The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-15
KATE CHASE AND spRAGUE.
bow They Became Acquainted-A Hasty
Marriage and Its Result.

marriage and It's Result.
Cleveland Special.
Did you know that it was in this town
that Kate Chase and Governor Sprague first
metz asked Colonel Dick Parsons toying
idly with an after-dinner cigar as we sat to-
day in the cozy library of his home on Pros
pect street.
eyes, sir; introduced them myself, and
they fell in love with each other right off. 1t
was at the time of the unwilling of the Perry
monument down in the park, early in the
war. Governor Chase and his family al
ways stopped at my house while in Cleve-
land, and Kate was visiting us then.
Over there" pointing to leathercovered
easy-chair in the corner, lis where Governor
Chase used to sit, in the same
cnalr and on the same spot and the room
overhead he used to occupy. We have al
ways called it the Governors room. 1t was
Ill 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
60 take it. We sat up late, but before he
went to bed his decision was reached and the
next day in this room he wrote out his &C.
ceptance. Garfield came here the second day
after his nomination. He sat in the Gov
ernor's chair for an hour or two talking
about the nomination, and feeling pretty
blue that day. Then he opened his mail,
and answered a lot of dispatches from that
table.
about Kate Chase? Oh, yes. Well, the
Perry ceremonies lasted 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. l 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 a case of mutual and in
slant infatuation. Rhode Island had sent
deputation to share in the celebration, be-
cause Parsons of nv family, by the Wav and
who was Perrys right-hand man in the fight
on the lake, was a Rhode Islander. Spraguc
was attended by his full staff and q Govern
ors guard of about hundred, with a fine
band of music. They made a gorgeous dis
play 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 Kate's brilliancy and beauty, for
she was not only the most brilliant girl but
the most brilliant woman, | ever met Her
vlvacious manner and graceful figure, clear
complexion, chestnut hair, and expressive
eyes commanded everyone's admiration. So
was it wonder they took to each other? l
remem Der very well how, when it was get
ting late that night and we wanted to go
nome, Kate came over to us with Sprague
and persuaded us to stay longer [ believe
the celebration ended with the ball | can't
IelneluDer whether SpfaSue called here be-
fore he left for home, but in any event he
went to Washington the next winter. Kate
was living there. They met again, and with
IN year of their introduction were married.
believe that meanwhile Sprague became
interested in a widow who afterward mar
red 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 famed ne forgot the
widow, and wedding soon followed They
came here on their bridal trip, and of course
had the Governors room.'
81 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 re-
lations Kate's friends knew that it had been
a hasty and mistaken marriage. Sprague's
dissipated habits however varied, were not
all that made them unhappy. The truth
was they were not of congenial temparent or
disposition. AS far back as 1873 or 1879
Kate informed me that their relations for
two years had been of the most distant char
acter, and long before that they had ceased
to be attractive to each other. 1t was sad
indeed that one so well fitted to make homo
a paradise should have found it purgatory,
and while all her friends deplored the mis-
fortune it was but natural that we should
have been gratified when at last the certainty
appeared of her release from q mismated al
lance. The mistake was discovered and the
end foreshadowed long before ConkliAg ap-
peared upon the scene in any capacity"