April 13, 1874. Ezra Cornell to Edward Clasbeck: "It is 30 years this month since I purchased the poles for the line between Washington & Baltimore upon which the first wires were suspended, very few had faith in the success of the enterprise at that time, Prof. Morse('s) failure to make the wires work through leaden pipes beneath the surface of the earth had shaken his faith, but the wires were on the poles by 1st May 1844, and the line got to work with remarkable success considering the clumsy instruments we had to work with. Great changes have taken place since that time, but few of us who contributed to the success of the Telegraph remain to witness the fact that it has become the most important agency in the affairs of mankind - and with those few I desire a reunion." April 15, 1874. Ezra Cornell to John Horn describing the development of the telegraph: "The suggestion for putting the wires on poles came to Prof. Morse and myself about the same time from reading the reports in an English work of the necessity Prof. Wheatstone found for putting his wires on poles after a failure in pipes similar to that of Prof. Morse." Topics: Cornell University: Sage College, Agricultural Department; Calumniation of Ezra Cornell by Mr. McGuire in the New York State Legislature regarding financial arrangement of western lands and the founding and endowment of the University; Ithaca Iron Company; Geneva and Ithaca Railroad Company; railroads; Albany Agricultural Works; telegraph industry; women's education; cattle Personal names: Finch, F.M.; Burt, William L.; Greenough, J.; McChain, George; Clasbeck, Edward; Parker, Amasa J.; Roberts, Isaac P. Geography: