Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-08-27
THE NORTHWEST
"Ups" and Downs"

twenty-five years ago on tne lUtu Oh
the coming September the monument Of
Commodore Perry, in Monumental
park, in this city, was unveiled amidst
great pomp and ceremony. Present on
that occasion was William Sprague,
then Governor of the little State Of
Rhode Island, and at that time a bache-
lor. of enormous wealth. 1t was on the
evening of September 10, 1850, at q re-
ception given in this city, that Gov
ernor Sprague was presented to Miss
Chase, the accomplished daughter of
Salmon P. Chase, then Governor of
Ohio. Her magnificent beauty and her
spirited conversation fascinated the
young Governor, and the wealth and
position of Governor Sprague at once
made it apparent to the ambitious Ohio
girl that q match with him would give
her distinguished social position, and
aid her in furthering the aspirations
of her father, who aimed to be Presi-
dent of the United States. If there ever
was q devoted daughter, one who had
pride in her father, it was Kate Chase.
Governor Sprague and Miss Chase We're
subsequently married amid all the eclat
that position and high life could give.
After some service in the army
Sprague was finally elected to the
United States Senate. There he was
out of place, for he had no qualifications
that fitted him for seat in the Senate.
He eventually became dissipated in his
habits, and cloud of scandal soon over
whelmed the Sprague mansion, and
unjustly, too, the name of Roscoe Conk-
ling, the warm friend of Chief Justice
Chase, was dragged into print in con-
nection with Mrs. Sprague. The shot
gun scene at the home ofSprague in
Rhode Island is one of the well remem-
bered incidents In this affair. Mrs.
Sprague finally determined upon legal
separation, and after some years of
trouble secured it, and she is now in
Europe with her children, excepting
the Oldest son, who was named after his
father, and who cast his fortunes with
him. ,s.I FJsa.s fsf a.5l #n
Some two or three years ago Govern
or Sprague astonished the country by a
sudden marriage in West Virginia to a
wild yet beautiful woman of that State
who had been divorced from her hus-
band, who since her marriage died under
circumstances that indicated that he
had taken his own life. Sprague at
once hurried his Virginia mountain
bride to his eastern home, and has since
lived there in quiet and retirement.
The eastern newspapers, a few days ago
announced that Willie the only son of
Mrs. Kate Chase and Governor Sprague,
had married Miss Weed, the Youngest
sister of the Governors wife, and
therefore the young man is brother
in-law to his father and stepmother.
He is only twenty-one years old. The
marriage is said to have been q genuine
love match between the two, the lady
being a very handsome and dashing
brunette. OF course such a marriage
will be source of deep sorrow and in
dignation to the first Mrs. Sprague.
The career of Sprague and Miss Chase
is one illustrating the "ups and downs''
oflife. On the 10th of September, 1860,
the name and fame of Salmon P. Chase
was known from one end of the cOun-
try to the other. Lincoln and Douglass
were then the candidates of their re-
spective parties for President, and even
then but few people imagined that in a
few short months the North and South
would be engaged in the deadliest and
most terrific civil war known in history.
Garfield was in the Ohio Senate. Will
liam T. Sherman, an unknown pro-
fessor in military school in Louisiana;
Sheridan quartermaster in the army,
and Ulysses s. Grant, the great soldier,
lying quietly sleeping the 'last sleep
that knows no waking" in the cottage
at Mount McGregor, was then clerk in
aleather establishment at Galena, Ill.
Now his name is immortal, and his
fame as soldier will take the highest
rank in American history. While the
Spragues now illustrate the "downs" OF
people in social and public position, the
last named people represent the ''ups'
of the changes that have occurred in the
last twenty-five years in the United
States.