r mines there are the richest in the world.
Numerous companies were formed and copper-mining became the leading
industry of that section. An interesting discovery was that many of the
mines had been worked hundreds of years before by the Indians.

The wonderful richness of the gold deposits in California, the vast
mineral resources of Missouri and Tennessee, and the untold wealth of
the petroleum bed under the surface of Pennsylvania were unsuspected.

THE PRESIDENTIAL CONTEST OF 1844.

The presidential election of 1844 hinged on the question of the proposed
annexation of Texas. It has been stated that the Whigs nominated Henry
Clay, who opposed annexation. Van Buren lost the Democratic renomination
through his opposition to annexation, and the Southern Democrats secured
the candidacy of James K. Polk. The Abolitionists did not think Clay's
opposition to annexation quite as earnest as it should be, and they
placed William Birney in nomination. As a result Clay lost the State of
New York, and through that his election to the presidency. The electoral
vote was as follows:

James K. Polk, of Tennessee, Democrat, 170; Henry Clay, of Kentucky,
Whig, 105. For Vice-President, George M. Dallas, of Pennsylvania,
Democrat, 170; Theodore Frelinghuysen, of New Jersey, Whig, 105. This
secured the election of Polk and Dallas. James G. Birney and Thomas
Morris, candidates of the Liberty party for President and
Vice-President, received no electoral vote, but, as stated, caused the
loss of the State of New York to Clay, thereby throwing enough electoral
votes to Polk and Dallas to give them success.

THE MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH.

The convention which placed Polk in nomination was held in the city of
Baltimore. A railway train was waiting to carry the news to Washington,
and, as soon as the passengers could hurry on board, it steamed at the
highest speed to the national capital. When the people left the cars an
hour later they found, to their inexpressible amazement, newspaper
extras for sale containing the news of Polk's nomination. In answer to
their questions they were told that it had been received from Baltimore
by TELEGRAPH.

[Illustration: SHOP IN WHICH THE FIRST MORSE INSTRUMENT WAS CONSTRUCTED
FOR EXHIBITION BEFORE CONGRESS.]

This was on the 29th of May, 1844, and was the first public message sent
by magnetic telegraph. It marked an era in the history of civilization.

Investigation seems to establish that Professor Jo