The Baltimore County union., 1883-05-26
sPRAGUE's coURTsHIP.


CLARA JULIEN.
sPRAGUE's coURTsHIP.
Meeting Kate Chase at Cleveland and Fall
ing In Love Mt First Sight.
c1ereiaad Lsnsr 10 PAita. Tae., Nay I2,L, lass.
"Did you know that il was in this
town that Kate Chase and Governor
Sprague first metz" asked Colonel Dick
Parsons, toying idly with an aiter-din-
ner cigar, As we sat TO day in the cosy
library Of his home on Prospect street.
"Yes, sir. introduced them myself,
ard they fell in love with each other
right of. 1t was at the time OF the un-
yelling Of the Perry Monument, down
in the Park, early in the war. Cover
nor Chase and his family always stop
ped at NV house when in Cleveland,
and Kate was visiting us then. Over
there" pointing To- 4 lcather-covercd
easy chair in the corner, sis where
Governor 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 j; the Governors
room. II WAS in that he decided TO
accept the Chief Justiccship. He came
here one night and we talked il all
over, the reasons for and against his
acceptance. thought he ought to
take il. 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 acceptance. Garfield came here
the second day after his nomination.
He sat in the Governors chair for an
hour or two talking about the nomina-
tion and feeling pretty 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 lasted over several
days, ending with ball at the Kennard
House. My wife and Kate and drove
down in my carriage. We had hardly
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. II was case of mutual and
instant infatuation, and no wonder
Rhode Island had sent deputation TO
share in the celebration because Parsons
-ofmy family, by the way, and who
was Perry's right hand man in the
fight on the lake-wasa Rhode Islander.
Sprague was attended by his full staff
and a Governors guard ofabout a hun.
drcd, with fine band OF music. They
made n gorgeous display and stunning
impression. He was the only man in
black clothes in the whole party, and
being young and handsome and splen-
didly surrounded he seemed exactly
suited to Rates brilliancy and beauty,
for she was certainly the most brilliant
woman evermct. rvivacious man
ner and graceful figure, clear complex
ion, chestnut hair and expressive eyes
commanded every ones admiration.
So was it wonder they took TO each
othcr1 remember very well how.
when il was getting late that night and
We wanted to go home, Kate came over
to us with Sprague and persuaded us
to stay longer. believe the cclebra-
tion ended with the ball. l can't re-
member weather Spraguc called here
before he left for home, but in any
event he went 10 Washington the next
winter. Kate was living there. They
met again and within year Of their
introduction were married.. ! believe
that meanwhile Sprague became inter.
csted in widow, who afterwards mar
ricd here and lived in the big house on
Euclid avenue now owned by the Union
Club. But when Spraguc and Kate
met again the old fame was famed I;
he forgot the widow and a wedding
soon followed. They came here on
their bridal trip and Of course had the
Governors ROOM
| al don't know much of the carly
period Of their married life, because
soon after the wedding I wen, as Consul
to Rio Janciro and didn't hear about
them. but some years before publicity
was given To their relations Rates friends
knew that IL 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 1873 or 1879 Kate informed me that
their relations for two years had been
| Of the most distant character, and long
before that they had ceased TO be at
traciivc to each other. Il was sad,
indeed, that ono so well fitted to make
home a paradise should have found il a
purgatory, and while all her friends
dcplorcd the misfortune il was but
natural that she should have been graft
fed when at last the certainty appeared
Of her release from mismated alliance
The mistake was discovered and the
end forcshadowed long before Conkling
appeared upon the scene in any capa-
city,"
n0- That Pawtucket schoolma am
who licked fifty-five boys in order to
be sure Of Furnishing the fellow who
whistled, deserves to be classcd among
the muscular ones Of the earth. She
is said to have struck each scholar FIVE
blows, which makes two hundred and
seventy five cracks all told. We doubt
if there are many men whose physical
endurance would be great enough to
accomplish this feat. We can only
think Of one woman at this writing in
the United States who equals the Paw
tucket lady. She lives in Arkansas
At a recent church festival she kissed