Mr. Morse’s address was listened to with deep attention, and greeted at the close with great and continued applause.
Among the last, but not the least, of the honors paid Professor Morse, was the erection of his statue in Central Park, New York, by the telegraph operators of the United States and the British provinces. The ceremony of unveiling the monument took place on June 10, 1871.
Many delegates were present from all parts of the country to witness the function.
In the evening a reception was held in the Academy of Music, at which the aged inventor was present, when he bade farewell to “his children of the telegraph.”
He did not long survive this event. He passed away full of years and honors on April 2, 1872.
The Telegraph in Canada
Although the electric telegraph system of Cooke and Wheatstone had been established as early as 1837 in England, yet no move was made to adopt it in Canada.
After the Morse experimental line between Baltimore and Washington had proved a success and was thrown open for public business and wires were being carried to the leading business centres in the United States and a line of telegraph was projected connecting New York City with Buffalo, public interest was aroused in Canada, more especially in the Western section.