It was at the height of the Civil War when Nevada mailed its Constitution to Washington, DC, for admittance into the union as the 36th state, which might explain why it never arrived. Determined to make it into the Union before the upcoming presidential elections,
General Records of the Department of State
The unfortunate task of transmitting the 16,543 word document via Morse code befell two of California Telegraph Company's best telegraphers: Messrs Hodge and Ward, under the supervision of James H. Guild. Two days later, the telegram arrived on the other side of the country in a series of dots and dashes that would later translate into the 175 page Nevada State Constitution.
At the time it was the longest telegram ever sent and, apart from tying up the War Department's telegraph line for 5 hours, it made a big impact on American history: Nevada's admittance into the Union helped ensure Abraham Lincoln's reelection.
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