Stories of Great Inventors Part 20

At another, he tried his hand at making a machine for cutting marble.

He was always experimenting with colors, and other things used by artists.

The year 1832 had arrived.

You will see, by and by, that it is a good date to remember.

People knew almost nothing about speed in traveling.

In that year the longest railroad was in the southern part of the United States.

It was one hundred thirty-five miles long.

The next longer was in England.

It was thirty miles long.

The next was in Ma.s.sachusetts.

It was ten miles long.

The mails were carried in coaches.

On the first day of October, 1832, Mr. Morse sailed for America.

The name of this s.h.i.+p was the "Sully."

The pa.s.sengers were much interested in some things which had lately been found out about electricity.

People had long known that lightning and electricity were the same.

Signals had been made with electricity.

But the thought which came to Mr. Morse had never entered the mind of man before.

He could think of nothing but a telegraph.

He thought night and day.

He seemed to see the end from the beginning.

As he sat upon the deck of the s.h.i.+p after dinner, he drew out a little note book.

He began his plan in this little book.

From the beginning he said, "If a message will go ten miles without dropping, I can make it go around the globe."

And he said this again and again during the years that came after.

Sleep forsook him.

But one morning at the breakfast table he announced his plan.

He showed it to the pa.s.sengers.

And five years after, when the model was built, it was found to be like the one shown that morning on board the s.h.i.+p "Sully."

"The steed called Lightning (say the Fates) Was tamed in the United States; 'Twas Franklin's hand that caught the horse, 'Twas harnessed by Professor Morse."

Upon landing in America a long struggle began.

For twelve long years, Mr. Morse worked to get people to notice his invention.

[Ill.u.s.tration: DIAGRAM SHOWING THE MORSE ALPHABET AND ARRANGEMENT OF THE TELEGRAPH LINE.]

It would take much money to construct a real telegraph.

But money Mr. Morse did not have.

He had three motherless children to provide for.

He lived in a room in a fifth story of a building belonging to his brothers.

This room was his study, studio, bed chamber, parlor, kitchen, drawing room and work shop.

On one side of the room was his cot bed.

On the other were his tools.

He brought his simple food to his room at night.

This he did, that no one might see how little he had to eat.

He often gave lessons in painting.

One pupil did not pay promptly.

Mr. Morse asked to be paid.

The pupil gave him ten dollars, asking if he would accept it.

He said it would keep him from starving.

He had had nothing to eat for twenty-four hours.

The government, at this time, was giving some work to American artists.

Mr. Morse knew he deserved to have a picture to paint.