, 1899-03-16

After a lingering illness lasting many
weeks, NJ. B.. Sprague, the well-known
pioneer of the west, quietly passed
away last might. Death occurred dur
quiet and peaceful was the dissolution
between soul and body that his wife,
who was the sole watcher at the bed
side, could not tell just when death oc-
CURED, and did not have time to call
friends who were in nearby rooms,
aid thus ended, at the age of SO years,
the life of a man whose life is INSOFAR
ably associated with the building of
the great railway from the Missouri
river to the coast, and who during his
residence in the west had witnessed
many Of the stirring scenes which only
the pen of a historian could but fit
tingly describe and which as border ro-
nance will be read by generations to
come.
NJ. B. Sprague was born in Glens
Falls, Warren county, New York, Sep
TENDER s, 1916 where he spent the early
days of his childhood and received some
instruction in the rudiments of school
ing. At an early 6 he engaged in
the lumber business and for the nrst
forty-five years of his life was engaged
in New York state, neal hi home, in
this work. He was engaged in the cou-
struction work on the Union Pacific
until 1871, when he returned east and
was married in 1879 to Miss Jennie Clark
at Albert Lea, Mimi, coming again 20
Laramie and buying a large ranch on
the Little Laramie river, fourteen miles
from this city and near Wyoming sta
ton, where he lived for twelve years,
when he sold out his ranch and stock
and came to town to reside in 1891. He
built a comfortable home on Fifth
| street, near University avenue, where
he decided to quietly live the remain
der of his days.
The infirmities of old age began to
show and the last year became more
and more perceptible, until at last he
was confined to the house. For a long
time he would not consent to having
the services Of a physician and when
one was called it was e that medi-
cal assistance would not be of amy avail
because his vital organs were nearly
worn sui The iron nerve and in
domitable grit which had characterized
his whole life kept him alive for many
weeks and even months and never did
he remain in bed only at night, but sat
in an arm chair hour after hour and
never a complaint escaped his lips.
Last Saturday he was out ON the
streets for a short walk and enjoyed
a smoke. Yesterday it became
evident that the machinery of life was
going to fail completely, and even then
his iron nerve never failed him, for
though his body was exhausted his
mind was as clear and active as ever
During the night he became weaker
and weaker and at 2 O'Clock this morn
ing the end came peacefully.
Such a determination and iron will
was characteristic of the mar who had
faced many of the events of frontier
life which tried the strongest and bray
est of men.
He was a member of the American
Cor Know-Nothing party as 1T was call
ed) party and has never voted since
1854, when MiTlard Fillmore ran for
president, ON account of his belief in
the principles of his party.
At the close of the war, when the
building of the Union Pacific road was
begun, MIR. Sprague came west as agent
for Durant & Co., Of New York, who
has large contracts for furnishing
many hundred Thousand ties for the
road from Omaha, Neb., to Ogden,
Utah. His duties took him up to the
headwaters Of all the principal streams
along the line Of the road and he had
charge Of gangs Of men on the head
waters of the Missouri, South Platte
and Green rivers and on Rock crock,
Big Laramie and North Platte and
many other smaller streams In the
NFndao1n- H. --- p 49, l-~L