the age of invention-第20章

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ed　as　a　noun；　denotes　the　system　of　wires　with　stations　and　operators　and　messengers；　girdling　the　earth　and　reaching　into　every　civilized　community；　whereby　news　is　carried　swiftly　by　electricity。　But　the　word　was　coined　long　before　it　was　discovered　that　intelligence　could　be　communicated　by　electricity。　It　denoted　at　first　a　system　of　semaphores；　or　tall　poles　with　movable　arms；　and　other　signaling　apparatus；　set　within　sight　of　one　another。　There　was　such　a　telegraph　line　between　Dover　and　London　at　the　time　of　Waterloo；　and　this　telegraph　began　relating　the　news　of　the　battle；　which　had　come　to　Dover　by　ship；　to　anxious　London；　when　a　fog　set　in　and　the　Londoners　had　to　wait　until　a　courier　on　horseback　arrived。　And；　in　the　very　years　when　the　real　telegraph　was　coming　into　being；　the　United　States　Government；　without　a　thought　of　electricity；　was　considering　the　advisability　of　setting　up　such　a　system　of　telegraphs　in　the　United　States。

The　telegraph　is　one　of　America's　gifts　to　the　world。　The　honor　for　this　invention　falls　to　Samuel　Finley　Breese　Morse；　a　New　Englander　of　old　Puritan　stock。　Nor　is　the　glory　that　belongs　to　Morse　in　any　way　dimmed　by　the　fact　that　he　made　use　of　the　discoveries　of　other　men　who　had　been　trying　to　unlock　the　secrets　of　electricity　ever　since　Franklin's　experiments。　If　Morse　discovered　no　new　principle；　he　is　nevertheless　the　man　of　all　the　workers　in　electricity　between　his　own　day　and　Franklin's　whom　the　world　most　delights　to　honor；　and　rightly　so；　for　it　is　to　such　as　Morse　that　the　world　is　most　indebted。　Others　knew；　Morse　saw　and　acted。　Others　had　found　out　the　facts；　but　Morse　was　the　first　to　perceive　the　practical　significance　of　those　facts；　the　first　to　take　steps　to　make　them　of　service　to　his　fellows；　the　first　man　of　them　all　with　the　pluck　and　persistence　to　remain　steadfast　to　his　great　design；　through　twelve　long　years　of　toil　and　privation；　until　his　countrymen　accepted　his　work　and　found　it　well　done。

Morse　was　happy　in　his　birth　and　early　training。　He　was　born　in　1791；　at　Charlestown；　Massachusetts。　His　father　was　a　Congregational　minister　and　a　scholar　of　high　standing；　who；　by　careful　management；　was　able　to　send　his　three　sons　to　Yale　College。　Thither　went　young　Samuel　（or　Finley；　as　he　was　called　by　his　family）　at　the　age　of　fourteen　and　came　under　the　influence　of　Benjamin　Silliman；　Professor　of　Chemistry；　and　of　Jeremiah　Day；　Professor　of　Natural　Philosophy；　afterwards　President　of　Yale　College；　whose　teaching　gave　him　impulses　which　in　later　years　led　to　the　invention　of　the　telegraph。　〃Mr。　Day's　lectures　are　very　interesting；〃　the　young　student　wrote　home　in　1809；　〃they　are　upon　electricity；　he　has　given　us　some　very　fine　experiments；　the　whole　class　taking　hold　of　hands　form　the　circuit　of　communication　and　we　all　receive　the　shock　apparently　at　the　same　moment。〃　Electricity；　however；　was　only　an　alluring　study。　It　afforded　no　means　of　livelihood；　and　Morse　had　gifts　as　an　artist；　in　fact；　he　earned　a　part　of　his　college　expenses　painting　miniatures　at　five　dollars　apiece。　He　decided；　therefore；　that　art　should　be　his　vocation。

A　letter　written　years　afterwards　by　Joseph　M。　Dulles　of　Philadelphia；　who　was　at　New　Haven　preparing　for　Yale　when　Morse　was　in　his　senior　year；　is　worth　reading　here：

