heroes of the telegraph-第10章

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37；　an　agreement　was　signed　between　the　inventor　and　Alfred　Vail；　by　which　the　latter　was　to　construct；　at　his　own　expense；　a　model　for　exhibition　to　a　Committee　of　Congress；　and　to　secure　the　necessary　patents　for　the　United　States。　　In　return　Vail　was　to　receive　one…fourth　of　the　patent　rights　in　that　country。　　Provision　was　made　also　to　give　Vail　an　interest　in　any　foreign　patents　he　might　furnish　means　to　obtain。　　The　American　patent　was　obtained　by　Morse　on　October　3；　1837。　　He　had　returned　to　New　York；　and　was　engaged　in　the　preparation　of　his　dictionary。

For　many　months　Alfred　Vail　worked　in　a　secret　room　at　the　iron　factory　making　the　new　model；　his　only　assistant　being　an　apprentice　of　fifteen；　William　Baxter；　who　subsequently　designed　the　Baxter　engine；　and　died　in　1885。　　When　the　workshop　was　rebuilt　this　room　was　preserved　as　a　memorial　of　the　telegraph；　for　it　was　here　that　the　true　Morse　instrument；　such　as　we　know　it；　was　constructed。

It　must　be　remembered　that　in　those　days　almost　everything　they　wanted　had　either　to　be　made　by　themselves　or　appropriated　to　their　purpose。　　Their　first　battery　was　set　up　in　a　box　of　cherry…wood；　parted　into　cells；　and　lined　with　bees…wax；　their　insulated　wire　was　that　used　by　milliners　for　giving　outline　to　the　'sky…scraper'　bonnets　of　that　day。　　The　first　machine　made　at　Speedwell　was　a　copy　of　that　devised　by　Morse；　but　as　Vail　grew　more　intimate　with　the　subject　his　own　ingenuity　came　into　play；　and　he　soon　improved　on　the　original。　　The　pencil　was　discarded　for　a　fountain　pen；　and　the　zig…zag　signals　for　the　short　and　long　lines　now　termed　'dots　'　and　'dashes。'

This　important　alteration　led　him　to　the　'Morse　alphabet；'　or　code　of　signals；　by　which　a　letter　is　transmitted　as　a　group　of　short　and　long　jets；　indicated　as　'dots'　and　'dashes'　on　the　paper。　　Thus　the　letter　E；　which　is　so　common　in　English　words；　is　now　transmitted　by　a　short　jet　which　makes　a　dot；　T；　another　common　letter；　by　a　long　jet；　making　a　dash；　and　Q；　a　rare　letter；　by　the　group　dash；　dash；　dot；　dash。　　Vail　tried　to　compute　the　relative　frequency　of　all　the　letters　in　order　to　arrange　his　alphabet；　but　a　happy　idea　enabled　him　to　save　his　time。　　He　went　to　the　office　of　the　local　newspaper；　and　found　the　result　he　wanted　in　the　type…cases　of　the　compositors。　　The　Morse；　or　rather　Vail　code；　is　at　present　the　universal　telegraphic　code　of　symbols；　and　its　use　is　extending　to　other　modes　of　signalling…for　example；　by　flags；　lights；　or　trumpets。

The　hard…fisted　farmers　of　New　Jersey；　like　many　more　at　that　date；　had　no　faith　in　the　'telegraph　machine；'　and　openly　declared　that　the　judge　had　been　a　fool　for　once　to　put　his　money　in　it。　　The　judge；　on　his　part；　wearied　with　the　delay；　and　irritated　by　the　sarcasm　of　his　neighbours；　grew　dispirited　and　moody。　　Alfred；　and　Morse；　who　had　come　to　assist；　were　careful　to　avoid　meeting　him。　　At　length；　on　January　6；　1838；　Alfred　told　the　apprentice　to　go　up　to　the　house　and　invite　his　father　to　come　down　to　see　the　telegraph　at　work。　　It　was　a　cold　day；　but　the　boy　was　so　eager　that　he　ran　off　without　putting　on　his　coat。　In　the　sitting…room　he　found　the　judge　with　his　hat　on　as　if　about　to　go　out；　but　seated　before　the　fire　leaning　his　head　on　his　hand；　and　absorbed　in　gloomy　reflection。　　'Well；　William　？'　he　said；　looking　up；　as　the　boy　entered；　and　when　the　message　was　delivered　he　started　to　his　feet。　　In　a　few　minutes　he　was　standing　in　the　experimental…room；　and　the　apparatus　was　explained。　　Calling　for　a　piece　of　paper　he　wrote　upon　it　the　words；　'A　PATIENT　WAITER　IS　NO　LOSER；'　and　handed　it　to　Alfred；　with　the　remark；　'If　you　can　send　this；　and　Mr。　Morse　can　read　it　at　the　other　end；　I　shall　be　convinced。'　　The　message　was　transmitted；　and　for　a　moment　the　judge　was　fairly　mastered　by　his　feelings。

