of my rights to the invention of the Telegraph by a fellow-passenger from France, one from whom I least expected any such insidious design.  The attempt startled me and put me on my guard, and set me to the preparation for any attack.  I have been compelled for some weeks to use my pen only for this purpose, and have written much in the hope of preventing the public exposure of my antagonist; but I fear my labor will be vain on this point, from what I hear and the tone in which he writes.  I have no fear for myself, being now amply prepared with evidence to repel any attempt which may be made to sustain any claim he may prefer to a share with me in the invention of the Telegraph.”

I have already shown that this claim of Dr. Jackson’s was proved to be but the hallucination of a disordered brain, and it will not be necessary to go into the details of the controversy.

These were anxious and nerve-racking days for both Morse and Vail, and it is small wonder that there should have been some slight friction.  Vail in his private correspondence makes some mention of this.  For instance, in a letter to his brother George, of January 22, 1838, he says:—­

“We received the machine on Thursday morning, and in an hour we made the first trial, which did not succeed, nor did it with perfect success until Saturday—­all which time Professor M. was rather unwell.  To-morrow we shall make our first exhibition, and continue it until Wednesday, when we must again box up.  Professor M. has received a letter from Mr. Patterson inviting us to exhibit at Philadelphia, and has answered it, but has said nothing to me about his intentions.  He is altogether inclined to operate in his own name, so much so that he has had printed five hundred blank invitations in his own name at your expense.”

On the other hand, this same George Vail, writing to Morse on January 26, 1838, asks him to “bear with A., which I have no doubt you will.  He is easily vexed.  Trusting to your universal coolness, however, there is nothing to fear.  Keep him from running ahead too fast.”

Again writing to his brother George from Washington, on February 20, 1838, Alfred says:  “In regard to Professor M. calling me his ‘assistant,’ this is also settled, and he has said as much as to apologize for using the term.”

Why Vail should have objected to being called Morse’s assistant, I cannot quite understand, for he was so designated in the contract later made with the Government; but Morse was evidently willing to humor him in this.

I have thought it best to refer to these little incidents partly in the interest of absolute candor, partly to emphasize the nervous tension under which both were working at that time.  That there was no lasting resentment in the mind of Vail is amply proved by the following extract from a long letter written by him on March 19, 1838:—­

“The great expectations I had on my return home of going into partnership with George, founded, or semi-founded, on the promises made by my father, have burst.  I am again on vague promises for three months, and they resting upon the success of the printing machine.