The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-11-22
MISCELLANY.
The Two Houses of Rhode Island.

A teeth-chattering shiver recently per-
vaded the. marrow of Providence. Ru-
mors got abroad that the Spragues, A. 81
w. Sprague, Manufacturers, We're liable to
fail for SI4,000.000i No one can appre-
ciate the significance of such a. poftent,
who has not known Rhode Island. Rhode
Island may beedescribed rs aspaire of shears,
one side of which is the 5SpragIles, and the
other is Brown & Ives. If the Spragues
were TO fail. or if Brown & Ives were to
fail, Rhode Island would cease to exist as
acomposite character; she would become
simply Brown & Ives or the Spragues, ac-
cording to which party survived. As per-
haps no other community in the world is
governed by the alternate triumphs of two
great rival manufacturing firms, this
threatened overthrow of the Spragues is a
proper OCCASION for Calculating this feature
of Rhode Island polity.I
A. & w. Sprague are the most spread
ing firm, and in the nation at large per-
llaIls tfIe Ts20st iliuStrIU9Is. 60y. " imam
Sprague, we all remember, offered to lead
Rhode Island troops to. the gulf in the re-
bellion, and perhaps did so-part way, at
least. He.wen the senatorship, which he
still retains, and the daughter of Chief
Justice Chase for a wife. The two broth
ers are youngish men. and decidedly
'sfolksy and free and easy in their deal
ings with people. Anasa, the elder mar
ried factory girl, and lnade wise choice,
too, It's said The business habits Of the
Spragues are of the very latest style of
enterprise, Although the great bulk of
their immense wealth is in w0olen and cot
ton mills and print works, they have Of late
years extended their investments into a
thousand extraneous channels. Their
''irons in the fire y are almost numberless.
They have been attempting to improve a
great water power at Augusta, Me-, have
opened extensive manufactures in Penn
sylvania, invested some hundreds ofthou-
sands in the treasure-hunting expedition
to South America, etc., .,etc. All the profits
from their immense plant are speedily
"plowed in = to some new and perhaps
distant enterprise, and cash surpluses are
never allowed to embarrass the house.
They represent, in short, the modern
American spirit of attempt-all. According
to the fashion of the times, they live mu-
nificently, lend their gorgeous presence
and patronage to the: Cranston races, and
entertain poor ministers during the sum-
n1er months with most unstinted gene
rosity.
Precisely opposite to them in all things
are Brown & Ives. Brown 81 Ives are
slightly venerable, very aristocratic, very
reserved and very asttIte gentlemen, who
live in the grand, old way, don't trouble
themselves to take off their hats toordina-
ry people. and would not feel at all hon.
ored by the presidency of the Cranston
Park Association, the company of impe-
cunious elergyInen, or, perhaps we might
say, by a seat in the United States Senate
Their manufacturing interests in the State
of Rhode Island are immense, and exceed
in value. it is said, these of the Spragues
They keep their business well up, and in
vest sometimes in extensions of it, but
never go into any enterprise out.of thell
line or neighborhood. A gold mine IL
Massachusetts or a Niagara in Maine woulo
be no temptation to their capital. Theh
surplus earnings are inyestedin real estate
and it is the common tradition that Brown
& Ives own half the State. They owT
acres upon acres in the heart of Provi
dence, and if a buyer goes to them to ash
f. the price of lot their invariable reply is
We buy real estate; we never sell it. ;
Their management savors of the old style
safe cautious, conservative, but remorse
lessly profitable.
These two houses of Rhode Island moi
only manage her industries, but they ruls
the State and all her interests. The pres!
OF the State is of one party or the other
The Press is the alias of the Spragues
and the Journal only another name fol
Brown & Ives. Even the college, Brown
University (which derives its name from
an ancestral BROWN, is torn with the dis
sensions of the opposing fends. The war
ring interests and the doinineefing of tbs
party most powerful with the corporation
Of the University have made the presiden
tlal chair martyrs seat. Gifts from on,
OF the rival houses have been declined By
the University out Of fear of offending tht
other. The sale of the land scrip awarded
to the college by the government fell int
the hands of an agent of Brown & Ives
and had to be investigated by Congress, S,
great stir was made by Sprague about ii
and the University realized little from
lands which have since sold for great ad
vance. The two parties have had NOR