The farmer and mechanic., 1915-09-14
SPRACUE, LAST WAR
GOVERNOR, IS DEAD
Famous Rhode Islander Dies In
Paris at "a; Elected Execu-
tive When 29
fBy the Associated Press }

liam Sprague, famous war governor
OF Rhode Island, and twice United
states senator from that State died
al his residence here early. today
aged 81 years. His death was due to
meningitis, coupled with the infirmi-
ties of age At his bedside were his
wifi. and his old friends, Captain and
Mrs Frank III. Mason. His grand
daughter, Mrs. Inez Stiness is ex-
pected to sail from New York today.
Simple funeral services will be held
here after which the body will be
taken to Rhode Island for burial
At the outbreak of the war Mr..
Sprague converted his apartment in
the Rue De La Pompe into a conva-
descent hospital for the wounded of
all nationalities. He was assisted in
the work by his wife. Governor
Sprague had lived in Paris several
years.
Civil War Governor
William SpragtYe was the last of the
Civil War governors. He Outlived
every member of Lincoln's cabinet,
every chief executive of the States
and nearly every member of Congress,
of the war period.
lie probably was the youngest man
i'm this country ever elected to the
governorship of State. When only
- years old. in 1860, he was chosen
as Rhode Islands chief executive,
serving three consecutive terms of
one year each. In his third cam
paisn only 90 votes were cast against
him i'm the whole State
Born at Cranston, r. T., in 1880, he
early inherited n large fortune. The
Sprague family had been prominent
~ the political, industrial and social
lif" of the State since the revolution
Young Sprague anticipated the Civil
War For two years prior to the out
break he maintained two full bat
tcrieS of artillery at his own expense
When the war came, Rhode Island
and SpraSue were ready to rush tC
the front
The youthful governor, at the heaG
Of 5000 well-drilled troops, was one
of the first to reach Washington. H,
marched with his volunteers to tht
battle of Bull Run and later to tn,
Peninsula.
Governor Sprague was the last sur
vivor Of the famous conference o
twelve Northern governors at AL
tooi.a, Pa, i'm 1862.
''Wc had to take a lot of abuse il
return for our endorsement of Lin
coins Emancipation Proclamation.
said Governor Sprague recently. wv
were hissed in the streets and wer
denounced as traitors"
At 33 years of age, nc entered tn
United States Senate and served dur
ing the administrations of Lincolr
johnson, and Grant.
Senator at 33.
He married the beautiful and bril-
liant Kate Chase, daughter of Lin
coins secretary of the treasury, an
later chief justice of the Unite
States Supreme Court. Lincoln, HI
cabinet, congressman and foreig
ministers attended. 1t was the mos
magnificent wedding ever held in th
national capital up to that time
IS said to have cost more tha
$250.O00.
The young couple led a brillia1
social career in Washington an
Rhode Island. Sprague erected
beautiful mansion at NarraganSe
pier which cost $1,O0O,00O complet
and was the show palace of the Stat
Tie furniture alone, all foreign mad
cost s25O,000. More than $4,000
worth Of art objects filled the fou
story frame structure.
The crash came in 1873. When tt
financial panic swept the country tt
s6,000,000 business house Of tt
Sprague's which owned a large pril
cloth factories and numerous 9th
enterprises went into bankruptc
Lawsuits stripped the Governor
his fortune, leaving him only h
country home, named "Canonche
Gfter an Indian chief
Before he had recovered from tn
blow another fell. Mrs. Sprague b
came involved in n romance al
sailed for jamaica Senator Rose
Conkling was driven from the ma
sion at the point of shot gun
the hands of Sprague. Divorce so
followed
Old Estate Sold.
Later "Canonchet' was sold oy
the head of the Governor. Frank
Moulton paid S62250 for the s1,00
900 estate When he appeared
take possession he found "CanOnChe
In state of siege. Governor Spragl
armed with his historic shotgun a
surrounded by his supporters, stO
ready to repulse invasion. The sic
lasted for many weeks, until the m;
ter was taken into the courts for S
tlemen.
When Moulton died in 1856,