〃I　first　became　acquainted　with　him　at　New　Haven；　when　about　to　graduate　with　the　class　of　1810；　and　had　such　an　association　as　a　boy　preparing　for　college　might　have　with　a　senior　who　was　just　finishing　his　course。　Having　come　to　New　Haven　under　the　care　of　Rev。　Jedidiah　Morse；　the　venerable　father　of　the　three　Morses；　all　distinguished　men；　I　was　commended　to　the　protection　of　Finley；　as　he　was　then　commonly　designated；　and　therefore　saw　him　frequently　during　the　brief　period　we　were　together。　The　father　I　regard　as　the　gravest　man　I　ever　knew。　He　was　a　fine　exemplar　of　the　gentler　type　of　the　Puritan；　courteous　in　manner；　but　stern　in　conduct　and　in　aspect。　He　was　a　man　of　conflict；　and　a　leader　in　the　theological　contests　in　New　England　in　the　early　part　of　this　century。　Finley；　on　the　contrary；　bore　the　expression　of　gentleness　entirely。　In　person　rather　above　the　ordinary　height；　well　formed；　graceful　in　demeanor；　with　a　complexion；　if　I　remember　right；　slightly　ruddy；　features　duly　proportioned；　and　often　lightened　with　a　genial　and　expressive　smile。　He　was；　altogether；　a　handsome　young　man；　with　manners　unusually　bland。　It　is　needless　to　add　that　with　intelligence；　high　culture；　and　general　information；　and　with　a　strong　bent　to　the　fine　arts；　Mr。　Morse　was　in　1810　an　attractive　young　man。　During　the　last　year　of　his　college　life　he　occupied　his　leisure　hours；　with　a　view　to　his　self…support；　in　taking　the　likenesses　of　his　fellow…students　on　ivory；　and　no　doubt　with　success；　as　he　obtained　afterward　a　very　respectable　rank　as　a　portrait…painter。　Many　pieces　of　his　skill　were　afterward　executed　in　Charleston；　South　Carolina。〃*

*　Prime；　〃The　Life　of　Samuel　F。　B。　Morse；　LL。D。〃；　p。　26。


That　Morse　was　destined　to　be　a　painter　seemed　certain；　and　when；　soon　after　graduating　from　Yale；　he　made　the　acquaintance　of　Washington　Allston；　an　American　artist　of　high　standing；　any　doubts　that　may　have　existed　in　his　mind　as　to　his　vocation　were　set　at　rest。　Allston　was　then　living　in　Boston；　but　was　planning　to　return　to　England；　where　his　name　was　well　known；　and　it　was　arranged　that　young　Morse　should　accompany　him　as　his　pupil。　So　in　1811　Morse　went　to　England　with　Allston　and　returned　to　America　four　years　later　an　accredited　portrait　painter；　having　studied　not　only　under　Allston　but　under　the　famous　master；　Benjamin　West；　and　having　met　on　intimate　terms　some　of　the　great　Englishmen　of　the　time。　He　opened　a　studio　in　Boston；　but　as　sitters　were　few；　he　made　a　trip　through　New　England；　taking　commissions　for　portraits；　and　also　visited　Charleston；　South　Carolina；　where　some　of　his　paintings　may　be　seen　today。

At　Concord；　New　Hampshire；　Morse　met　Miss　Lucretia　Walker；　a　beautiful　and　cultivated　young　woman；　and　they　were　married　in　1818。　Morse　then　settled　in　New　York。　His　reputation　as　a　painter　increased　steadily；　though　he　gained　little　money；　and　in　1825　he　was　in　Washington　painting　a　portrait　of　the　Marquis　La　Fayette；　for　the　city　of　New　York；　when　he　heard　from　his　father　the　bitter　news　of　his　wife's　death　in　New　Haven；　then　a　journey　of　seven　days　from　Washington。　Leaving　the　portrait　of　La　Fayette　unfinished；　the　heartbroken　artist　made　his　way　home。

Two　years　afterwards　Morse　was　again　obsessed　with　the　marvels　of　electricity；　as　he　had　been　in　college。　The　occasion　this　time　was　a　series　of　lectures　on　that　subject　given　by　James　Freeman　Dana　before　the　New　York　Athenaeum　in　the　chapel　of　Columbia　College。　Morse　attended　these　lectures　and　formed　with　Dana　an　intimate　acquaintance。　Dana　was　in　the　habit　of　going　to　Morse's　studio；　where　the　two　men　would　talk　earnestly　for　long　hours。　But　Morse　was　still　devoted　to　his　art；　besides；　he　had　himself　and　three　children　to　support；　and　painting　was　his　only　source　of　income。

Back　to　Europe　went　Morse　in　1829　to　pursue　his　profession　and　perfect　himself　in　it　by　three　years'　further　study。　Then　came　the　crisis。　Homeward　bound　on　the　ship　Sully　in　the　autumn　of　1832；　Morse　fell　into　conversation　with　some　scientific　men　who　were　on　board。　One　of　the　passengers　asked　this　question：　〃Is　the　velocity　of　electricity　reduced　by　the　length　of　its　conducting　wire？〃　To　which　his　neighbor　replied　that　electricity　passes　instantly　over　any　known　length　of　wire　and　referred　to　Franklin's　experiments　with　several　miles　of　wire；　in　which　no　appreciable　time　elapsed　between　a　touch　at　one　end　and　a　spark　at　the　other。

Here　was　a　fact　already　well　known。　Morse　must　have　known　it　himself。　But　the　tremendous　significance　of　that　fact　had　never　before　occurred　to　him　nor；　so　far　as　he　knew；　to　any　man。　A　recording　telegraph！　Why　not？　Intelligence　delivered　at　one　end　of　a　wire　instantly　recorded　at　the　other　end；　no　matter　how　long　the　wire！　It　might　reach　across　the　continent　or　even　round　the　earth。　The　idea　set　his　mind　on　fire。

Home　again　in　November；　1832；　Morse　found　himself　on　the　horns　of　a　dilemma