Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-11-26
History OF the Sprague Family.
From the New York Times Nov

| When we remember that two families
of Spragues, unacquainted in the ear
liest days OF the New England colo
nies-Francis Sprague, who arrived at
Plymouth in the ship Anne, In July,
1923, and Ralph, Richard and William
! Sprague, of Upway, Dorsetshire. Eng
land, who went to Salem, Mass, in
1629-it is not surprising that the two
! families, from fusion, of which the
Spragues, of Providence, are descended,
should have so marked place in the
history of New England. The records
of Rhode Island TEEN with chronicles
of the Sprague family, one cf whom
represented Providence in the General
Assembly of the Colony IN 1896.
William Sprague, the founder of the
fortunes of the A. wv. Sprague Manu-
featuring Company, was the second son
of Seth Sprague, of Duxbury, who was
the fruit of the union of the two fami-
lies of which [ have spoken. He start
ed small mill in Cranston in 1911,
soon after Samuel Slater, an English
man, had erected his cotton mill, the
first in the United States. in the neigh
borhood In time he enlarged his
business, and added sawmills to his
other business. He was thoroughly
prosperous man, and when he died, in
1886, he left large property to his
two sons, Amasa and William. the
former of whom was the father of the
present men. Amasa Sprague married
Miss Mitchell, of Mayfower parentage,
thereby still keeping up the early
colonial prestige Of the family. Mrs.
Sprague is still alive. The brutal
murder of Amasa Sprague in 1S43,
while quietly walking about his own
farm, will no doubt be still wildly
called to mind by many. He was shot
dead by miscreant, who paid the
penalty of his crime on the gallows,
simply because he had opposed
the mans application for a IL
cense to sell liquor. Mr.. Sprague
left two sons and two daughters
Amasa and William Sprague, and Mrs.
latham and Mrs. Doyle, the wife of
Sprague's partner and younger bro
ther, William, took an active part in
public affairs. He was elected to Con-
gress in 1882, Governor of Rhode Is
land in 1888, and United States Sena-
tor in 1912. He died in 1856, leaving
one son, Byron Sprague, and one
daughter, the late Mrs. Hoyt, both of
whom are since dead. How the bust
ness of A. & W. Sprague grew and
multiplied during the last and present
generations, till it reached It's present
colossal proportions, is too we'll known
to need recapitulat1on. Undoubtedly
it's too rapid growth and extension in
different manufactures has led to the
present trouble. With cotton mills,
delaine mills, print works, iron works,
and numerous other enterprises, the
Spragues have had too much to Carry
for troublous times, and are now COM
PEELED to ask their friends and neigh
bors to help them to sustain the
weight.
Apropos to this matter, L will relate
an incident told to me some three or
four years ago by Senator William
Sprague himself, and which comes in
very pertinently at the present mo-
ment. The Samuel Slater to whom l
have alluded above, did not prosper
with his cotton-mill so well as his
friend and neighbor, William Sprague,
OF Cranston, did with his, and he was
compelled to summon his creditors to-
gether. While the meeting of Slater's
creditors was in session, Sprague
passed by driving a load of lumber to
market from his saw-mill. He was
called in, and his advice in the matter
was requested. After listening to re-
cital of the state of affairs, and unlimit-
ed expressions Of sympathy, but hear
ing no one propose to help poor Slater
out Of his difficulties, he exclaimed
somewhat testify:
g What's the use of talking about
mpathy? If friend Slater is an honest
man, as I take him to be, the only
sympathy worth anything to him is
practical relief. I'll contribute $780,
900 to friend Slater If you will do the
same.
The creditors Immediately raised the
money, and Mr.. Slater resumed bust
ness. ~