Samuel F. B. Morse, His Letters and Journals - Volume II | Page 2

to secure contract for trenching.--Morse not satisfied with contract.--Death of Washington Allston.--Reports to Secretary of the Treasury.--Prophesies Atlantic cable.--Failure of underground wires.--Carelessness of Fisher.--F.O.J. Smith shows cloven hoof.--Ezra Cornell solves a difficult problem.--Cornell's plan for insulation endorsed by Professor Henry.--Many discouragements.--Work finally progresses favorably.--Frelinghuysen's nomination as Vice-President reported by telegraph.--Line to Baltimore completed.-- First message.--Triumph.--Reports of Democratic Convention.--First long-distance conversation.--Utility of telegraph established.--Offer to sell to Government
CHAPTER XXXI
JUNE 23, 1844--OCTOBER 9, 1845
Fame and fortune now assured.--Government declines purchase of telegraph.--Accident to leg gives needed rest.--Reflections on ways of Providence.--Consideration of financial propositions.--F.O.J. Smith's fulsome praise.--Morse's reply.--Extension of telegraph proceeds slowly. --Letter to Russian Minister.--Letter to London "Mechanics' Magazine" claiming priority and first experiments in wireless telegraphy.--Hopes that Government may yet purchase.--Longing for a home.--Dinner at Russian Minister's.--Congress again fails him.--Amos Kendall chosen as business agent.--First telegraph company.--Fourth voyage to Europe.--London, Broek, Hamburg.--Letter of Charles T. Fleischmann.--Paris.--Nothing definite accomplished
CHAPTER XXXII
DECEMBER 20, 1845--APRIL 19, 1848
Return to America.--Telegraph affairs in bad shape.--Degree of LL.D. from Yale.--Letter from Cambridge Livingston.--Henry O'Reilly.--Grief at unfaithfulness of friends.--Estrangement from Professor Henry.--Morse's "Defense."--His regret at feeling compelled to publish it.--Hopes to resume his brush.--Capitol panel.--Again disappointed.--Another accident.--First money earned from telegraph devoted to religious purposes.--Letters to his brother Sidney.--Telegraph matters.--Mexican War.--Faith in the future.--Desire to be lenient to opponents.--Dr. Jackson.--Edward Warren.--Alfred Vail remains loyal.--Troubles in Virginia.--Henry J. Rogers.--Letter to J.D. Reid about O'Reilly.--F.O.J. Smith again.--Purchases a home at last.--"Locust Grove," on the Hudson, near Poughkeepsie.--Enthusiastic description.--More troubles without, but peace in his new home
CHAPTER XXXIII
JANUARY 9, 1848--DECEMBER 19, 1849
Preparation for lawsuits.--Letter from Colonel Shaffner.--Morse's reply deprecating bloodshed.--Shaffner allays his fears.--Morse attends his son's wedding at Utica.--His own second marriage.--First of great lawsuits.--Almost all suits in Morse's favor.--Decision of Supreme Court of United States.--Extract from an earlier opinion.--Alfred Vail leaves the telegraph business.--Remarks on this by James D. Reid.--Morse receives decoration from Sultan of Turkey.--Letter to organizers of Printers' Festival.--Letter concerning aviation.--Optimistic letter from Mr. Kendall.--Humorous letter from George Wood.--Thomas R. Walker.-- Letter to Fenimore Cooper.--Dr. Jackson again.--Unfairness of the press. --Letter from Charles C. Ingham on art matters.--Letter from George Vail.--F.O.J. Smith continues to embarrass.--Letter from Morse to Smith
CHAPTER XXXIV
MARCH 5, 1850--NOVEMBER 10, 1854
