The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-12-06
TwELEGRAPHY.
Inside History of the In
vention Told by a
s. Jerseyman.
COMPLETED AT M0RRIST0WN
Original Contract Between Profess
sor Morse and Alfred Vail
The First Message.

feasor Morse in the invention of the tele-
graph, has written d letter to the Norris
town Chronicle" in which he makes
public for the first time the original con-
tract between Messrs. Morse and Vail. In
his letter Vail says
The first experiment by Morse on record
were made at the University Of the city OF
New York on September 2, 1897, he having
been occupied, more or less, from the lat-
ter part Of the year 1882, in the EFFORT 70
produce an apparatus which would trans
nit intelligence by means of the electro
current. My father, Alfred Vail. a stu
dent at the university, and a friend OF
Morsc's, was present at this exhibition, IN
company with several seient1ilc men from
Europe, and became deeply Interested ID
what he saw and thus expressed hlnseil
afterward:-
Before leaving the room in which
beheld for the first time the magnincent
invention, | asked Professor Morse II ne
intended to make an experiment on a
more extended line Of conductors. He re-
piled that he die, but that he desired Pc
cuniary assistance to carry out his plans.
| promised him assistance PROVIDED ne
would admit me to a share OF the inven-
ton, to which, proposition ne assehieu;
/ then returned to my own room, locked
the door, threw myself upon the BED, and
gave myself UP to reflection upon the
mighty results which were certain 70 TOT
low the introduction of this new agent IN
meeting and serving the wants of the
world. With the atlas in my name, l
traced tho most important lines whlch
would most certainly be erected in the
United States and calculated their
length
contract was entered into:-
ARTICLES of agreement made this TWEEN.
ty-third day of September. in the year OF
our Lord 1887, between Professor Samuel
f. B. Morse, of the University OF the CITY
State of New York, of the first part, and
Alfred Vail. of Speedwe1l (Morristown),
in the township and county of Morris, n
State of New Jersey, of the second part,
as follows, to wit, wiz
whereas, the aid Samuel q. 3. Morse.
of the first part, has invented a new ma
chine for the transmission Of inteliigence
called the eElectro-magnetic Telegraph
an to secure to himself the benefits of his
invention, he is preparing to take out let
tiers patent of the United states, and he
hereby associates himself with the party
of the second part in this undertaking
upon the following terms and co~nditions:-
"First-The party of the second part
covenants to construct and put into sue
cessful operation at his own proper cost
and expense one of the telegraphS, the
plan and invention of the party, OF the
first part, and to exhibit its ull power
and value before a committee of the Con-
gross of the United States on or before
January l, 1898.
.Seeond-All expenses, which in the
Judgment of both parties shall necessarily
be Incident to the final completion and
perfection of the said plan of telegraphic
communication, h a be betrayed by the
said Vail, of the second part. who also
agrees to devote his time and personal
services faithfully to this object without
charge. The expenses of obtaining let
ters-patent from the United States are in
tended to be included as a part of the IN
cidental expenses, as well as all machln-
cry and apparatus which may be found to
be necessary for testing, by actual and
speedy experiment, the efficiency OF the
mode of transmitting intelligence.
e'Third-And it is hereby further agreed
between the said parties OF the hrst ana
second parts. that in case either Of then,
shall make any new discoveries winch Will
be applicable to said telegraph, or any new
invention which will tend toward perfect
ing the same, in any manner, he will, as
soon as practicable, communicate the
same to the other, and it shall be held as
the property of each, with same proper
whole, and the expenses of taking out let
t~ers-patent for such new discovery or in
~vention, il such letters-patent be mutually
by each, in the same proportion as he
holds of the whole. by these presents
hereinafter mentioned.
ssFourth-In consideration of the afore-
said payment of money mentioned in ar
ticle . Of this agreement), and such other
aid as are promised, and shall be under
second part, the said Samuel T. B. Morse,
of the first part; doth, hereby. assign,
transfer and convey to the said Alfred
Vail, of the second part, and to his heirs
o~ne-f0urth part of all his interests n
rights, which he now holds, or which may
accrue by means Of the said invention Of
the proposed patent to be secured to him
as aforesaid, so far as any benefits and
advantages may arise therefrom.
ssFifth-It is also agreed by the said
Morse, OF the first part, that provided that
the said Vail. of the second part, will pro-
cure to be taken out letters-patent for this
invention, in any or all of the foreign
countries of the globe, he shall be entitled
to one equal and undivided one-half of all
tine benefits. profits and advantages aris-
ing therefrom, and it is further agreed by
said party of the second part, that the
said le~tters-patent for the exclusive right
to use such invention Of the ELECTRO
magnetic Telegraph in France, England,
Scotland and Ireland shall be taken out
in any or all of these countries with the
least possible delay, and as soon as the
be sufficiently completed to test their
efficiency, and that no unnecessary delay
be Incurred, these models shall be immedf-
ately as provided for in article
2 of this agreement.
sSixth-In event of the entire failure of
the aforesaid invention, and its abandon
is mutually agreed that all the machinery
apparatus, ETC.. made since the date of
this agreement shall be the exclusive
property of the said Vail.
s'Seventh-It is further agreed by the
party of the second part. that the letters
patent taken out for France, England,
Scotland and Ireland. in compliance with
article 5, shall be taken out in the name
and for the exclusive benefit of the said
Morse, of the first part, and it is hereby
agreed by the said party of the first part;
that. as soon as he has obtained them,
he shall Immediately assign. transfer and
convey to the said party of the second
part, one equal undivided one-half of all
his interests and rights by said letters
patent secured to him.
t'In testimony whereof we have here
unto set our names and seal.
SAMUEL f. 3. MORSE,
s.ALFRED VAIL.
ssIn the presence of
e. o. Martin, Robert Boyle
Alfred Vail went at once to Speedwell,
ism. while Morse remained in New York
engaged in the preparation of the cav
eat for his patent, which document was
subscribed to by him on October 3, 1881.
AS all of the improvements and inde-
pendent Inventions subsequently made by
Alfred Vail were patented by Morse, as
improvements to his original patent, and
as having been made by himself, which
procedure Alfred Vail, in his conscientious
understanding of his contract with Morse,
believed to be right, it is not difficult to
comprehend how and why the improved
telegraph, even when finally perfected,
without one feature of Morse's original
invention. BECAME known to the world
only as the sMorse Telegraph"
Morse's system, at this stage in it's de-
velopment, consisted of an armature
(pendent, in a wooden frame1, the lower
end Of which terminated in a lead pencil
resting upon a moving ribbon of paper,
upon which Gas the magnet drew the
arnature toward it, or 1t was Withdrawn
broken), 1t produced a series, in groups,
az V-shaped points, in accordance with