Terrebonne County Louisiana Archives News.....Fifty Years Ago No. 27 June 9, 1894
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Savanna King savanna18king@gmail.com August 11, 2023, 1:21 am

The Thibodaux Sentinel June 9, 1894

On the last days of May, 1844, the people of the United States, and, in fact, of 
the entire world, were treated to a sensation that caused them to open wide 
their eyes with wonder and amazement. A message–”What God hath wrought”--had 
flashed along the telegraphic wires from Washington City to Baltimore, a 
distance of forty miles. Professor Morse, the inventor of telegraphy, had been 
begging the leaders and statesmen of Congress for long and weary months for an 
appropriation of funds sufficient to enable him to put up a telegraphic wire 
between Washington and Baltimore. Morse was penniless, and had no friends who 
were financially able to furnish the money for that purpose. He had, therefore, 
gone to the statesmen of that day, such as Clay, Webster, Calhoun, Buchanan, 
Crittenden, Cass, and others who were deluding themselves with the idea that the 
world rested upon their shoulders, but they looked upon him as a crank, and 
derided the success or feasibility of any such a project as the Professor was 
advocating.

The inventor had constructed a wire across a street in Washington, and had a 
telegraph working for the enlightenment of the members of Congress, who, looking 
at its work, shrugged their shoulders, and hooted the idea of its practicability 
for any extended distance. But there were some members in that Congress who had 
faith in Morse’s wonderful invention, and who knew as members of Congress now 
know, some of the tricks in Legislation. Their ingenuity was put to work, and 
when one of the appropriation bills went through Congress, amid the noise and 
confusion of that body, it was found that an appropriation had been tacked on 
donating to Professor Morse a sum of $40,000.00 to construct a telegraphic wire 
between Washington and Baltimore. 

With this great burden lifted from his heart, the Professor lost no time in 
accomplishing his purpose, and in a very short while, the message dictated by 
the daughter of the inventor, “What God hath wrought,” passed from Washington to 
Baltimore. The telegraph was proved a success, and one of the greatest 
inventions and triumphs of science of the nineteenth century, or of the world 
from the beginning of time, was given to mankind.

The National Democratic convention to nominate a candidate for President of the 
United States, was in session in Baltimore, and the telegraph was inaugurated by 
a message to the Capitol, that James K. Polk of Tennessee, had received the 
nomination. As Polk was a dark horse, and no one having a suspicion that he 
would be chosen, the news was not credited, but after several questions and 
responses had passed over the wire, doubts were effectually dispelled, and Morse 
stood, among the statesmen who had laughed at his invention, upon a pinnacle of 
fame, where his name will be bright and glorious long after those of his 
doubting compatriots will have been forgotten and lost in the oblivion of 
passing ages. 

The case of Professor Morse is an example of the condition of most great 
inventors, and had not some slick friend worked his appropriation through the 
Congress, he would have been compelled to sell or dispose of his wonderful 
invention, and die in poverty whilst some other name would receive the honor 
that is now justly bestowed upon his name and paid to his memory.

When Professor Morse first commenced telegraphic work, the instruments were 
large and bulky in comparison to those now in use. Messages were stamped upon a 
roll of white paper about one inch in diameter. As the paper was unrolled, the 
letters were indicated by a certain number of dots and dashes, which were read 
by the operator. The operator could thus receive messages during the night 
whilst he was enjoying the sleep of the innocent, and write them off in the 
morning after he had taken his coffee, or cocktail.

But this was found to be too slow a process. The strip of paper has been 
discontinued, and the ear must catch the messages as they fly with lightning 
speed.

What further improvement will be made on this instrument, time only will 
develop.

But none will ever cause the astonishment and admiration of mankind as did the 
first message of Professor Morse sent over the wire–”What God hath wrought.”


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