st me. Alfred
has for some time been hostile because I could not if I would, and would
not if I could, find him a snug sinecure in some of the companies. I fear
George has in some degree given way to the same spirit. I have heard of
his complaining of me, and when, before my departure for the West, I
tendered my services to negotiate a connection of himself and brother
with the lessees of the N.O. & O. line, he declined my offer, protesting
against the entire arrangements touching that line.

"Having done all I could and much more than I was bound to do for the
benefit of those gentlemen, I shall not permit their jealousy to disturb
me, but I am anxious to have them understand the exact position I am to
occupy in relation to them. I understood your purpose to be that they
should share in the benefits of the extension, whether legally entitled
to them or not, yet nothing has been paid over to them for sales since
made. All the receipts, except a portion of my commissions, have been
paid out on account of expenses, and to secure an interest for you in the
N.O. & O. line."

It is easy to understand that the Vails should have been somewhat
suspicious when little or nothing in the way of cash was coming in to
them, but they seem not to have realized that Morse and Kendall were in
the same boat, and living more on hope than cash. Mr. Kendall enlarges
somewhat on this point in a letter of June 22, 1855:--

"Most heartily will I concur in a sale of all my interests in the
Telegraph at any reasonable rate to such a company as you describe. I
fully appreciate your reasons for desiring such a consummation, and, in
addition to them, have others peculiar to my own position. Any one who
has a valuable patent can profit by it only by a constant fight with some
of the most profligate and, at the same time, most shrewd members of
society. I have found myself not only the agent of yourself and the
Messrs. Vail to sell your patent rights, but the soldier to fight your
battles, as well in the country as in the courts of justice. Almost
single-handed, with the deadly enmity of one of the patentees, and the
annoying jealousies of another, I have encountered surrounding hosts,
and, I trust, been instrumental in saving something for the Proprietors
of this great invention, and done something to maintain the rights and
vindicate the fame of its true author. Nothing but your generous
confidence has rendered my position tolerable, and enabled m