236 SAMUEL FIN LEY B REESE MORSE. 



instantly they were received by Mr. Vail in 

 Baltimore, who resent them the same moment to 

 Washington. The strip of paper on which this 

 message is printed is now in the Athenaeum at 

 Hartford, Conn. 



What must have been Professor Morse's feelings 

 at that moment. The day of triumph had come 

 the twelve weary years of poverty were over. 

 Hereafter he was to be like one of the princes of 

 the world. 



A telegraph company was formed which offered 

 to sell the telegraph to the government for one 

 hundred thousand dollars. Congress refused to 

 buy, much to the subsequent profit of the Morse 

 company. In less than thirty years, the Morse 

 telegraph was used in America upon two hundred 

 and fifty thousand miles of wire, and in foreign 

 countries upon six hundred thousand miles of wire, 

 while the telegraph receipts throughout the world 

 were about forty million dollars yearly.^ 



There were many amusing incidents in connec- 

 tion with this early telegraph. " A pretty little 

 girl tripped into the Washington City termination, 

 and, after a great deal of hesitation and blushing, 

 asked how long it would take to send to Balti- 

 more. The interesting appearance of the little 

 questioner attracted Mr. Morse's attention, and he 

 very blandly replied, ' One second ! ' 



"'Oh, how delightful, how delightful!' ejacu- 

 lated the little beauty, her eyes glistening with 

 delight. ' One second only ; here, send this even 



