Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-11-07
THE SPR.fG YES.
A STATEMENT OF THEIR IMMENSE BUSINESS
AND POSSESSIONS.


The financial difficulties in which the n.
& w. Sprague Manufacturing Company of
Providence, Rhode Island, are involved
having caused the affairs of that concern
to figure largely in the news columns of the
daily press, as well rs in the conversation
in business and other circles, the follow
ing statement of the character and extent
OF their immense business interests is of
special interest. Their manufacturing and
other business enterprises are said to be
larger and more widely extended than
those of any other single fran in the Unit
ed Slates:-
4. IL w. Spraguc own tho CrInston, X.
l., print works, the largest works of the
kind in the country, the cotton manulact-
uring villages Of Arctic and Quidnic in
Rhode Island, and Baltic in Connecticut,
in each of which villages there are very
large mills, and they have also mills at
Valley Falls, X. l., aud Augusta, Me, and
are largely Interested in the Atlantic de-
laine mills at Olneyvile, Il. |. Other man
uiacturing properties, which they own or
are largely interested in, are the Providence
horse shoe company, the Perkins sheet iron
company and the Sprague moving ma hine
company, and they own a LAT &c stone quar-
nv in Oneco, Windham county, Ct, which
has given employment to several hundred
work men and has furnished large qunnt-
ties Of stone for building purposes in Prov
idence and elsewhere. They own branch
railroad from these quarre. to the Hartford,
Providence and FiShkill line, and own
majority Of the stock in the Union horse
railroad at Providence, the Providence and
Pawtuca ct horse railroad and the New
York and Providence steamship company,
formerly known as the Neptune line. In
landed they iNyplVp hundred
acres in Cranston, Johnston and other vii
lagos near Providence, for which an Oiler
OF 81 100000 has been refused, thousands Of
| acres of valuable timber lands in Maine,
| large amount OF land in South Carolina,
| and a valuable stock farm and other prop
| erty in Kansas. They Hn the well known
| trolting park at Cranslon, which cost half
| Il million of dollars. They have the con-
| troll of the First, Second aud Globe Ma
| tional banks at Providence, aud the Frank
| lin and Cranston savings banks, are idenli-
| fed with the City and Equitable, and sew
| eral other Providence insurance companies
as heavy or controlling stock holders, and
| are largely concerned in many other Imam
| cial interests and industrial enterprises.
| They have always been ready TO take stock
| In any business or manufacturing cuter-
| prise which seemed worthy of patronage,
| and have generously extended a helping
| hand TO Young and struggling business
| men when help was needed and was valu-
| able. In addition to ali their other bnsi-
ness they have carried on a large general
| mercantile business, probably larger than
| the combined business of any half dozen
| mercantile establishments in tue Stale. At
| their store at Elmwood, Providence, any
| thing can be bought from tin whistle to a
| house keeping outfit in furniture, and in
all their factory villages they have large
| general supply stores for their operatives.
| An army Of men is dependent upon them
| Tnr nrnf iun do u n a
| ployment, and ii is TO their credit as EN-
ployers of labor that they are universally
| commended by their operatives as Just and
| generous in their appreciation OF services
and their award of wages. They are IA
nous for putting just the right man in the
right place, and when they put him there
they make II an object for him to stay there
| and do his best,
In addition to these joint interests of the
firm which have been mentioned, each O
he two brothers forming the firm holds
large and valuable property, and Amasa
the younger of the two, has been building
the past season the finest residence in the
State, at Warwick, at an estimated cost o
several hundred thousand dollars, and VIII
liam, the senator ownsa very fine residence
at Kingston. Amasa is also large owner
of blooded horses and other fine stock, anC
tho amount of property which they hole
Jointly and individually il almost iabu
lous. But cotton mills aud costly resi-
dences are not easily sold on II tight anC
panicky money market, and for two o
three weeks past the firm has been har,
pressed for money TO meet the current de
mands upon them for labor and for thei
maturing paper.
There is no homily to read upon loose o
reckless business management In their case
for no business has been more carefully AM
methodically managed than theirs, but ii
, so widely ex Tended that 1t quickly respond
to any financial pressure in any part of th
country. Tho practical management of th
vast manu- featuring business which tn
Spragues have carried on has been unde
the management of Amasa, who was bre
TO the business at Cranston, while william
has had the charge of the finances. 1t
generally understood that since tho mon
ey-raising troubles commenced, the brur
Of the financial, as well as the manufactur
ing management, has fallen upon Amasa.