A first book in American history with European beginnings . an artist, not a scientist. Accordingly he went toLondon, where he worked for four years with splendidresults and where, through his fathers influence, he cameto know many prominent Englishmen. In 1815 he came back to America and set about earn-22 317 A FIRST BOOK IN AMERICAN HISTORY ing his living through his art. He seems to have been atrue Yankee with an active, inventive mind. At dinnerone night, in 1832, when he was returning from anothervisit abroad, the conversation turned on electricity. Thenand there the thought flashed throu
A first book in American history with European beginnings . an artist, not a scientist. Accordingly he went toLondon, where he worked for four years with splendidresults and where, through his fathers influence, he cameto know many prominent Englishmen. In 1815 he came back to America and set about earn-22 317 A FIRST BOOK IN AMERICAN HISTORY ing his living through his art. He seems to have been atrue Yankee with an active, inventive mind. At dinnerone night, in 1832, when he was returning from anothervisit abroad, the conversation turned on electricity. Thenand there the thought flashed through his mind that thismysterious force might be employed in sending messages. For the next eleven years Morses principal interest inlife was pushing and perfecting the idea of an electric tele-graph. Poor! He was so poor that it was with greatdifficulty that he managed to carry on his investigationsat all. Discouragement followed discouragement; butstill he plodded on, always confident of final success. In 1835 he was appointed professor in the University. The First Telegraphic Message Sent by the Morse System. of the City of New York. Luckily for him one of his pupilsbecame interested in the experiments and induced hisfather, the owner of brass and iron works, .to furnish thenecessary materials. Then came the struggle to raise the money needed toput up a telegraph line. Morse exhibited his apparatusin Philadelphia. He exhibited it in Washington to thePresident and his Cabinet, and for several years sought anappropriation from Congress with which to build an ex-perimental telegraph line. Finally, in 1843, an appro-priation of $30,000 was granted. The Senate approvedthe bill late at night on the last day of the session, afterMorse had given up all hope of its being reached and had 318 S. F. B. MORSE AND HIS SUCCESSORS gone home to bed. As he was coming down to breakfastin the morning, a young lady congratulated him on hissuccess. Had the Senate passed his bill? He could hardlybel
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