The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-01-21
By ELEANOR G

Morse is a name found in German his
tory as early as 1900. The form then
was De Mors, and two brothers of the
name received great honor and no:
movable type. In the next century we
come across the name Of Hugo De Mors,
an English knight. The family has its
martyr in the person of Henry Morse,
who gave his head in 1914 in exchange
for his religion.
AS to the origin Of the name, some
authorities say that it was first Moss,
the name of a seaport in Norway, which
was the birthplace of many Normans
There they gathered before their
descent upon France and settlement in
Normandy. All names borrowed from
towns are preceded by ode" The
name was perhaps first De Moss or De
Mors. Mazz is another form; there are
also the variations Mosse, Morse and
Morse. before settling upon Morse.
Immigrants to this country during
the early part Of the seventeenth cen
land about 1885; he settled in Ded-
ham, Mass, in 1885. Joseph Morse was
another founder of the American
branch Of the family; then there were
the two brothers, Anthony and William
Morse, who also followed close Upon the
heels Of the Pilgrim fathers. -.
The Morses have always had. a repu-
tation for piety. So inclined are they
to a goodly life that it is as natural for
goddess. They are Of that Puritan
stock without whose strict observance
Of law and order the colonies could not
have kept together. Macaulay unjustly
said of the Puritans that they forbade
bear-baiting, not that it hurt the bear,
but because it afforded some slight de-
gree Of pleasure to the spectators.
There is a story that one father in
Israel, q certain John Morse, who was
distinguished for his piety and eccen-
tricity, built a fireplace in his front hall
days, but on the fourth day, some say
the third, he claimed that the Lord had
excused him.
The family has always possessed g
sense of humor, more or less developed
in individual members. For example
there was DR.. Isaac Morse Of Elizabeth
town, N. j., who enjoyed a joke, even
at his own expense and that OF his
w%o9dpile;; Coming up9n a m n?eighb92r on one
could find and followed the man home
"Here is the backlog" he exclaimed
out Of breath, from the exertion, anc
throwing it down at the mans feet
The lesson proved as good as g. sermon
for the doctor lost no more wood. No
when one rushed in and told him thai
his mill was on fire did he get excited
ooh, well, it will be burned up befor,
I can get therel" he. exclaimed, ant
went on with his story.
A sense Of humor wat also displayed
by the Morses Of Midway, Mass. The,
earnestly desired a son, but only daugh
tiers were born to them; Wait-Still
they named one, and she proved the las
next addition to the family was a son
Abner, who at 16 years Of age wa
taking his part in the revolutionar,
war. His first office was to hold a SPY
, glass for Washington to watch tn
movements of the enemy.
Il Before the end of the wal Abne
:. Morse held commissions Of captain an
major Of artillery. Major John Mors
was in the revolution. without pay, an
Stephen Morse of New Hampshire wa
/ also a revolutionary soldier, and so wa
Jonathan Morse, who was at the bat
r ties Of Bunker Hill, Bennington
Ticonderega and Monmouth. $50 hi
, name and honest was he, SO rough an
, ready some one has written, Of hin
"that had he lived to the present tim
:. he would surely have been president %
! the United States" I
Descendants Of Samuel Morse: born !
: Dedham, Mass, in 1850, may claim az
/ mission to the societies of Colonial Wal
: for he was an Indian fighter. His WI
the first house burned when Dedham WI
: fired. Joseph and. John Morse, of th
> same town, were In King Philips wal
, the former was q captain.
2 Attic George Morse was not q fghte
he invented, while a mere lad, the m
tallie cartridge case, which. alone he
made breech-loading small arms q SUI
cess.
g Turning from the arts of war. to thos
.of peace, we come to the Father {
|!Aadsd;sn M Geograp MIR Tf bis n wa5 e.,
America. His reputation was transa
lantic, for his textbook was used j
4 schools in Great Britain, and .Edinbure
university conferred upon him the d
. gree of DID. From childhood he had
passion for geography ply. and ,dh he was Xe1
! Greek, being asked where a certain vel
Of Africa He was an impulsive ms
= Of wonderful energy, n.always actin
= ing. always thinking, always talking,
y as Daniel Webster said Of him. It ms
be mentioned thatsthe Morse and We
a ster families were related by marriag
JedediahsMo was the father Of Sa1
Q uel Finley Breese Morse, artist and j
~ventor, he who made the name immort
80 The lightning flash forever Morse
y fame
= His artistic proclivities got him in,
trouble when a mere lad at a dan
. school. He sketched the teachers fax
j. with q pin IN q chest Of drawers. II