The Portland daily press., 1869-04-20
How sprasue Makes ThunderbeIts.
THE RHODE ISLAND BoAEHRGEs IN "a WELL
WORN pREssINs-GowN"-How HE LOOKS
AND sPaAKs--Hs OPINION OF HIS

THE RHODE ISLAND BoANRRGEs IN "a WELL
WORN DREssINs-GowN"-How BE LOOKS
AND sPnAKs-HIs OPINION OF HIS
90 -lab AssocIATKs. .as 70
A correspondent of the New York Herald
has taken the trouble to "do" Senator
Sprague. The following extracts from the re-
porters account of his visit will give the peo-
pie of the United States tremendous idea of
the magnitude of the power that has recently
developed itself in the little body of Sprague.
The classic diction employed in speaking of his
Senatorial associates is peculiarly adapted to
give one high opinion of his scholarly attain
ments: 8 dgw tfN a4sf E
His house, of which his father-in-law Chief
Justice Chase, Is a joint occupant, is one of
those. roomy European style of residences,
with wide hallway and all sorts of apart
ments up and down stairs adapted to the needs
of refined and luxurious family. The furni-
ture is Of the richest kind and distributed
about the rooms in that style of careless ele-
gance which.so much pleases the artistic eye.
1t is not the furniture that an illiterate parvs-
nu would select. but just such as one of edu-
Gated and Independents taste would group to-
gether 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 L0e WOrlO. ne bFlppeQ uRubly QOWu
stairs wearing that inevitable and charming
look of bounteous benevolence that bespeaks
one of natures own noblenen. We found the
Senator from Rhode Island in his study, re-
clining before the fire, wrapped in loose and
" dressing gown nsns and
The study appeared in itself a study, with all
kinds Of curious traps lying around loose.
We took long look at the Senator'S face to
see we could find therein any trace Of the
malady called crazinsss, which his enemies
conveniently attribute to him. There was
none in the eye at least, and the ether features
are not generally known TO offer any sure in
dieation of the complaint in question:
Sprague looks old on near acquaintance. He
has a small head, small features, large, lustrous
eyes, slightly dashed with dmness that neces-
states the wearing of glasses. His face is of
the progressive American type of the present
generation, just such as you see hufsying
along Broadway in the morning tide of travel
to Vail street and the down town regions of
wealth and commerce. Sprague might have
been fast young man at some period of his
life, or he might have been a very hard work
ing student OF business; for on the outer edges
of his face there are burrows that one of his
age should not have. He wears his hair some
what long and with extreme carelessness, as
though the comb that nature provides in the
fingers had been the only one he ever made
use Of 1t certainly presents very disnsveled
appearance; but it shows, at least, ne rs ABOVE
the small vanity OF laVisnlnS Oh bne ouOSius VI
his head the time that is better bestowed in
cultiyating the inside. In speaking on the
great subject of reconstructng the present
Ticious system Of finance and taxation he ap-
nears like one who had in his minds eye some-
thing of such colossal proportions that the
bald vocabulary of the English language and
| the finite powers of expression vouchsafed tD
man were wholly inadequate to represent its
immensity Therefore It is that he hesitates
as he speaks and his eye moves troublously as
though he were inwardly swearing at the inef-
fcaey. OF words to translate at once the
thoughts that heave tumultuously in his soul.
Sprague is man without the faintest trace of
outward afieetation. He could roll in his car
riage with lacqaeys and livery if he chose, but
ne prefers to walk, and we remember several
times seeing him bent down and the inscrut-
able ms chinsry of thought working, no doubt.
at a hard rate within Some OF the results OF
these long and lonely walks are now before
| the world, crude In shape, perhaps, put preg
nant with the image of immortal truth:
mild hammered man is the Senator rrom
Rhode Island; not timid, not diffident In as
sertinp his opinions, and ridiculously lndlner-
ant fo the criticism of the whole world and the
worlds wife combined.
"Well. Senator" said we, the workingmen
of Washington call upon you tonight What
will won have to say to thsm?'
ssThere it is, he replied, pointing to seven
or eight pages of manuscript which General