Precarious financial condition.--Regret at not being able to make loan.-- False impression of great wealth.--Fears he may have to sell home.-- F.O.J. Smith continues to give trouble.--Morse system extending throughout the world.--Death of Fenimore Cooper.--Subscriptions to charities, etc.--First use of word "Telegram."--Mysterious fire in Supreme Court clerk's room.--Letter of Commodore Perry.--Disinclination to antagonize Henry.--Temporary triumph of F.O.J. Smith.--Order gradually emerging.--Expenses of the law.--Triumph in Australia.--Gift to Yale College.--Supreme Court decision and extension of patent.--Social diversions in Washington.--Letters of George Wood and P. H. Watson on extension of patent.--Loyalty to Mr. Kendall; also to Alfred Vail.-- Decides to publish "Defense."--Controversy with Bishop Spaulding.--Creed on Slavery.--Political views.--Defeated for Congress
CHAPTER XXXV
JANUARY 8, 1855--AUGUST 14, 1856
Payment of dividends delayed.--Concern for welfare of his country.-- Indignation at corrupt proposal from California.--Kendall hampered by the Vails.--Proposition by capitalists to purchase patent rights.--Cyrus W. Field.--Newfoundland Electric Telegraph Company.--Suggestion of Atlantic Cable.--Hopes thereby to eliminate war.--Trip to Newfoundland.--Temporary failure.--F.O.J. Smith continues to give trouble.--Financial conditions improve.--Morse and his wife sail for Europe.--Fêted in London.-- Experiments with Dr. Whitehouse.--Mr. Brett.--Dr. O'Shaughnessy and the telegraph in India.--Mr. Cooke.--Charles R. Leslie.--Paris.--Hamburg.-- Copenhagen.--Presentation to king.--Thorwaldsen Museum.--Oersted's daughter.--St. Petersburg.--Presentation to Czar at Peterhoff
CHAPTER XXXVI
AUGUST 23, 1856--SEPTEMBER 15, 1858
Berlin.--Baron von Humboldt.--London, successful cable experiments with Whitehouse and Bright.--Banquet at Albion Tavern.--Flattering speech of W. F. Cooke.--Returns to America.--Troubles multiply.--Letter to the Honorable John Y. Mason on political matters.--Kendall urges severing of connection with cable company.--Morse, nevertheless, decides to continue.--Appointed electrician of company.--Sails on U.S.S. Niagara.-- Letter from Paris on the crinoline.--Expedition sails from Liverpool.-- Queenstown harbor.--Accident to his leg.--Valencia.--Laying of cable begun.--Anxieties.--Three successful days.--Cable breaks.--Failure.-- Returns to America.--Retires from cable enterprise.--Predicts in 1858 failure of apparently successful laying of cable.--Sidney E. Morse.--The Hare and the Tortoise.--European testimonial: considered niggardly by Kendall.--Decorations, medals, etc., from European nations.--Letter of thanks to Count Walewski
CHAPTER XXXVII
SEPTEMBER 3. 1858--SEPTEMBER 21, 1863
Visits Europe again with a large family party.--Regrets this.--Sails for Porto Rico with wife and two children.--First impressions of the tropics.--Hospitalities.--His son-in-law's plantation.--Death of Alfred Vail.--Smithsonian exonerates Henry.--European honors to Morse.--First line of telegraph in Porto Rico.--Banquet.--Returns home.--Reception at Poughkeepsie.--Refuses to become candidate for the Presidency.--Purchases New York house.--F.O.J. Smith claims part of European gratuity.--Succeeds through legal technicality.--Visit of Prince of Wales.--Duke of Newcastle.--War clouds.--Letters on slavery, etc.--Matthew Vassar.-- Efforts as peacemaker.--Foresees Northern victory.--Gloomy forebodings.-- Monument to his father.--Divides part of European gratuity with widow of Vail.--Continued efforts in behalf of peace.--Bible arguments in favor of slavery
CHAPTER XXXVIII
FEBRUARY 26, 1864--NOVEMBER 8, 1867
Sanitary Commission.--Letter to Dr. Bellows.--Letter on "loyalty."--His brother Richard upholds Lincoln.--Letters of brotherly reproof.-- Introduces McClellan at pre?lection parade.--Lincoln reelected.--Anxiety as to future of country.--Unsuccessful effort to take up art again.-- Letter to his sons.--Gratification at rapid progress of telegraph.-- Letter to George