the age of invention-第15章

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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。　To　give　up　his　profession　meant　that　he　would　have　no　income；　on　the　other　hand；　how　could　he　continue　wholeheartedly　painting　pictures　while　consumed　with　the　idea　of　the　telegraph？　The　idea　would　not　down；　yet　he　must　live；　and　there　were　his　three　motherless　children　in　New　Haven。　He　would　have　to　go　on　painting　as　well　as　he　could　and　develop　his　telegraph　in　what　time　he　could　spare。　His　brothers；　Richard　and　Sidney；　were　both　living　in　New　York　and　they　did　what　they　could　for　him；　giving　him　a　room　in　a　building　they　had　erected　at　Nassau　and　Beekman　Streets。　Morse's　lot　at　this　time　was　made　all　the　harder　by　hopes　raised　and　dashed　to　earth　again。　Congress　had　voted　money　for　mural　paintings　for　the　rotunda　of　the　Capitol。　The　artists　were　to　be　selected　by　a　committee　of　which　John　Quincy　Adams　was　chairman。　Morse　expected　a　commission　for　a　part　of　the　work；　for　his　standing　at　that　time　was　second　to　that　of　no　American　artist；　save　Allston；　and　Allston　he　knew　had　declined　to　paint　any　of　the　pictures　and　had　spoken　in　his　favor。　Adams；　however；　as　chairman　of　the　committee　was　of　the　opinion　that　the　pictures　should　be　done　by　foreign　artists；　there　being　no　Americans　available；　he　thought；　of　sufficiently　high　standing　to　execute　the　work　with　fitting　distinction。　This　opinion；　publicly　expressed；　infuriated　James　Fenimore　Cooper；　Morse's　friend；　and　Cooper　wrote　an　attack　on　Adams　in　the　New　York　Evening　Post；　but　without　signing　it。　Supposing　Morse　to　be　the　author　of　this　article；　Adams　summarily　struck　his　name　from　the　list　of　artists　who　were　to　be　employed。

How　very　poor　Morse　was　about　this　time　is　indicated　by　a　story　afterwards　told　by　General　Strother　of　Virginia；　who　was　one　of　his　pupils：

I　engaged　to　become　Morse's　pupil　and　subsequently　went　to　New　York　and　found　him　in　a　room　in　University　Place。　He　had　three　or　four　other　pupils　and　I　soon　found　that　our　professor　had　very　little　patronage。

I　paid　my　fifty　dollars　for　one…quarter's　instruction。　Morse　was　a　faithful　teacher　and　took　as　much　interest　in　our　progress　as　more　indeed　thanwe　did　ourselves。　But　he　was　very　poor。　I　remember　that；　when　my　second　quarter's　pay　was　due；　my　remittance　did　not　come　as　expected；　and　one　day　the　professor　came　in　and　said；　courteously：　〃Well　Strother；　my　boy；　how　are　we　off　for　money？〃

〃Why　professor；〃　I　answered；　〃I　am　sorry　to　say　that　I　have　been　disappointed；　but　I　expect　a　remittance　next　week。〃

〃Next　week；〃　he　repeated　sadly；　〃I　shall　be　dead　by　that　time。〃

〃Dead；　sir？〃

〃Yes；　dead　by　starvation。〃

I　was　distressed　and　astonished。　I　said　hurriedly：

〃Would　ten　dollars　be　of　any　service？〃

〃Ten　dollars　would　save　my　life。　That　is　all　it　would　do。〃

I　paid　the　money；　all　that　I　had；　and　we　dined　together。　It　was　a　modest　meal；　but　good；　and　after　he　had　finished；　he　said：

〃This　is　my　first　meal　for　twenty…four　hours。　Strother；　don't　be　an　artist。　It　means　beggary。　Your　life　depends　upon　people　who　know　nothing　of　your　art　and　care　nothing　for　you。　A　house　dog　lives　better；　and　the　very　sensitiveness　that　stimulates　an　artist　to　work　keeps　him　alive　to　suffering。〃*

*　Prime；　p。　424。


In　1835　Morse　received　an　appointment　to　the　teaching　staff　of　New　York　University　and　moved　his　workshop　to　a　room　in　the　University　building　in　Washington　Square。　〃There；〃　says　his　biographer*；　〃he　wrought　through　the　year　1836；　probably　the　darkest　and　longest　year　of　his　life；　giving　lessons　to　pupils　in　the　art　of　painting　while　his　mind　was　in　the　throes　of　the　great　invention。〃　In　that　year　he　took　into　his　confidence　one　of　his　colleagues　in　the　University；　Leonard　D。　Gale；　who　assisted　him　greatly；　in　improving　the　apparatus；　while　the　inventor　himself　formulated　the　rudiments　of　the　telegraphic　alphabet；　or　Morse　Code；　as　it　is　known　today。　At　length　all　was　ready　for　a　test　and　the　message　flashed　from　transmitter　to　receiver。　The　telegraph　was　born；　though　only　an　infant　as　yet。　〃Yes；　that　room　of　the　University　was　the　birthplace　of　the　Recording　Telegraph；〃　said　Morse　years　later。　On　September　2；　1837；　a　successful　experiment　was　made　with　seventeen　hundred　feet　of　copper　wire　coiled　around　the　room；　in　the　presence　of　Alfred　Vail；　a　student；　whose　family　owned　the　Speedwell　Iron　Works；　at　Morristown；　New　Jersey；　and　who　at　once　took　an　interest　in　the　invention　and　persuaded　his　father；　Judge　Stephen　Vail；　to　advance　money　for　experiments。　Morse　filed　a　petition　for　a　patent　in　October　and　admitted　his　colleague　Gale；　as　well　as　Alfred　Vail；　to　partnership。　Experiments　followed　at　the　Vail　shops；　all　the　partners　working　day　and　night　in　their　enthusiasm。　The　apparatus　was　then　brought　to　New　York　and　gentlemen　of　the　city　were　invited　to　the　University　to　see　it　work　before　it　left　for　Washington。　The　visitors　were　requested　to　write　dispatches；　and　the　words　were　sent　round　a　three…mile　coil　of　wire　and　read　at　the　other　end　of　the　room　by　one　who　had　no　prior　knowledge　of　the　message。

*　Prime；　p。　311。


In　February