The　apparatus　was　then　exhibited　in　New　York；　in　Philadelphia；　and　subsequently　before　the　Committee　of　Congress　at　Washington。　　At　first　the　members　of　this　body　were　somewhat　incredulous　about　the　merits　of　the　uncouth　machine；　but　the　Chairman；　the　Hon。　Francis　O。　J。　Smith；　of　Maine；　took　an　interest　in　it；　and　secured　a　full　attendance　of　the　others　to　see　it　tried　through　ten　miles　of　wire　one　day　in　February。　The　demonstration　convinced　them；　and　many　were　the　expressions　of　amazement　from　their　lips。　　Some　said；　'The　world　is　coming　to　an　end；'　as　people　will　when　it　is　really　budding；　and　putting　forth　symptoms　of　a　larger　life。　　Others　exclaimed；　'Where　will　improvements　and　discoveries　stop？'　and　'What　would　Jefferson　think　should　he　rise　up　and　witness　what　we　have　just　seen？'　　One　gentleman　declared　that；　'Time　and　space　are　now　annihilated。'

The　practical　outcome　of　the　trial　was　that　the　Chairman　reported　a　Bill　appropriating　30；000　dollars　for　the　erection　of　an　experimental　line　between　Washington　and　Baltimore。　　Mr。　Smith　was　admitted　to　a　fourth　share　in　the　invention；　and　resigned　his　seat　in　Congress　to　become　legal　adviser　to　the　inventors。　　Claimants　to　the　invention　of　the　telegraph　now　began　to　spring　up；　and　it　was　deemed　advisable　for　Mr。　Smith　and　Morse　to　proceed　to　Europe　and　secure　the　foreign　patents。　Alfred　Vail　undertook　to　provide　an　instrument　for　exhibition　in　Europe。

Among　these　claimants　was　Dr。　Jackson；　chemist　and　geologist；　of　Boston；　who　had　been　instrumental　in　evoking　the　idea　of　the　telegraph　in　the　mind　of　Morse　on　board　the　Sully。　　In　a　letter　to　the　NEW　YORK　OBSERVER　he　went　further　than　this；　and　claimed　to　be　a　joint　inventor；　but　Morse　indignantly　repudiated　the　suggestion。　　He　declared　that　his　instrument　was　not　mentioned　either　by　him　or　Dr。　Jackson　at　the　time；　and　that　they　had　made　no　experiments　together。　　'It　is　to　Professor　Gale　that　I　am　most　of　all　indebted　for　substantial　and　effective　aid　in　many　of　my　experiments；'　he　said；　'but　he　prefers　no　claim　of　any　kind。'

Morse　and　Smith　arrived　in　London　during　the　month　of　June。　Application　was　immediately　made　for　a　British　patent；　but　Cooke　and　Wheatstone　and　Edward　Davy；　it　seems；　opposed　it；　and　although　Morse　demonstrated　that　his　was　different　from　theirs；　the　patent　was　refused；　owing　to　a　prior　publication　in　the　London　MECHANICS'　MAGAZINE　for　February　18；　1838；　in　the　form　of　an　article　quoted　from　Silliman's　AMERICAN　JOURNAL　OF　SCIENCE　for　October；　1837。　　Morse　did　not　attempt　to　get　this　legal　disqualification　set　aside。　　In　France　he　was　equally　unfortunate。　　His　instrument　was　exhibited　by　Arago　at　a　meeting　of　the　Institute；　and　praised　by　Humboldt　and　Gay…Lussac；　but　the　French　patent　law　requires　the　invention　to　be　at　work　in　France　within　two　years；　and　when　Morse　arranged　to　erect　a　telegraph　line　on　the　St。　Germain　Railway；　the　Government　declined　to　sanction　it；　on　the　plea　that　the　telegraph　must　become　a　State　monopoly。

All　his　efforts　to　introduce　the　invention　into　Europe　were　futile；　and　he　returned　disheartened　to　the　United　States　on　April　15；　1839。　While　in　Paris；　he　had　met　M。　Daguerre；　who；　with　M。　Niepce；　had　just　discovered　the　art　of　photography。　　The　process　was　communicated　to　Morse；　who；　with　Dr。　Draper；　fitted　up　a　studio　on　the　roof　of　the　University；　and　took　the　first　daguerreotypes　in　America。

The　American　Congress　now　seemed　as　indifferent　to　his　inventions　as　the　European　governments。　　An　exciting　campaign　for　the　presidency　was　at　hand；　and　the　proposed　grant　for　the　telegraph　was　forgotten。　　Mr。　Smith　had　returned　to　the　political　arena；　and　the　Vails　were　under　a　financial　cloud；　so　that　Morse　could　expect　no　further　aid　from　them。　The　next　two　years　were　the　darkest　he　had　ever　known。　　'Porte　Crayon'　tells　us　that　he　had　little　patronage　as　a　professor；　and　at　one　time　only　three　pupils　besides　himself。　　Crayon's　fee　of　fifty　dollars　for　the　second　quarter　were　overdue；　owing　to　his　remittance　from　home　not　arriving；　and　one　day　the　professor　said；　'Well；　Strother；　my　boy；　how　are　we　off　for　money？'　Strother　explained　how　he　was　situated；　and　stated　that　he　hoped　to　have　the　money　next　week。

'Next　week！'　repeated　Morse。　　'I　shall　be　dead　by　that　time　。　。　。　dead　of　starvation。'

'Would　ten　dollars　be　of　any　service？'　inquired　the　student；　both　astonished　and　distressed。

'Ten　dollar