The telegraph was invented in 1838 in New York by Samuel Morse, who also invented Morse Code. It works by giving off clicks and clacks in Morse Code. To make one telegraph communicate to another, they must be hooked up by cable.
It works by using electricity to create a circuit. When one pushes down on the button, it closes the circuit, causing the electromagnet to start functioning. When it does, it pulls down the little strip of steel, which is attracted to magnets. When that happens, it makes clicks and clacks. The clicks are when the current is only open for a moment, and the clacks are when the operator holds the button down longer. In Morse Code, the clicks are shown as dots (•) and the clacks are shown as dashes (—).
When vibrating in the wind the telegraph wires apparently hummed musically, almost like the strings of a guitar being strummed. Thoreau was entranced by this phenomenon; he wrote about it often. To him it suggested a harp played not by human fingers, but by air, just air, moving as it will without plans or intentions and creating beauty as it goes. Nice idea, don't you think?
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