380 BENJ. PIKE'S, JR., DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 



Fig. 797. 



the poles of the electro-magnet, and which may by a 

 slight pressure, or attraction, be put in contact. On the 

 under side of the the armature is a steel-point. The 

 electro-magnet, near its poles, supports a brass frame, 

 having an aperture for the paper freely to pass through, 

 and so adjusted that when the armature is drawn down, 

 the paper is indented by the point on the under side. On 

 connecting the wires from a galvanic battery with the 

 cups at the side of the instrument, the electro-magnet is 

 powerfully charged, and the armature drawn down, as 

 often as connection is made, and broken, by the wire in 

 the hand of the operator. This wire may be of great 

 length, communicating as they do, in some cases, between 

 distant cities. The armature with the pen-point being 

 brought down, indenting the -paper, which at the same 

 time is being drawn through the aperture in the frame 

 between the poles of the electro-magnet. We can con- 

 nect and disconnect the wires of the battery as often and 

 as fast as we please, consequently can magnetize the mag- 

 net, and draw down the armature and point as quick and 

 as often as we please. If constantly magnetized, the 

 mark would be a long line ; if momentary, a dot ; a little 

 longer time, a short line ; so that we may have dots, 

 spaces and dots, in any number, and lines and spaces of 

 any length, or any combination of any or all of these 

 marks, from which an alphabet has been formed, that 

 may be read with facility by one familiar with its charac- 

 ters; these different combinations of dots, and of short 



