Omaha daily bee., 1883-05-24
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT.
"reminiscences Of the Man Who
introduced Gov. Spragu0
to Kate Chase.
A Room With a History.

Cleveland Letter.
ibid you know that it was In this
town that Kate Chase and Governor
Sprague first metz" asked Dol. Dick
Parsons, toying Idly with an after =
dinner cigar, as We sat to-day In the
cosy library of his home or Prospect
street.
Eyes, sir, 1 introduced them my.
self, and they fell In love with each
other right off. 1t was ct the time of
the unwilling Of the Perry monument
down In the park, early In the war.
Governor Chase and his family always
stopped at my house when In Cleve.
land, and Kate was Whiting us then.
Over there" pointing to q leather
covered easy chair In the corner, sis
where Governor Chase used to cit, In
the same chair and on the same spot,
and the room overhead he used to
occupy. Va have always called 1t the
governors room. 1t was In that chair
that he decided to accept the chief
justiceship. He came here one night
and we talked 1t all over, the reasons
for and against his acceptance. l
thought he ought to take It. We sAt
up late, but before he went to bed bis
decision 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 governors chair for an hour
or two talking about the nomination,
and feeling pretty blue that day.
Then he opened bis mall, and an.
swered q lot of dispatohes from that
table.
about Kate Chase2 Oh, yes.
Well, the Perry ceremonies lasted
over several days, ending with q ball
at the Kennard house. My wife and
Kate and / drove down In my car.
risge. We had barely entered the hall
when we met Sprague. I presented
him TO the ladies. He and Kate went
of together, and for the rest Of the
evening whenever we saw n of them
we were pretty lure to see the other.
II was q case of mutual and instant
infatuation. Rhode Island had sent
q d%eputation to share In the celebra.
ton, because Parsons, Of my family,
by the way, and who was Perry's right
hand man In the fight on the lake, was
q Rhode Islander. Sprague was attend.
cd by his full staff aud q governors
guard of about 100, with q fine band
of music. They made a gorgeous dis
play and stunning impression. He
wa tho only man In black clothes In
the whole party, and being young and
handsome and splendidly surrounded,
he seemed exactly suited to Kate's
brillianoy and beauty, for she was not
only the most brilliant girl, but the
most brilliant woman I ever met.
Her vlvaoious manne and graceful
figure, clear complexion, chestnut
hair, and expressive eyes commanded
every ones admiration. So was 1t a
wonder they took to each other2 I
remember very we'll how, when it was
getting late that night, and We wanted
to 60 heme, Kate came over to us with
Sprague and persuaded US to stay
longer. / believe the celebration
ended with the ball, I can't
['huember whether Sprsgue
MI 1 here before he left
Sty;ome, but in any event he went to
darlington the next winter. Kate WAS
-. ing there. They met again, and
within o year of their introduction
were married. I believe that mean
while Sprague became interested In a
widow who afterward married here
and lived In the big houss on Euclid
venue now owned by the Union club.
But when Sprague and Kate met again
the old flame was famed, he forgot
the widow, and q wedding soon fol
lowed. They came here on their
bridal trip, and of course had the
governors room.
II don't know much OF the early
period Of their married life, because
soon after the wedding I went a. con.
sui to Rio Jeneiro and didn't hear
about them. But some years before
publicity vas given to their relations
Hates friends knew that ii had been
hssty and mistaken marriage.
Sprague's dissipated habits, however
varied, were not all that made them
unhappy. The truth was that they were
not Of oongeniAl temperament or dis
position. A. far back o. 1878 or
1879 Kate informed me that their
relations for two years had been Of
the mort distant character, and long
before that they had ceased to be A.
tractive to each other. 1t was sad In.
deed that n 70 well fitted to make
home . paradise should have found It
q purgatory, and while all her friends
deplored the misfortune 1t was but
natural that We should have been graf.
flied when at last the certainty sp.
peared of her release from a mismated
alliance. The mistake was discovered
and the end foreshadowed long before
Conkling appeared upon the scene In
any capacity"