Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-11-06
History of The Sprague Family.

When we remember that two fami-
lies of Sprague, unacquainted and IN no
way related, were represented in the
earliest days of the New England colo
nists-Francis Sprague, who arrived at
Plymouth in the ship Anne, in July,
1923, and Ralph, Richard and William
Sprague, three young men, sons or Ed
ward Sprague, of UpWay, Dorsetshire,
England, who went to Salem, Mass, in
1629--it is not surprising that the two
families, from a 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 of whom rep
resented Providence in the General AS
sembly of the Colony in 1896.
William Sprague, the founder OF the
fortunes of the A. 81 w. Sprague Man
ufacturing Company, was the second
son of Seth Sprague, of Duxbury, who
was the fruit of the union of the two
families of which | have spoken. He
started a 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 bust
ness, and added saw mills to his other
business. He was thoroughly pros
porous man, and when he died, in 1886,
he left a large property to his two sons,
Amasa and William, the former of
whora was the father Of the present
men.
Auasa Sprague married Miss Mitchell,
e Inv Cfi1l
keeping up the early colonial prestige of
the family. Mrs. Spragpe is still alive.
The brutal murder of Amasa Sprague in
1843, 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 pen
atty of his crime on the gallows, simply
because he had opposed the mans APP
plication for license to sell liquor.
Mr.. Spregue left two sons and two
daughters andAVilliam ,Sprague,
and Mrs. latham and Mrs, Doyle, the wife
Of the present Mayor of Providence.
Mr. Spraeue's partner and younger
brother, William, took aN active part in
public affairs, He was elected to Con-
gress in 1885, Governor of Rhode Island
in 1888, and Unitrd States Senator in
1912. He died in 1856, leaving one son.
Byron SprasUe, and one daughter, the
late Mrs. Hoyt, both of whom are since
dead. How the business of A. j. w
Sprague grew and multiplied during the
last and present generations. till II
reached its present coloss2l proportions.
is too well known. to need recapitulation.
Undoubtedly its too rapid growth and
extension in different branches of maui
facture has led to the present trouble.
With cotton mills, delaine mills. print
works, and numerous. other enterprises,
the Spragues have had too much to car
ry for troublous times, and are now
compelled to ask their neighbors to help
them TO sustain the weight.
Apropos to this matter, I 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 moment.
The Samuel Slater, to whom have al
luded above, did not prosper with his
cotton mill so wen as his friend and
.neighbor, William Sprague of Cranston,
did with his. and he was compelled to
summon his creditors together. While
the meeting Of Slater's creditors was in
session, Sprague passed by driving load
of lumber to. market from his saw mill.
He was called in, and bis advice in the
matter was requested. After listening
to q recital of the state of affairs and
unlimited expressions of sympathy, but
hearing no one propose to help poor Sla-
ter out of his difficulties, he exclaimed,
somewhat testify
"What's the use of talking about SYM
pathy If friend Slater is an honest
man, as take him to be, the only SNIP
pathy worth ANYTHING to him is practical
relief. I'll contribute $4,000 10 friend
Slater if you will do the same. " s.. ..
ness. Cor. Of ". 7. Times.