VOL. V 
Oflicial Organ of the Kansas City, Academy of Science. 
kTnSAS city, mo., APKIL, 1891. ~" 
NO. 4 
lu 
1(1 b 
Ac; 
t lie Knnsiis City 
(UMn^ of Sci 
llcniinisci iices of Trof. Morse, Prior 
to the Invention of llie Teli grapli 
and of- His Um'ord as 
an Artist. 
By S. F. B. iAIoiiSK 
niid bis experiences as tlie inventor of 
the telc.![>-raph also brief sketebes of bis 
life and woi-k as an Artist, so tbat I 
doubt very mucb if it lies witbin my 
power to say anytbing of general interest 
wbieb bas not already been made public, 
particularly as I am just at tbis time sep- 
arated fvom my own collection of let- 
ters, books and o;eneral memoranda whicb 
would if aceessable refresh my memory. 
However, Prof. Morse posessed an indi- 
vidualit}' peculiarly his own, and his life 
throughout was full of interesting inci- 
dent and experience. 
His father the Rev. Jedediah Morse 
was born in Woodstock, Coiui., 17G1. 
Entered Yale in 1780, graduated in 
Tlieology in 1783 and was licensed to 
preach the same year. lie it was who 
wrote the first American Geography ever 
published and for many years it was the 
standard Geography of this countr}'. He 
also established the Boston Becorder 
and was one of the founders of the Amer- 
ican Bible Society and the American 
Tract Society. He is described as a man 
of genius, not content with what had and 
luas^ but originating, and with vast ex- 
ecutive ability combining the elements 
of prudence. Dr. John Todd said of him : 
"Dr. Morse lived before his time and w*as 
time to time about the late Prof. Morse in advance of his generation, he was a 
A gi-eat deal has been written from 
