Paint Me A Telegram — By Suzanne Norquist

 Who hasn’t watched an old movie where a telegraph operator taps a coded message through a series of dots and dashes—Morse Code?

Samuel Morse was an artist and professor of painting and sculpture at the University of the City of New York. How, then, did he become known for work in communications? Though he didn’t invent the telegraph, he was instrumental in developing the code developing the code.

Born in Massachusetts in 1791, Morse attended Yale College to study religious philosophy, mathematics, and science. While there, he supported himself by painting. He graduated in 1810 and decided to focus on his art, moving to Europe to study for several years. Upon his return to America, he made his living by painting portraits.

Morse was very social and held strong political opinions. This combination, as well as his artistic skills, allowed him to become connected in wealthy, influential circles. He was a well-known artist without concerns about scientific inventions. Others worked on the telegraph long before he became involved.

The earliest types of telegraphs existed before Morse’s birth. They grew out of the study of electricity. In 1748, William Watson (of England) demonstrated that electricity could be instantaneously conducted through very long wires.

Charles Morrison (of Scotland) came up with the idea of running twenty-six wires, one for each letter of the alphabet, placed about an inch apart. An electric current on one of the wires would raise a metallic ball suspended over the letter, and messages could be sent. A system like this was built in 1774—seventeen years before Morse was born.

Inventions related to batteries and electricity allowed for the transmission of signals over longer distances, and several inventors looked for opportunities to improve the system.

Morse’s interest in the telegraph came as a result of two events. The first was the death of his first wife in 1825. He was painting a portrait in another city when he learned of her illness. By the time he received the message and rushed home, she had already been buried. If he had gotten word sooner, he may have been able to see her before she passed.

The second event came in 1832 as he traveled by ship from Europe, where he was studying art. Fellow passengers told him about the invention of the electromagnet and its uses. He had been interested in electricity when he studied at Yale College. That, coupled with his interest in faster communication, led him to begin research on telegraphs.

Unable to complete the project independently, he recruited Leonard Gale, a colleague at the University of the City of New York. Gale was familiar with other work done in the field. Morse also hired Alfred Vail, a young technician. Vail helped him develop the system of dots and dashes, now known as the Morse Code.

At the same time, other inventors around the world were working on similar projects. In Great Britain, William Cook and Charles Wheatstone created a five-wire system with needles that could point to five specific letters on each wire.

By 1838, Morse had a system to sell to the US government. However, he didn’t convince them actually to build his telegraph until 1843. He used all of his connections and resources to get the contract.

He patented his invention in his name alone and faced multiple lawsuits by his partners and other inventors. His case went all the way to the US Supreme Court, where he won. He was a wealthy man.

Few of us today know of Samuel Morse’s paintings, but any history buff knows about the Morse Code. A word is worth a thousand pictures—at least in Morse’s world.

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”Mending Sarah’s Heart” in the Thimbles and Threads Collection

Four historical romances celebrating the arts of sewing and quilting.

Mending Sarah’s Heart by Suzanne Norquist

Rockledge, Colorado, 1884

Sarah seeks a quiet life as a seamstress. She doesn’t need anyone, especially her dead husband’s partner. If only the Emporium of Fashion would stop stealing her customers, and the local hoodlums would leave her sons alone. When she rejects her husband’s share of the mine, his partner Jack seeks to serve her through other means. But will his efforts only push her further away? 

Suzanne Norquist is the author of two novellas, “A Song for Rose” in A Bouquet of Brides Collection and “Mending Sarah’s Heart” in the Thimbles and Threads Collection. Everything fascinates her. She has worked as a chemist, professor, financial analyst, and even earned a doctorate in economics. Research feeds her curiosity, and she shares the adventure with her readers. She lives in New Mexico with her mining engineer husband and has two grown children. When not writing, she explores the mountains, hikes, and attends kickboxing class.