Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-04-22
SENATOR SPRAGUE.

sLittIe RhOdy'' at Home-Sketch of
His sanctum in Washington-His
Personal Appearance = A lively
ents-Hfs Opinion of "That TeIe-
graph Pole sherman and "ThOse
Pixies, CattelI and Warner" - He
Says He IL Crazy, Like All Great
Reformers = He is not After the
Presidency, but If He Got IL Would
Give Onice-Hunters "Jesse.''
From the New York Herald. 15th.]
WASHINGTON, April IA. 1869.
Senator Sprague being the lion of the
hour, if not the coming man of the Nine
teenth century, your correspondent, as
in duty bound, paid his respects to him
yesterday afternoon at his splendid resi-
dence, on the corner Of Sixth and E
streets. He admires the Herald, and
the correspondent thereof had no
trouble in gaining ready access to him,
though he waived an interview with
most other people, as the stupendous
subject in which he is now engaged alb
serbs his mind so greatly that he declines
the discussion Of aught else, and cannot
tolerate the ordinary and usually friv-
olous topics Of conversation. His house,
of which his father-in-lsw, Chief Justice
Chase, is joint occupant, is one of those
roomy European style of residences, with
a wide hallway and all sorts of apart
ments mp and down stairs adapted to the
needs of refined and luxurious family.
The furniture is of the richest kind and
distributed about the rooms in that sty
of careless elegance which so much
pleases the artistic eve. 1t is not the
furniture that an illiterate psrvenu
would select, but just such IS one of edu-
Gated and independent taste would group
together to fulfil at once the purposes OF
use and ornament. Going up stairs we
passed the grand old form of the Chief
Justice, whose presence alone would
grace the handsomest palace in the world.
He tripped tightly down stairs, wearing
that inevitable and charming look
of bounteous benevolence that bespeaks
one of natures own noblemen. We
found the Senator from Rhode Island in
his study, reclining before the fire,
wrapped in loose and well-worn dress
ing gown, and apparently lost in thought
beyond hope Of awakening. The study
appeared in itself q study, with all kinds
Of curious traps lying around loose.
Books on top Of Bohemian vases, won
derfully carved paper knives, odd looking
ink bottles, pen wipers, and host OF
other articles of stationery on the msntel
piece, on the marblc-top wsshstand, on
the writing table and on the floor. Books
and pamphlets everywhere, and the New
York Herald spSead out to throw a food
of light over al: General Hasted sat
at the table driving away with pen.
Near the Senator'S chair stood small
tray-holder, laden with the abstemious
fare of a student, consisting of coffee
minus milk, and toast minus butter.
We took a long look at the Senator'S
face to see If we could find therein any
trace Of the mslsdy called craziness,
which bis enemies conveniently attribute
to him. There was none in the eye at
least, and the other features ore not
generally known to offer any sure indi-
cation Of the complaint in question.
Sprague looks old on near acquaintance.
he has a small head, small features, large,
lustrous eyes, sligktly dashed with dim
ness that uecessitates the wearing OF
glasses. His face is Of the progressive
American type Of the present generation,
iuss such as you see hurrying along
Braadway in the morning tide Of travel
TO Wall street aud the down town regions
Of wealth and commerce. Sprague might
have been a fast young man at some pc
riod Of his life, or he might have been