improvements and the enjoyment of what is most gratifying to you."

And Morse, writing to Vail somewhat later in this same year, exclaims:
"You say you hope I shall not forget that we have spent many hours
together. You might have added 'happy hours.' I have tried you, dear
Vail, as a friend, and think I know you as a zealous and honest one."

Still earlier, on March 18, 1845, in one of his reports to the
Postmaster-General, Cave Johnson, he adds: "In regard to the salary of
the 'one clerk at Washington--$1200,' Mr. Vail, who would from the
necessity of the case take that post, is my right-hand man in the whole
enterprise. He has been with me from the year 1837, and is as familiar
with all the mechanism and scientific arrangements of the Telegraph as I
am myself.... His time and talent are more essential to the success of
the Telegraph than [those of] any two persons that could be named."

Returning now to the letters to his brother Sidney, I shall give the
following extracts:--

"_March 29, 1847._ I am now in New York permanently; that is I have no
longer any official connection with Washington, and am thinking of
_fixing_ somewhere so soon as I can get my telegraphic matters into such
a state as to warrant it; but my patience is still much tried. Although
the enterprise looks well and is prospering, yet somehow I do not command
the cash as some business men would if they were in the same situation.
The property is doubtless good and is increasing, but I cannot use it as
I could the money, for, while everybody seems to think I have the wealth
of John Jacob, the only sum I have actually realized is my first dividend
on one line, about fourteen hundred dollars, and with this I cannot
purchase a house. But time will, perhaps, enable me to do so, if it is
well that I should have one.... I have had some pretty threatening
obstacles, but they as yet are summer clouds which seem to be dissipating
through the smiles of our Heavenly Father. House's affair I think is
dead. I believe it has been held up by speculators to drive a better
bargain with me, thinking to scare me; but they don't find me so easily
frightened. In Virginia I had to oppose a most bigoted, narrow, illiberal
clique in a railroad company, which had the address to get a bill through
the House of Delegates giving them actually the monopoly of telegraphs,
and ventured to halloo before they were out of the woods. Mr. Kendall
went post-haste to Richmond, met the