The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-05-20
The Sprague Mansion.

Ex-Governor William Sprague, of
Rhode Island has Canonchet again, his
wife having bought it of Henry c..
Cranston, who in his turn bought it of
Francis ID. Moulton. The latter bought
it at sheriff's sale shortly before his
death for Sol, 200, and Mrs. Sprague
gets it back for 5000
The history of Canonchet, which is a
part OF Narragansett Pier, involves a
large amount of misfortune. The ex-
Governor began the immense building
before disaster overlook him and it has
never been completed 1t was laid out
on one of the grandest plans of modern
buildings, and much work was done on
1T which was thrown away because of
the change ordered by its eccentric
owner. and to some extent bv his first
wife. Mrs. Fate Chase Sprague. The
Spragues finally went into bankruptcy,
and since then the law proceedings
with regard to Canonchet have been
numerous and costly. One fine day the
country was startled with the news that
Sprague had tried to shoot Senator
Conkling at the mansion, or near there.
There had previously been good deal
of talk with regard to the relations ex-
isting between the lady and the Sena-
tor, but it was generally believed that
the latter had merely acted as the coun-
sci of the former in certain legal mat
tiers relating, if not to Sprague, to the
lady's private estate. The husband had
taken considerably to drink, and this
OF course made matters worse. Finally
Mrs. Sprague left the place, never to re-
turn, taking with her her Youngest boy,
the older preferring to share the fort
unes of his father The latter youth is
more or less eccentric, after the pattern
set him, and not long since ran away
with and married a relative of his
fathers second matrimonial choice.
The fortunes of Sprague varied, but
the law held on to him and to Canon
chet for long time. He remarked, his
bride being wealthy woman, and since
then there has been marked improve
ment in his personal conduct and his
financial standing. A couple of years
ago he ran for Governor, and had the
warm endorsement of his chief LAWYER,
General Butler, but was defeated Kate
Chase Spraguo, still a beautiful woman,
is living somewhere in Europe and ap-
parently intends to stay there. Natur-
ally she is sorely disappointed in the
quiet outcome of her brilliant life; but
she is still lady of high spirit, and if
she experiences any genuine grief the
world will never know it. There was
time during the war when she hoped to
be mistress of the White House through
the election of her honored father for
President, and the politics to that end
were engineered by her with great
ability. To descend from that ambition
to the sphere she at present occupies,
and to look back upon the notoriety
that had been visited upon her in the
place of the fame she had hoped for, is
fate that nobody will envy her; but
doubtless anything is preferable to the
life she led with the Ex-Governor and
ex-senator during the later years of
their matrimonial experience.
And now Canonchet is TO have a new
mistress. She has money, and the rot
ten and moth-eaten !imbers will be
taken out, the leaks will be closed, and
the old plans will be revived, and the
place in few years will doubtless be as
fair as as its original mistress designed
it should be. 1t is curious to reflect
upon the changes which have occurred
since it was begun. 1t is odd to re-
member, by the way, that its last owner
previous to Mr.. Cranston died in the
prime of life, that the Tiltons are un-
known, and that the old Plymouth
preacher goes on his way as vigorous
and brilliant as he was previous to the
opening of the other of the two great
scandals which startled the continent
and the world.-N. 7. Graphic.