The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-01

and was thus only 16 years of age in
1861 when she came to Washington
with her father, who had been asked
by Mr.. Lincoln to become member of
his cabinet. Gov. Chase was then in
his prime. To the world he was cold,
dignified man, somewhat austere, and
rather repellent to the average citizen.
His daughter, Kate, was the mistress
of his establishment. He lived at the
corner of Sixth and e streets, then
fashionable part of the city.
Rates education had been fairly good
for the time, but she never had any
thing like the finish that girls in her
social position receive nowadays. The
studies essentially feminine in partic
ular had been good deal neglected
and often omitted. Music she cared
little for, though she played with GER
tain dash which was the result Of care
full mechanical training rather than of
any especial genius for music itself. OF
the modern languages she knew al
most nothing. Her reading had been
desultory rather than wide. 1t was
the 18th of March, 1851, when she be-
came a resident of Washington.
No woman that ever lived was quick
er to perceive her deficiencies than was
the eldest daughter of the great secre-
tary of the treasury. She felt that
to do all she desired-all that was lack
ing in her education must be rene
died and at once. She selected com
petent instructor in French and Ger
| man and began her studies. Within
a year after she commenced her course
Of the languages, she Nd speak Ger
man with exceptional ucy, and in
deed so thorough he mastery of
| that most difficult lSasaag that Carl
! Schurz said he had / b own an
American who took vi tn Idly of
| German at her age to sp, aHa write
it with such grace and fa> ay as she
attained What has been So ii s5iat We
| TO her requirement of German ag-
ply with equal accuracy to the Nd
| ity with which she mastered Frel ch
| In 1868 she was, in cleverness, a.
rion, culture and beauty, the first yoC 8
woman in Washington society," or, fer
that matter, in America. Every one
acknowledged her rare ability, while
in grace, dignity and loneliness she was
without a superior, much less an equal.
OF course she had admirers and would
be lovers by the score. AT least two
foreign ministers were hopelessly in
love with her, and one, representing
the greatest of European powers, twic
Iasked her to become his wife. T g
Marquis of Harrington, then a yo'
man not much beyond his majc
was in America on a visit He We
MISS OHdSe ana lOFlnWlIn Dec9J
of her Warn1est admirers.
Gov William Sprague of Paa3k II
land was the richest and hf lhso r
man of his years then in pull "a 1e
had been enthusiastic in his IqLil 4 &c
TIE country at the beginni, tHu war
E5e had raised and equi' tAe First
Rhode Island regiment sounGn led by
/ Col (afterward Maj.-r Bulnside-
at his own expense F ~ Mss Chase
AMI YVES, of course. zcted by her
and then his intere Nv Deeper. OF
the courtship but 7 Jan De said, for
little is known. ils e lertain, how
ever. Miss Cha n tie matter very
carefully und aof Iteration before
she permitted 20 Gglle to pay her
any attentio'
No vienna bH.erica ever had such
a career g .ts. Sprague. Beauti-
full, very er beyond any wo-
man of = %, she was a power in
politics 9g. for the merest slip
would de a president In 1868.
She addressed woman of her
day
: .ge was the climax of Kate
j c. GER. Since then her life has
INSTANT struggle against adj
rit1umstanees. First, her hus-
11rtune was swept away. Then
fouble in the family, and Mrs.
nsss secured a divorce. She removed
" EdGewood, the country estate of her
sat1er, Chief Justice Chase, near WASH
mston. There Kate Chase, though re-
! raj from society, still quietly enter
tained the most distinguished people in
| public life. But there was a mortgage
on the homestead. She then determined
to start out as a market gardener, rails +
| ing vegetables for the Washington mar
ket This proved unsuccessful.
Mrs. Chase was in many respects one
of the most remarkable women ever
known in Washington society. In the
days of her prime there was no disput-
the queen of society. She could make
or unmake social aspirants with an in
vitation or a snub.