Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-08-10

difficult and ungrateful task. Such q
book she may bring out later on, but for
the present her hopes and her energies
are fastened upon the life Of her father.
No one Is so competent as she TO describe
the career, the daily life and work Of the
great statesman. BY circumstances as
much as by disposition forced into the
self reliance Of womanhood while yet
mere girl, her father early learned to
trust her with his confidence and to seek
her advice. When no more than IA
years old she was at the head Of
her fathers house, the governors
mansion, at Columbus, o. Even at that
tender age she had influence In the af.
fairs Of state. Politicians sought her
friendship, and mothers and fathers,
eager for pardons for their erring sons,
counted the battle half won If they could
enlist the governors daughter on their
side. Yet she knew her father well
enough TO have very firm conviction
that 1t would never do to ask him for
clemency on any but the best Of grounds.
and 30 she formed the habit OF carefully
investigating every case that was pre-
sented to her. When she made her re-
governor usually ratified with his sigma
ture and the seal Of the state the conclu-
sions Of his girl minister. Governor
Chase found the girl so apt at this work
that he naturally fell into the habit Of
turning many Of his pardon cases over
TO her.
ut often wrnng my heart to disap-
point the petitioners by handing in an
adverse report" says Mrs. Chase. There
was one case will remember to my dy-
ing day. The mother Of convict came
to my house to see me. / was busy at
the moment with another caller. and the
woman eat down on the doorstep. Pres
emily our big cat walked up to her purr-
ingly, and the poor woman seized the
cat, held it in her arms and said: Kitty,
you know the trouble am in, don't you?
You would help me out of it if you
could, wouldn't you, Kitty And then
she told the cat the whole story of how
her boy had been led into evil ways by
bad companions and finally sent to the
penitcntary. 1t was done so naturally
her heart was so full she had to pour out
her anguish on somebody-that was
deeply affected. But the circumstances
were such that ! could not recommend
the young mans pardon"
Miss Chase took warm interest in the
public institutions of her state. She
was known to the inmates of the homes
and asylums, and it is said that at one
time she knew every prisoner at the pen
itentiary by name. Largely through
her efforts, put forth before she was
woman, the Ohio idiot asylum, still a
useful institution, was founded.
81 can hardly remember when my
father did not place confidence in me far
beyond my years." says Mrs. Chase.
"When l was u mere chick of l. girl,
not more than or 8, we lived in the
outskirts of Cincinnati, where father
practiced law. Every evening he used
to drive home along the turnpike, he and
together The horse was a fiery,
speedy animal, which very much dis.
| liked to have any other horse pass it on
| the road. To make matters worse, this
turnpike was used by the owners of
fast horses as a speeding track. and
great numbers Of sulkies were whizzing
| along in both directions at the hour
when we usually drove home. Well,
father had habit of sitting in the car
riage entirely oblivious to everything
that was going on about him. On such
occasions he handed the lines to me, ap
parently with full confidence that could
manage the spirited animal and escape
all the dangers of the road. How l con.
trived to get father and myself home
alive is more than ! ever understood.
Probably it was the capacity Of the
horse"
In speaking generally Of the national
sin of decrying people when their backs
are turned, Mrs. Chase said: "My father
was model man in this respect, if in nc
other. In all the years Of my confiden
tial relationship with him never heard
him utter a disparaGing word of any one.
Mrs. Chase has with her at Edgewoot
her three daughters and son, the last
named, and eldest of the children, being
now nearly 25. He is employed in {
printing Office, but wishes to become
civil engineer The eldest daughter
Ethel, now 10, and bright and pretty
girl, has been in New York studying fol
the stage. She worked SO hard that hel
health was threatened, and Mrs. Chase
brought her home for a long rest. The
Misses Sprague are all accomplished and
daring horsewomen, and are often seer
galloping along the country roads II
would not be easy to find more inter
esting family. The remarkable woman
who engaged the confidence of many
great statesmen, and from whom ever
Abraham Lincoln has said he was Otter
| glad to take advice, is as vivacious ant