The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-04-27
THE SPRAGUES IND TIE BROWSS.
The nIontagues and capulets Of Rhode
Island.


interesting sketch of the history and char
acter of the houses of A. & W. Sprague and
Brown & Ives, made somewhat conspicuous
through the speeches of Senator Sprague in
the United States Senate and elsewhere:
A. & W. sPRAGUE.
The house of Sprague started with Anasa
Sprague, the grandfather Of Amasa and VIII.
liam, the present representatives of the house:
He was succeeded by his two sons, Amasa and
William, and thus the firm of A. & ": Sprague
came into existence. At the death of the ''old
Governor" as Mr.. Sprague, the uncle OF the
"two boys' who now control the house OF A.
g. W. Sprague, is generally called. even now,
the business had not yet assumed anything
like its present great proportions. That event
occurred in 1856 and there was at that time
onIy six calico printing machines in the print
works at Cranston. Since then, however, not
only has addition after addition and extension
after extension been put to the mills, until the
mills form an extensive village IN themselves,
but every species of improved machinery has
also been procured and set in motion. In
stead Of six-color machines. The largest num-
ber any machine was capable of printing at the
death OF the "old Governor, there
are in the works Mt Cranston to-day
machines which print twelve. There are
now thirty machines in the works, and
5000 pieces of cloth can be printed and
q
ment is driven by six engines, ranging from 40
to 800 horse power, and the consumption OF
coal per day is not short of LOO tons. Twenty
five donkey engines are scattered over the
establishment, to do special duty whenever
needed. Also trimming machines, washing anu
driving machines, dyeing apparatus, engraving
machines, all the immense and complicated
machinery necessary 20 the manufacture OF the
material for q nowslress. The villages where
the operatives reside are built after Uniform
model, and consist Of story-and-a-half double
houses. In the store at Cranston an imm anse
business is done. The Spragues do their own
slaughterilg, and kill about twenty: five head
Of cattle per week, and sheep and hogs in
proportion. The meat is furnished to their
operatives at four aud Eve cents per pound
cheaper than it can be bought in the Provl-
dence market, and the "store sells goods
of every kind at proportionately low figure,
the sales in single year amounting to
s4OO, 900.
Amasa Sprague resides at Cranston, about
one mile from the city of Providence, and
William lives with his mother in the city of
Providence. What this woman has had to do
with building up an immense business, the
influence of which is felt everywhere in the
haoitualy resort to her for advice, and the
"old Governor" was accustomed to hold her
Judgment in the highest esteem. Her coun-
sells to the old firm Of A. ". Sprague
have been transferred to the new house, and
have proved as beneficial to her sons as to their
father and their uncle. She is now an old lady
OF seventy years. but her faculties are as Vigoe-
GUS as ever.
The house of A. & W. Sprague, as at present
constituted, resembles the old house OF that
name in a striking degree. Amasa Sprague, at
his home at Cranston, is much like Amasa
Sprague, his father. AS the father hated poll
tics, so, too, the son disikes tho turmoil Of
oS.l mo n
business, and his trotters. He has now in his
stables, near the Narragansett Race Course,
an association OF which he is president, much
thoroughbred and blocded stock-the famous
horse Rhode Island and the Dutch Girl amo ng
others. OF Rhode Island he is especially con-
fident. and expecte him to trot his mile in 2:2O
at the June meeting at the Narragansett Park.
But William Sprague. the uncle, and William
n7o1;,;csr. both were governors Of the State,
and both senators Of the United States. In his
recent course in the Senate, William Sprague,
tho Younger, only did what would have been
done by William SpraSue, the elder, under
like circumstances, and it would have been
done by the latter with the same lntrepldlty,
the same disregard Of consequences, and the
same defiance OF the opinions OF others that
the former exhibited in the past few weeks. 1n
these bold acts, apparently 80 incapable OF ex-
planation, Sprague may have calculated to
some extent upon bis "Rhode Islanders"
In the works at Cranston, 1000 hands are
EMPLOYED, besides those engaged at their
other mills. In this there is power as great
as in $50 900 spindles fed by the ingenuity ana
foresight Of Senator Sprague and his brother
BE boasted in one Of his speeches, or perhaps,
rather complained, that small manufacturers
were breaking down because they could not do
as he does. 1t was very vaguely put, and was
not generally understood. He simply meant
that his purchases OF stock were so immense
that those who could not buy IN like immense
quantities cannot compete With him. But ne
also meant to say that he can make better
goods out Of inferior material than any one
else. His great point, however, was that per-
sons who do not own an immense capital can
not borrow. owing to the course OF Legislation
in the last few years. and that men like him.
self, rv their great facilities and large capital,
willingly. Ten Thousand bales of cotton, 2OO0
casks of madder, and proportionate. quantities
of drugs, is no unusual single purchase. They
consumed IL, 900 bales OF cotton the last year,
and within the past five months have bought,
at least, 1000, 600 yards OF cloth from other
manufacturers and printed it in their own
VOL ks at Cranstop.
The Spragues have mills at other places be-
side Providence, even as far away as Augusta,
Maine. Their ''Baltic" mills are an immense
affair. as are also the "Quidnlck, sNatick," !"
sArctic' and "Central Falls" They have be-
side many outside interests. Their farm at
Cranston alone contains two thousand acres OF
land worth from $500 to $500 per acre, and in
all of the following companies they have con-
trolling or very lar re interest:
Rhode Island Locomotive Works, Pei Hns
Sheet lion Company, Phoenix Iron Foundry,
Comstock Foun Try, Rhode Island Horseshoe
Company, American Horse-nail Company, Mich
olson File Company, Boston Wheat and Bread
Company, United States Flax Manufacturing
Company, Providence and New York Steanl-
shio Company. This-yiew scarcely gives an
idea of the immensty of the enterprises, into
many OF which they become engaged by taxing
hold OF the failing enterprises OF others. The
immepsity of the whole can only be judged
from The immensity of any one of the UNDER
takipes named in the foregoing list. All are so
great in themselves that the successful u
duct o! any of them would stamp man as
eminently successful IN business, and give him
the prestige and social influence OF great
wealth.
BROWN IVES.
The house of Brown & Ives antedates the
revolutionary war. It began as commercial
house long before cotton spinning was thought
of. much less had become staple nanutac-
turo ami the source Of wealth ana power.
Always eminentiy conservative, the house
have adhered to old customs and ways to o
remarkable degree. and to this day the account
books which contain the record OF their busi-
ness are marked, "rhe Colony OF Nhoue
Isand;" and tho etyle OF the house has been
Brown & Ives for 80 long time that the mcn1-
orr ~ r,o m r,nnat1, not fo tho contrary Forty