Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-01-23
WHEN rsLseaApHv WAS YOUNG
First Results of Professor Morse's Dis
covery-A Weeks Earningx in is&5.


covery--A Weeks karningx in is&5.
"when ! went west from Washington
that spring." said Mr.. John W. Kirk, an
old friend Of Professor Morse, II took
along with me samples OF che indented
strips of paper as they came from the re-
ceiving instrument. An enthusiast, l
talked Of telegraphy 10 everybody met.
In Columbus, Cincinnati indianapolis
sud other western centers | met college
professors, business meu and other people
ranked high for intellect, knowledge and
common sense, and all, or nearly all, were
pronounced skepticS rs 10 the practicable
ity OF Morse's idea Aud / am putting IL
little mild, think, in saving that the
impression wasn't long in getting abroad
that | WAS IA little of" meant well,
but didn't know. The last | remember
OF some Of my friends out there they were
still ptying me.
81 was in Indiana In the autumn after
congress had made thirty thousand dol
lar appropriation to Morse for his expert
mental line. The congressman of that
district was up for reelection. Poor, de-
luded man, he had unfortunately voted
for that appropriation. lie had been for
years the political pride Of the district.
The people out there would give him any
thing he'd take II they had the giving Of
It,. OF course he didn't doubt that he
would he reelected as IL by aeclamation;
but before election day he saw things diff
ferently. A young man whom nobody
had ever heard much OF before rot an op-
position nomination and went stumping
all over the district, and before long the
+ fight became very warm. 4 have not one
word TO say against my opponent 20 the
Young man always began his speech.
He's gentleman; his character cannot
be impeached he is honest, reasonable,
well informed, a good neighbor. and real
nice man But, gentlemen, while he was
in congress he voted your money away
upon claptrap things like this ard the
nominee, producing a congressional docu-
meDt, proceeded TO read the text OF the
/ bill which appropriated $4,000 for
Morse's experiments. Thirty thousand
dollars" he would exclaim. Thirty thou
sand Of your har,l-earned dollars, gentle
men. For what. Why, to scttle--listen
TO the bill, gentlemen-io settle the prac-
ticability of sending messages by elec-
tricity over wires stretching long dis.
tances. What do you think of Il, gentle.
I mem Yes, my opponent Is good man
he means well; but really, has his resi-
dence In Washington helped him any II
he had stayed here at home with us
would he ever have voted our money away
for such crazy purposey Still, IL you
think IL right To vote for man who car
be fooled IN this way, gentlemen, all right
but
The old man was defeated"
Mr.. Kirk told this further incident tina
from an irresponsible source would sount
much like romance: Just after the frs
telegraph Office was opened In Washing
ton. occupying little room over the citI
postofiice, "A member of the cabinet en-
tered one day In hurry, and, handing II
a bulky document directed the operate
60 telegraph IL over to Baltimore righ
away" II was closed with great seal
which the operator proceeded to break
much TO the astonishment OF the states
man, who, objecting declared that tn
paper contained H. state secret, and Z
course must not be exposed 10 any unoff
cial eye
"But can't telegraph II without rea
.. it," insisted The operator
"Well, then, you cant send IL at all,
and the high official left, excited an
threatening He believed he was beiu
trified with. His idea was that the tel
!. grapn was n sort Of aerial express for Il
! whisking Of packages through air--pro
ably 10y hitching them ON 10 the wire by
good tough piece of twine.
Here Is entertainment IN transcript
: the earnings Of that original Washingto
: telegraph Office for the first week.
April, ls45-that IL was open for regul,
business: