The times., 1899-05-21
RELICS OF MORSE
FOUND IN PORTO RICO
Interesting Discoveries by Col
Onel GlassfOrd.
Telegraph instruments of Patterns
Used Half Century Ago.
ried n Message N Mile Quicke~
Than the Wire.

discovery made at Arroyo, Porto Rico.
by the United States Signal Corps. OF a
set of antique devices used for the trans
mission of words by electricity and which
By the traditions Of the natives are attri-
buted TO have belonged to the great Samuel
b. F. Morse. the inventor OF the telegraph.
has recently been brought to light. The
story comes from Porto Rico and is told
by Col. W. A Glassford, who was In
charge Of the signal men at Arroyo. When
the American army made its invasion OF
the island under Major Gen. Nelson A.
Miles, the equipment Of the signal corps
was landed at Ponce and the detachment
of men sent to Guayama found themselves
without sufficient supply of instruments
and wires. with which to open up COM
munieatior with. the advancing army
Colonel Glassford. without waiting for the
department to attend to his wants. took
the most convenient manner of replenish-
ing his stock and Immediately ransacked
the telegraph office with the intention OF
conhscating what instruments and wires
were discovered In looking over the para
phernaiia OF the Office, instead Of finding
the modern instruments. such as he had
been accustomed to handling. he discovered
most miserable set of antiquated paper
registering machines. such as had been
abolished by operators in America and by
other up-to-date telegraphers for thirty
years. After a thorough investigation OF tho
office the signal men found stored away on
the top shelf Of an old closet a set of ma
chimes such as were first used by Morse
The officers being particularly interested in
this sort Of business naturally made inqui-
ries as to the history Of the relics.
From some of the old inhabitants a story
was learned. The narrative, which comes
from Arroyo. while not altogether true, is
interesting and is TO the effect that in 1880
Morse visited Porto Rico. and there mar
ried his daughter to Mr.. Lind. a very
wealthy planter OF the island. Mr.. Lind
IS said TO have been much interested in his
r-in-law'5 idea OF transmitting mes
sages by wire. and although placing little
faith in the practicability OF the invention
gave him material aid in making his ex-
periments. The story goes on to say that
Morse, after experimenting with but indif-
ferent success finally erected a telegraph
line from the residence of his son-in-law
to MS place OF business a mile and quar-
ter away. This was reputed to have been
done in the thirties, long before Morse as
tonished the world by the success OF his
invention. When the instruments were
placed in position and connected by wires,
a wager was made by Mr.. Lind that a pony
could carry message from the house to
the other end Of the telegraph wire in less
time than it would ,at~ TO transmit IL by
electricity. The story goes ON to say that
the populace OF the island was very much
interested in the experiment and gathered
at both ends of the line to watch the result
of the race.
When the start was made Prof. Morse
began his task with his clumsy keys and
sent about half the message before the
pony arrived at its destination. Morse
lost, and is said to have been much cha
grined. Those who tell the story say that
six months later he erected the success
ful line now in operation. This story Is
but substantially true. The correct his
tory OF the machines at Arroyo is told by
Edward L. Morse, son of Prof. Morse.
who for years has made his home in
He is familiar with every
item of his famous fathers history, and Is
well acquainted with the facts Of lis
Porto Rican career. He made the follow
ing statement which is without doubt an
history of the instruments:
1T is true that my fathers daughter.
Susan. a child by his first wife, married
a gentleman by the name of Lind from
Porto Rico. She met and married him,
however. in this country and went to Porto
Rico some time afterwards. where Mr..
Lind owns and controls large plantation.
My father did not visit the island until
1858. fourteen years after the perfection
OF the telegraph. 1t came about in this
way: For q number of months he had
been laboring with the first cable to be
layed between the United States and Ire
land. This line was not a success. as the
burnt out the wire By tco
strong battery.
The cause of the failure of the cable was
not known at that time and father was
depressed. After a short So
iourn in England he left Southampton. No
vember II, 1858, with his entire family
for 4 cruise through the waters of the
West Indies. The vessel Unexpectedly
stopped at Arroyo near the home of my
married sister, Mrs. Lind, and father con-
cluded TO pay her a visit. At that time I
was cnly year old, and of course remem-
ber nothing of our life on the island I
have letter here, however. written by
father to Hon. J. Y. Mason at that time
United States Minister to France, in which
he says:
- have Just had the pleasure OF COM
pleting the first line of telegraph in this
island from my son-in-law's house to his
place of business on the bay about two
miles from here. IL excited much interest
and l have been requested to partake of
an honorary breakfast by the intendents
and the military commandant and officers
Of Guayama and Arroyo tomorrow This.
too initiates the grand enterprise of con-
Meeting our American lines with Europe
by Southern route from Cape st. Vim
cent through Madeira, the Cauaries. Cape
de Verde, and Cape st. Rogue. in Brazil.
thence along the coast connecting Barbo-
dos Martinique, st. Thomas, Porto Rico,
Jamaica, Cuba. and Florida
In another letter written from Porto
Rico. Mr.. Morse described March !. 1858.
as being q great day in the island and
continuing says:
II have Just complsted with success the
and organization OF short
line the first in this island.
Yesterday was day Of great excitement
here for this small place The principal
inhabitants OF this city and Guayama de-
termined to celebrate the completion OF
this little line in which they take a great
pride as being the first in the island ard
so they complimented me with a public
breakfast, presided over by the lieutenant
colonel commandant of Guayama- Forty
people and myself sat down at the table
at / o'clock. amidst the greatest display
Of enthusiasm and kind and generous feel
ing. My portrait was behind me on the
wall. draped with the American and Span
ish flags.
MY father remained at Arroyo" con-
tinued Mr.. Morse. until April when he
set sail for New York Later he went to
his country seat in Poughkeepsie in the
same State.
so. while the instruments found by tho
army were not used by him in experiment.
ing, they no doubt were part of the orig
inal line. The story of the pony winning
the race against the telegraph is not at all
Improbable. although there is no proof that
such n competition took place. The old