The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-30
KATE CHASE sPRAeUE.

The announcement that . number Of
generous friends have subscribed sum
Gent money 10 save Mrs. Kate Chase
Sprague's homestead carries one back .
good thirty years Although her public
career belongs to the last generation. We
In Seattle have an interest In her because
It was here that her only son. the petted
little prince of Canonchet. committed sui
eide while working as q reporter on daily
paper which long since suspended publica-
ton. One Of her daughters who went on
the stage has played before . Seattle au-
dtence. and while here made = pilgrimage
to the humble lodging house where her
brother died.
Kate Chase was her fathers own child.
with all his love Of power and his restless
ambition. She was brilliant woman. and
although not exactly beautiful. was noble
In appearance and had wonderful COM
mand over the intellects Of men. She Was
the social leader In political circles and vas
. center of attraction wherever she went.
1t created great surprise when 1t was an
nounced that the handsome and clever
woman was engaged to Gov. Sprague. Of
Rhode Island. IN immensely wealthy but
uncultured man who was in no way likely
to prove q companion to such a. she. Her
ambition was to see her father president
Of the United States. and she probably
had in view the benefit her husbands
popularity and means would be to her.
1t took but few years to bring about Q
practical separation Gov. Sprague. who
had made his fortune almost suddenly,
lost It rapidly and rendered his boorish
nature worse by heavy drinking. Mrs.
Sprague. taking her two daughters, went
into modest quarters ct Washington City
and later in New York. Her husband
went from bad to worse and made his
little son Willie. from the time he was 8
years Of age until he was Is. the companion
OF his debauches. sprague got so low that
for some years he was the night watch
man on the pier near his old home, and if
he is dead he has not been considered
worthy OF notice.
Mrs. Sprague's father died about TWEEN
ty-three years ago. and although he spent
the last part OF his life on the bench as
chief justice Of the supreme court of the
United States. holding for nearly ten years
one Of the three most exalted positions In
the country. he was a disappointed man.
He had already been United States SEN
ator. governor OF his state and secretary
OF the treasury, but he had set his aim
at the highest Office. His views on the
the following sentence: mo greater boon
except liberty itself-can be conferred
upon a nation than a truly national and a
thoroughly sound currency" He was at
the head Of the treasury department when
the civil war broke out. and the duty fell
upon him OF carrying into effect measures
by which money was to be raised to meet
the extraordinary expenditures. In four
years the receipts from Internal taxation
increased from ss7. 600 900 to $50 ooo, 900: and
It was remarked by a senator. 30 Sherman
relates, that everything was taxed except
cofYins. The ,ax on matches alone pro-
duced s. eoo.ooo annually. but these taxes
have been gradually repealed and now
there are practically no Internal taxes
except on liquors and tobacco.
Mrs. Kate caase sprasue belongs to q
type OF women who form conspicuous ng-
ures In the history Of the courts Of Eu-
rope. but is exceedingly rare In this coun-
Try. II should be said Of her that through
out her varied life. placed often where the
shafts of envy could easily reach her. only
once did scandal touch her fair name ana
then In such way that 1t aroused the
greatest public Indignation and left her
higher in the estimation Of those who
knew her than she had been before.