mocracy with as much cheerfulness as if it had made us rich, although we cannot give so much time to its hallowed cause.

Our purpose is to devote ourself constantly and faithfully to the agency business in this city, to the procuring of contracts, settlement of accounts, procuring of pensions and patents, and advocating just claims before the Executive Departments and Congress, and attending to any business here of a public or private nature with which our friends and countrymen may think proper to entrust us.

If our friends abroad will do us the favor to recommend us to those who have business in Washington, they will lay us under obligations which we shall be happy to repay. So far in life, we have served our friends and the public much more faithfully than we have ourself; and as the approach of old age admonishes us that we shall not be able to serve anybody much longer, may we not hope that our friends and the public will not only excuse us for giving a different direction to our labors, but aid us to make those labors conducive to the comfort and happiness of ourself and family?

CHAPTER XVIII.

CONNECTION WITH THE TELEGRAPH.

WHILE Mr. Kendall was employed in the prosecution of claims, he fell in with Professor Morse, who was endeavoring, with little prospect of success, to get an appropriation from Congress to extend a line of his telegraph from Baltimore to New York; it being already in operation between Washington and Baltimore. Finding the Professor much discouraged, he inquired whether he had no project to render his telegraph profitable as a private enterprise, if he should fail in obtaining further aid from the government. On being answered in the negative, he rejoined that if the appropriation failed he would be glad to talk further on the subject. It failed, and Professor Morse asked Mr. Kendall for a proposition to take charge of his telegraph business.

The result was, in March, 1845, a contract between the proprietors of three fourths of Morse's patents and Mr. Kendall, by which the latter was to receive a commission of ten per cent on the first hundred thousand dollars which might be realized from the sale of their interest, and a commission of fifty per cent on all sums which might be thus realized over one hundred thousand dollars. This agreement vested Mr. Kendall with full power to manage and dispose of Morse's interest in his patent-right, according to his discretion.

The contracting parties with Mr. Kendall were Professor Morse, who owned nine sixteenths, Alfred Vail of New Jersey, who owned two sixteenths, and Professor L. D. Gale of Washington, the proprietor of one sixteenth of the patent, the remaining fourth having been previously conveyed by Professor Morse to Hon. F. O. J. Smith of Maine.

A field worthy of Mr. Kendall's distinguished talents, and congenial to his taste, now stretches out before him.

From the discovery of electricity by Thales six hundred years

before the Christian era, to the moment when the idea of using it as a vehicle of intelligence occurred to Professor Morse on board the packet-ship "Sully," Wm. W. Pell, captain, on his return from Europe in 1832, but little had been done towards its practical application to the service of man.

Though this agent dozed through all these ages, scarcely recognized and not at all understood by mankind, at last it suddenly asserted itself as the swiftest and one of the most valuable servants of man.

Its marvels are innumerable, its magic incomprehensible. Tamed and harnessed by Professor Morse, it traverses with equal speed and certainty the depths of ocean, the snows of the mountain, and the burning sands of the desert. It outstrips the wildest fancy, passes Time himself in the race, and makes a circuit round the globe with the velocity of thought. It never tires, never grows old, has few bad habits, is perfectly docile, makes no mistakes, and, in fine, offers itself to man as his most faithful and obedient slave.

Much as we already know of its power and properties, he would be presumptuous who should venture to limit its triumphs to what has already been accomplished.

For a mind like Mr. Kendall's, this subject had a peculiar fascination independent of the pecuniary advantages which he confidently believed would follow its judicious management.

It is unnecessary to go into the details of his administration of these important interests. They called him frequently from home, involved him as agent in numerous law-suits, called into requisition his best executive ability in the formation and administration of new telegraph companies, and terminated in 1860. He could contemplate as their direct results, Professor Morse established in a condition of pecuniary independence, the other owners of the patent profited in the same proportion, and an ample fortune secured to himself and family.

