n
enthusiastic advocate of his invention. He carried with him a complete
telegraphic outfit and lost no opportunity to bring it to the notice of
the different governments visited by him, and his official position gave
him the entree everywhere. Writing from Vienna on October 7, he says:--

"There is no doubt Morse's telegraph is the best of that description I
have yet seen, but the difficulty of introducing it is in this
circumstance, that every scientific man invents a similar thing and,
without having the practical experience and practical arrangement which
make Morse's so preferable, they will experiment a few miles' distance
only, and no doubt it works; but, when they come to put it up at a great
distance, then they will find that their experience is not sufficient,
and must come back ultimately to Morse's plan. The Austrian Government is
much occupied selecting out of many plans (of telegraphs) one for her
railroads. I have offered Morse's and proposed experiments. I am
determined to stay for some time, to give them a chance of making up
their minds."

Two other young Americans, Charles Robinson and Charles L. Chapin, were
also travelling around Europe at this time for the purpose of introducing
Morse's invention, but, while all these efforts resulted in the ultimate
adoption by all the nations of Europe, and then of the world, of this
system, the superiority of which all were compelled, sometimes
reluctantly, to admit, no arrangement was made by which Morse and his
co-proprietors benefited financially. The gain in fame was great, in
money nil. It was, therefore, with mixed feelings that Morse wrote to his
brother from Paris on November 1:--

"I am still gratified in verifying the fact that my Telegraph is ahead of
all the other systems proposed. Wheatstone's is not adopted here. The
line from Paris to Rouen is not on his plan, but is an experimental line
of the Governmental Commission. I went to see it yesterday with my old
friend the Administrator-in-Chief of the Telegraphs of France, Mr. Poy,
who is one of the committee to decide on the best mode for France. The
system on this line is his modification.... I have had a long interview
with M. Arago. He is the same affable and polite man as in 1839. He is a
warm friend of mine and contends for priority in my favor, and is also
partial to my telegraphic system as the best. He is President of the
Commission and is going to write the History of Electric Telegraphs.