7Q The First Words sent hy Telegraph. [February, 



THE FIRST WORDS SENT BY TELEGRAPH. 



Though grown familiar with its operations and exploits, our minds 

 can not cease to marvel at the sublime achievements of the Electric 

 Telegraph. Wiry, weird, wonderful — it stands before us incomprehen- 

 sible ; spelling the very lightnings of heaven into the Euglish language, 

 like gome unheard of Pedagogue ! — Affording us a messenger more fleet 

 than the " delicate Ariel " of Trospero's art and Caliban's isle ! — Giving 

 to the globe a nervous system, and making a whispering gallery of the 

 world ! And a consideration of the nature of the First ^Vorth borne 

 from man to man by this heavenly messenger, thus brought down to 

 earth, must serve, in a material degree, to highten the sublimity of its 

 functions and characters. So remarkable were the circumstances 

 attending that wonderful invention, in this particular, that we deem 

 them well worthy of recording at length. And, in order that the 

 circumstances may be abundantly authenticated, we give in full the 

 excellent speech of Prof. Morse, himself, by whom the facts are detailed. 



We quote from the " St. Johns Ledger''' which contains a description 

 of the occurrences that transpired on the occasion of the visit of the 

 steamer James Adger to that town, having on board members of the 

 New York, Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company, and their 

 guests. A dinner was given on board the steamer, in acknowledgment 

 of the hospitalities received from the inhabitants of St. John's, at which 

 Peter Cooper, Esq., President of the Company, presided. 



The following toast was one of the series given upon the occasion : 

 " The Electric Telegraph "— 



" The steed called Lightning (say the Fates), 

 Was tamed in the United States ; 

 ' Twas Franklin's hand that caught the horse, 

 ^ Twa^ harnessed by Professor Morse." 



To which the learned Professor replied as follows : 



" I thank you, Ladies and Gentlemen, most cordially, for the flattering 

 mention you have made of me, in connection with the electric telegraph, 

 for it expresses the kindness, the good will, the generosity of your own 

 hearts. But, Ladies and Gentlemen, I place myself as one only among 

 the instrumentalities in this great enterprise of binding the nations 

 together in the bauds of electric intercourse. It is thus, only, that I 

 find relief from what 1 may truly style the oppression of praise. Let 



