The New York herald., 1869-04-28
S p r A G U ( !.

Their Appearance and Mode Of Working
The Two Families of Rhode Island-Ths
sprasues and the Brownsville Burnside
Address.
CRANsToN, r. l., April 20. 1869.
Sprague's print works are mere. From this village
goes forth daily enormous quantity OF those cali
GOES that enter into the dressing Of our women all
over the land. 1t Ia very interesting place and 10
all the time increasing In growth and prosperity.
Under the kindly and intelligent guidance OF Mr..
George Harris 1 went over these works yesterday
and saw great deal that was at once curious and
impressive. First we paid visit to Amasa Spragues
stables, saw his horses numbering, perhaps,
forty altogether, some OF them very beautiful crea-
lures, especially that famous trotter Rhode Island
a dark brown horse, with short powerful limbs, and
as gentle as gazee. His horses are kept in q
series OF pens within stones throw OF Narragan.
set Park. Amasa sprague's character may be a
little understood from the fact that finding fault
with some arrangement in the old trottlng park he
went to work and constructed this new park at
Narraganset which may fairly challenge cOmpari-
son with any In the country 1t is without the
natural scenic beauties OF the Jerome race course,
but purely as trottng ground, with perfect fittings
In the shape OF stables stands, &C., hardly think
it be surpassed. 1t is large enterprise for
man. To Amasa Sprague 1t IL no more than the
purchase Of billiard table. This village has q
entire atmosphere. That long tandem team
OF horses drawing some five tons of calico cases
have the letters A. 4 W. S. on the harness. These
initials run over everything. You find them
on the calico boxes, on the fire engine, the ma
cbinery, on thousand things Sprague owns all
the eye rests upon. Stretching away to the horizon
is farm Of immense proportions. the produce OF
which contributes to the support of the operatives In
the MILL These people live in cottages built by the
SpraRues, neat, comfortable residences, laid ont In
streets and painted white They buy their meat,
groceries, dry goods, drugs and all the rest that
enter into the list OF domestic consumption at q
weri s4OO,oOo It is fine store, very ceanly sept,
and Q good deal superior to ordinary stores OF
similar character The meat s sold four five cents
cheaper than in the city ana has fresh, juicy look,
not common in our markets.
The calico works lie In a hollow and are scattered
around cOnfusedly. You enter by an office through
which only certain class OF people is permitted to
pass 1t appears that men belonging to other print
here and Stealing spragnc's patterns. Steal Steal.
ing is bad practice anyhow, but stealing
sse M rs thss was eorSnE sse
patterns are the most beautiful in our American
market. There Is fres hness and an artistic finish
about them that makes them popular. To steal
them was therefore very positive acc OF criminaty
and thus occurs that people whose characters
unknown debarred from looking over the works.
The first nOor you enter contains the calico ready
for shipment, and all you see covering space Of
comes in and goes out in one day. It il vast col.
lection, enough one would think to clOthe all the
women and babies In the land. You naturally go up
stairs to see by what process all these elegant goods
come into existence. You are pointed out the rolls
OF unbleached cloth just after arriving from the cot.
is the beacherya very interesting place. but fear.
fully warm and moist to the fancy OF stranger.
boiling water endless yards Of muslin. 1t goes
IN brown and comes out Immediately white. It Is
then dried and printed But rst this brown muslin;
tremendous speed over q red hot cylinder. This
process takes or that delicate fur which adheres to
the muslin and leaves 1t clear and smooth as sheet
OF paper The printing would present q botohed
appearance If this operation was neglected. In one
engrave on coated copper cylinders the patterns
that are transferred to the muslin. This is undoubt-
edy the most Interesting feature Of the mills There
strument over sheet OF paper on which the design
Of the pattern Is sketched Above her head is
music box, and receiving at every revolution .
series OF marks from diamond dies that cut
ing Impression. The design over which the
eiri moves the instrument is considerably
the cylinder This Is necessary, as these delicate
dots and circles would otherwise require the ncon-
properly when sse have
their functions they are shaved of and made ready
for for another n engraving; % The Psntograpn machines
patterns is an operation Of great care involving as
much exercise OF inventive skill might contribute
to the balancing OF the dome Of st. Peters, The
proper arrangement OF the colors in calico pattern
IL another operation requiring skill and attention.
are fearfully unpopular with the ladies'. Sprague's
have the advantage IN that respect. They wash and
wear well These works would take week to de-
scribe IN detail. They show. taken altogether, o
power OF giant proportions. The ring OF that i'm
mense machlnery Is Impressive. You go away from
such elements OF industry and enterprise haa
strength and greatness that bids defiance to poti
The people who work In the mills are principally
foreigners They are mostly from England and Ger.
wan MAN ,sq Sre ordey ts satisfied apparently
CHEEKY contentnent that seems to be the reward Of
honest labor They live better than ever they could
cleaner better ventilated purer every way than what
you see around Manchester or Bremen.
Across here, ut the other side OF the village, they
have school for their children. which was started
by the Spragues Their religious welfare attended
70 by ministers OF dinerent denominations employed
Thus we see whole community of persons whose
support In every way depends upon the house Of
Spraaue which comprises two young men, one
OF whom is Just now so prominent in poll
tics; the other has an utter contempt for
Here we have the Cranston Nils, to which
Then we have the Baltic Mills, an immense concern
over nine hundred feet long, and the operatives OF
which i've IN two hundred aud forty houses built By
Mills, the Quidneck Arctic. Central Falls Augusta
Me-; Morgan Perkins Sheet Iron Company, Rhode
Island Horseshoe Company, Rhode Island Loco
motive Works. American Horse Nail Company,
Nicholson File Company, Comstock Foundry Com
pany Union Railroad Company, Boston Wheat and
Bread Company Providence and New York Steam
ship Company. kennebeck Land ana Lumber Com
pany Builders Iron Foundry Company, Phoenix
Company. Now come the farms:-Pear Farm,
Greenwich. Howard, Harris, MIR, Reservoir,
Johnston, Cranston, Natick, Quidneck, Arctic.
Waldos, South Windham, Bingham, Stirling,
Augusta and Pocassett The timber land in Maine
comprises about a million acres. From there comes
the wood that makes the cases for Spragues goods.
The other farms are agricultural. The average size
OF each IL about two hundred acres. Then, again,
they great deal OF real estate In houses scat
tered about the city OF Providence. The entire
bulk OF this property is something enormous.
Having given some idea OF the Spra1re possess
sons let me allude to the Browns. They own tracts
OF land In the heart OF Providence lot of which
would make the fortune OF poor man. Their real
estate as valuable any around your central park,
can he counted by acres. Al Ionsdac they have i'm.
mense mills and employ "a many people as Sprague
does nj Cranston, They have very dnn machinery