Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-12-01
GOV. SPRAGUE'S MISFORTUNE.
nov MS ENoHNous roE1uNE WAS BrILT "
ANp JusT.

How MS rs HHous FuETUNE WAS HrILT uP
ANp JusT.
Prom III, :, Psal Fisss,r Pres
Providence. Nov. 3.-As was sit
ting IN the smoking room Of the Mar
ragansett Hotel this afternoon cunver.
sing with a prominent lawyer of the
city, observed my companion bow to
a short purtly-huilt, dark complexion.
cd gentleman who had ius, entered tt e
room. 1t struck me that / had seeu
the gentleman before aud question
ed my companion as to his identity.
Why rcpliei he, that is. per
haps, the mort noted man in Rhmie
Island to-day. H., has been Governor uf
the State aud United State Senator.
anil one time could write check tor
millions without impnveri,hiug his
credit He Is the originator Of that
once popular saying. 1T will make
the rich richer aud the poor poorer,'
a sentence that was uttered in the
United States Senate. aud which has
been quoted, perhaps, a. many times
~ any ike sentence. He is ex Gov.
William Sprsgue, a man who once
politically owned Rhode Island. hut
Nhn. through the changes that time
has wrought. la, been stripped of his
power aud riches, AMI is reduced tn
that degree Of peuury known As shah
by genteel. Ilis per,oual history il.
'u,lrate- perfectly the fickleness of for.
tune. / have known him for mauy
years, aud am probably a. conversant
with the story of his wrongs a. any
man living. | have seen him when
the question Of money vas hut secou.
dairy with him. aud nos to-day he is
IN comparative ppverty. The troubles
Of the last few years have left indeli.
bic traces upon his face. He is age.
ing fast, and | fear before the eases in
which he Is interested are settled he
will be a wrecked man. / think bis
dark cloud of trouble possesses sil.
yer lining, and that it is gradually
rolling away.
Gov. Sprague Is a man possessed Of
great capabilities, especially for con-
ducting business, as j. aites,ed by the
success in which he carried on the en-.
ofmous interests of the Sprague manu-.
featuring concerns founded by his faith.
er. aud which have made millions of
dollars for their owners through his
management His father, Amasa
Sprague. laid the foundation of calico
pi hitting in America in 1923. erecting
the first mill on the site OF the present
Cranston Print Works. The story of
how Amasa acquired the knawleslge Of
manufacturing calico is an interesting
one. lie had experimental hpsdre,ls
of timea, aud ha,l ruined thousands
Of yards Of cloth ia the vain endeavvr
to discover the great secres, Becom-
ing discouraged at his many tnsucccsc.
iul attempts, but ouly more dtiHmincd
tu possess the secret, he wentt to Eng.
land with the intention Of obtaining
the secret frum the manufacturers there
mt any cost. He could not huy the
secret. however. aud the only way
open to him was to cater the mills ne
a day laborcr at q few phillings a day.
aud gradually work up until be could
be in q p'sitiun TO steal the secret. AT
last he obtained position 10 the col.
oriug roam of gras English print
aud the secret was bis. |
He returned 10 Rhode Island and
started his print works. The business
was a prosperous one, and he laid the
foundation Of the Spraguos great for.
tune. Il 1897 William Sprague a..
ss'med hafge If the property. which
was one ot great responsibility, al. /