The acquaintance formed with Professor Morse soon ripened into warm friendship, which knew no abatement or interruption. For twenty-five years their relations were not only intimate but often involved questions of the utmost delicacy touching closely the interests of both; but no jealousy, no distrust, no feeling tending to impair the most implicit confidence of each in the other's integrity ever occurred.

TO HIS WIFE.

NEW YORK, May 30, 1845.

MY DEAR WIFE, I do not know when I shall be with you again.

The people with whom we have to deal here there seems to be no end to our negotiation.

move so very slowly that We have no reason, other

than this tardiness and an evident desire to make as much money out of the telegraph as they can, to doubt that we shall in the end accomplish all we desire.

Mr. Butterfield has been with us to-day, and with some of his friends proposes to build a line of telegraph from Buffalo to Springfield, Massachusetts, there to connect with the line from New York to Boston, which also he is disposed to undertake if we do not make other arrangements. If this arrangement is consummated I shall consider our fortunes as almost made; but as "there is many a slip between the cup and the lip," it will not do to consider ourselves rich as yet. Mr. B. leaves for Washington this evening, and I shall ask him to take charge of this letter.

I remain very well, — remarkably well; but I do not like living from home. I must next time, if I can afford it, bring a part of home with me, yourself or Jane.

I send oceans of love to yourself and our dear children, including Edward and not forgetting Henrietta.

MY DEAR WIFE, Heigh ho! I do not know when I shall see you again. We have just finished a long conference with the Executive Committee of the Amboy (Old Boy?) Railroad Company. They have just begun to find out something about the magnetic telegraph, simple souls!

I find I have a little more patience than I once had; else I should curse and quit these New Jersey corporations. But it is so much our interest to get along their roads that I repress my feelings; and the more readily because I am quite sure they will come to us in the end. When that end will come, I know not. Probably I can tell you more about it to-morrow, when we are promised a further interview. In haste,

Your devoted

MRS. JANE KENDALL.

MY DEAR WIFE,

AMOS KENDALL.

TO HIS WIFE.

NEW YORK, August 16, 1845.

-Jane's letter of the 14th, with your sweet post

script, came to hand last evening. Take care to preserve yourself as

well as the peaches, or the latter will "lose all their sweetness to me."

My cold did not leave me so kindly as I hoped. Thursday and Friday I was kept in my room, not very sick, but good for nothing. My nursing was none of the best, and I wished myself at home.

Nothing detains me here now but waiting for the caps for our telegraph posts, which were shipped from Portland two weeks ago, and are expected every hour. If nothing new occurs, I shall be off as soon as they come, but shall be detained a day or more in Philadelphia.

I should grudge the time more had I not with me a supply of General Jackson's papers, which enable me to progress with my book. I have worked at them to-day until I am wearied; so you must excuse my brevity.

Jane does not send your love because postage is charged by weight! A good idea. But she forgets that the god of love himself is outweighed by a feather. Send it along. Herein please receive more than all the heathen gods ever knew, and deal it out in universefuls.

Most affectionately,

DEATH OF HIS SON.

AMOS KENDALL.

Two days after writing this last letter, Mr. Kendall was startled by the receipt of the following: :

BALTIMORE, August 18, 1845.

MR. KENDALL, It is my melancholy duty to inform you of the fol lowing, received by telegraph a moment ago, announcing the death of your son William.

"6 o'clock 30 minutes, P. M. "Mr. William Kendall, son of Hon. Amos Kendall, was, a few minutes ago, met and shot dead by Rufus Elliot, brother-in-law of John C. Rives."

Very respectfully your obedient servant,

HENRY J. ROGERS.

He hastened to Washington and found the distressing intelligence only too true.

An altercation of words with a friend, begun in jest, had resulted in a fearful tragedy.

William, then twenty-two years of age, the only surviving son by his first wife, the loved companion of a large circle of friends, of generous impulses and irreproachable character, having left his father's house a little before, full of life and vigor, is shot down in the street and carried home a corpse.