The Three Secretaries i ^ i 



"At the head of this long line of illustrious investigators 

 stand the preeminent names of Faraday and Henry. On 

 the foundation-stones of truth laid down by them all sub- 

 sequent builders have been content to rest. The 'Experi- 

 mental Researches' of the one have been the guide of the 

 experimentalist no less than the instructor of the student, 

 since their orderly and detailed statement, alike of triumph- 

 ant discovery and of suggestive failure, make them indepen- 

 dent of any commentator. The ' Scientific Writings' of 

 Henry deserve hardly less careful study, for in them we have 

 not only the lucid explanations of the discoverer, but the sug- 

 gestions and ideas of a most profound and inventive mind, 

 and which indicate that Henry had earl)- touched levels of 

 discovery only just recently becoming fully worked." 



Such praise as this is excellent evidence of the influence of 

 Henry's discoveries upon the marvelous progress of electri- 

 city during the past five or ten years, and what Fleming has 

 written concerning electricity is equally true of his work in 

 many other branches of science. 



IV. 



The relation of Henry to the beginnings of the telegraph 

 have been for half a century the subject of much discussion 

 and of controversies in which, during his lifetime, he stead- 

 fastly refused to participate. In 1857, however, statements 

 were made concerning- some of his acts which he felt it his 

 duty to bring to the attention of the Board of Regents, by 

 whom his relation to the whole matter was carefully inves- 

 tigated. The testimony presented by himself and others at 

 this time is of the greatest interest and importance. 



It is not my purpose to make far-reaching claims for him, 

 yet a biographical sketch would be incomplete which should 



