Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-05-17
AN IDYL OF LONG AGO.
The First Meeting Of Gov. Sprasue and Kate Chase
Lore at First Sight.

CLEVELAND. Special. Did you know
that it was in this town that Kate
Chase and Gov. Sprague first met?''
asked Col. Dick Parsons, toying idly
with an after-dinner cigar, as we sat to-
day in the coy library of his home on
| Prospect street.
Yes, sir, | introduced them myself,
and they fell in love with each other
right off. 1t was at the time of the I'M
yelling OF the Perry monument down in
the park, early in the war. Gov. Chase
and his family always stopped at my
house when IN Gil seland, and Kate was
visiting us then. Over there, - pointing
TO leather-covered easy chair in the
corner, us where Gov. Chase used to
| sit, in the same chair and on the same
spot, and the room overhead he used to
| occupy. We have always called il the
governors room. 1t was in that
chair that he decided to accept the chief
| justiceship. He came here one night
| and we talked it all over, the reasons
for and against his acceptance.
thought he ought to take it. We sat up
late, but before he went to bed his de-
cision was reached, and the next day in
| this room he wrote out his acceptance.
Garfield came here the second day after
his nomination. He sat in the COVER
| nor's chair for an hour or two talking
about the nomination, and feeling pref
ty blue that day. Then he opened his
mail, and answered lot of dispatches
from that table.
"About Kate Chase? Oh. yes. Well,
the Perry ceremonies last over several
days. ending with ball at the Kennard
house. My wife and Kate and | drove
down in my carriage. We had barely
| entered the hall when we met Sprague
presented HIM to the ladies. He and
Kate went off together, and for the rest
| of the evening whenever we saw one of
them we were pretty sure to see the
| other 1t was case of mutual and in
slant infatuation. Rhode Island had
sent deputation to share in the cele-
bration, because Parsons, of my family.
| by the way, and who was Perrv's right
hand man in the fight on the lake, was a
Rhode Islander. Sprague was attended
| by his full staff and governors guard
of about hundred, with fine band of
music. They made gorgeous display
and stunning impression. He was the
only man in black clothes in the whole
| party, and being young and handsome
and splendidly surrounded he seemed
| exactly suited to Rates brilliancy and
beauty, for she was not only the most
brilliant girl, but the most brilliant
woman ever met. Her viyacious man
ner and graceful figure, clear complex
ion, chestnut hair, and expressive eyes
commanded everyone's admiration.
So was it wonder they took to each
| other? remember very well how,
when it was getting late that night and
we wanted to 90 home, Kate came over
to us with Sprague and persuaded us to
stay longer. believe the celebration
ended with the ball. / can't re-
member whether Sprague called here
before he left for home, but in any
event he went to Washington the next
winter. Kate was living there. They
met again, and within year of
their introduction were married. | be-
lieve that meanwhile Sprague became
interested in a widow who afterward
married here and lived in the big house
on Euclid avenue now owned by the
Union club. But when Sprague and
Kate met again the old flame was fan
ned, he forgot the widow, and a we'd
ding soon followed. They came here
on their bridal trip and of course had
the governors room
| don't know much of the early period
of their married life, because soon after
the wedding | went as consul to Rio
Janeiro and didn't hear about them.
But some years before publicity was
| given to their relations Kate's friends
knew that it had been hasty and mis-
taken marriage. Sprague's dissipated
habits, however varied, were not all
that made them unhappy. The truth
was they were not of congenial tenn
permanent or disposition. AS far back
as 1878 or 1879 Kate informed me that
their relations for two years had been of
the most distant character and long be-
fore that they had ceased to be attrac-
tive to each other. 1t was sad indeed
that one so well fitted to make home a
paradise should have found it purga-
tory, and while all her friends deplored
the misfortune it was but natural that
we should have been gratified when at
last the certainty appeared of her re-
lease from mismated alliance. The
mistake was discovered and the end
foreshadowed long before Conkling APP
peared upon the scene in any capacity"