the brave old man the glory of Il hero
to whom all human kind are debtors.
But has the story ever been told of
the day when for the first time his Wis
ions were materalized in public sight,
of the day when for prom scs Inc of
fered proofs, whom the people. forget
ting all their der sion, hurrahed for
him in the streets because Of the
wonder of his accomplishment?
Certainty it has not been told. in
print at least, by the one man now liv-
ing who best may tell ia man who
was officially close to the hopeful in
ventor in dark days. and who was
beside him on the eventful afternoon.
unchronicled in passing histories, when
expectation bloomcd finally into rap
turous reality and huzzas chronicled
the conversion of popular opin-
ion.
A glimpse of il came out night or
two ago, when. i'm easy-chairs up in
the Gilsey house. half dozen friends
--men OF consequence in this town
discussed the past and the present.
''What wonders have been worked
since Morse's dayr" quoth three or
four of the company at once.
Then the gray-haired man,
JOHN w. KIRK,
noted in telegraph circles these many,
many Years, broke his silence.
Il knew Morse, he said, "knew him
intimately, and was with him during
the days that were most trying to him
l saw him stretch his first working
telegraph line. helped HIM encounter
the rebulls that made up much of his
experience just before he was finally
and completely successful, and on the
day that that final and complete sue
cess came l 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
Renaissance, 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 sd d. 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; it had months of waiting in it. and
MIR. Kirk settled down N the congress
ional presence for the season. The
postoflce department saw good deal
of him before the winter was over
When you expect a b contract YOU
are apt To be gracious; and f genial,
young, with spare time on Your hands
AS Mr.. Kinks case was foriy-four
years ago-an odd enterprise isn't like
" 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 attainments in many de-
partments OF learning. but inclined TO
all the cautousness of the keen politi-
cal leader and withal excitable when
affairs were not to his personal liking.
''sEE HEREp
no cried one morning as Mr.. X rk en-
tered his office. See here! There's
on abomnible scheme to ruin me--ruin
me, STRIP The gentleman language
was little more ornamental than type
permits. rs he proceeded to make clear
to his friendly caller that superior of
licers had plotted to sacrifice HIM by
putting in his hands the duty of hand
ling the thirty thousand dollar appro-
pration which congress had voted in
its haste to adjourn ut previous ses-
sion, had voted for elcctr C experiments
by Morse. 10 be identified W tn such
foolshncss," declared this officer, was
TO commit political suicide, for, of
course, the emu OF the WnOie BUSINESS
would be that Morse would be- recog-
nized as crazy, and men consort NO
with him would be looked upon W tn
suspicion, as, the assistant postmaster
general seemed to think, they deserved
to be. "You must hel Up me out of the
serape." he said to Mr.. Kirk IL want
you to undertake the duty of look .ng
after Morse If he puts up wires YOU
see that its all right and I'll pay the
blls--only, you see, l really can't 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 posGoilice depart
ment found him. thin spare, careworn
anxious man, in the midst of confusin Q
heaps of wire and pots and apparent
debris. The worker paid little heed to
his visitor. He was on the eve of n test
Io 9;.f,, III n