HENRY AND THE TELEGRAPH. 349 



NOTE J. (From p. 310.) 

 henry's appkkciation of professor morse. 



Altliongli Htiuiy (together with several other eminent physicists and electricians,) 

 was summoned by the contestants of Professor Morse's patent, his testimony tended 

 probably quite as much to sustain what appea.red to him the patentee's equitable 

 claims, as to restrain his overshadowing pretensions. That both before and after 

 these legal controversies, Henry cherished only kindly feelings toward Professor 

 Morse, the following corres]iondence will sufficiently attest. 



At the close of October, 1837, Henry had learned from Professor Gale, with a natu- 

 rally warm interest, of his success in operating the Morse recorder by a proper adjust- 

 ment of the length of coil on his Henry magnet, and a battery of 87 cells (each hav- 

 ing about 14 square inches of zinc surface), through the length of iive miles of cotton- 

 •wrapped copper wire (one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter), coiled on a large reel.* 

 And on the 13th of November following, he was informed of his further success in in- 

 terposing a second similar reel of wire (making ten miles) in the circuit, with but 

 little diminution of effect. 



In the following year, 1838, Henry, durhig his elaborate and profound researches 

 on electrical ''induction" (since become classical), desired to borrow one of these tive- 

 mile reels of wire, for the purpose of pressing his inquiries to their furthest extent. Pro- 

 fessor Morse being then absent in Europe, his colleague Professor Gale very cheerfully 

 lent the wire. On returning the borrowed wire in 1839, Henry, in acknowledgment 

 of the courtesy, sent both to Professor Gale and to Professor Morse a copy of his 

 memoir (read before the American Philosophical Society, November 2, 1838), " with the 

 respects of the author, " 



Professor Morse, on his return, addressed a letter to Henry, dated New York, April 

 24, 1839, in which he said : 



" Mv Dear Sir : On my return a few days since from Europe, I found directed to 

 me, through your politeness, a copy of your valuable " Contributions," for which I beg 

 you to accept my warmest thanks. . . . 



"I was glad to learn, by a letter received in Paris from Dr. Gale, that a spool of five 

 miles of my wire was loaned to you, and I perceive that you have already made some 

 interesting experiments with it. In the absence of Dr. Gale, who has gone South, I feel a 

 great desire to consult some scientific gentleman on points of importance bearing on my 

 telegraph. I should be exceedingly happy to see you, and am tempted to break away 

 from my absorbing engagements hero to find you at Princeton. In case I should be able 

 to visit Princeton fen- a fevr days, a week or two hence, how should I find you engaged ? 

 . . . I have many questions to ask, but should be happy in your reply to this letter 

 of an answer to this general one : Have you met with any facts in your experiments 

 thus far that Avould lead you to think that my mode of telegraphic communication will 

 prove impracticable ? . . . I think that you have pursued an qriginal course of 

 experiment, and discovered facts of more value to mo than any that have been pub- 

 lished abroad. I will not trouble you at this time with my questions until I know 

 your engagements. Accomxjanying this is a copy of a report made by the Academy 

 of Industry, of Paris, on ray Telegraph, which I beg you to accept. 

 " Believe me dear sir, 



"With the highest respect, 



" Your most obedient servant, 



"Samuel F. B. Morse." 



* This coil of wire, wound on a small axis of iron, formed a solid cylinder eighteen 

 inches long and thirteen inches in diameter. Professor Gale's preparation for this 

 experiment was noticed in Silliman's Am. Jwirnalof »Sci'e((cc (October, 1837, a-oI. xxxiii, 

 p. 187). And Professor Morse, in a letter to Mr. A. Vail, dated October 7, 1837, con- 

 gratulated himself that "Professor Gale's services will bo invaluable to us, and I am 

 glad that he is disposed to enter iuto the matter with zeal." 



