The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-09-11
William Sprague Of Rhode
Island Died in Paris
To-day
| WAS THREE TIMES
r. rs EXECUTIVE
On the Last Election Only
65 Votes Were Cast
Against Him

! Paris, Sept. ll.-William Sprague, the
| famous war governor of Rhode Island
and twice senator, died here to-day
J at the age Of s4 years. His death was
due to meningitis.
William Sprague was the last Of the
Civil war governors. He outlived every
member of Lincoln's cabinet, every chief
executive of the states, and nearly ey-
lery member OF Congress, of the war Pc
lriod.
lie probably was the youngest man
in this country ever elected to the gov
efnorship Of a state. When only 80 years
old, in 1860, he was chosen as Rhode Is
lands chief executive, serving three con
secutive terms of one year each. In his
third campaign only 6s votes were cast
against him in the whole state.
Born at Cranston, r. T., in 1880, he
carly inherited a large fortune. The
| Sprague family had been prominent in
the political, industrial and social life
OF the state since the Revolution.
Young sprague anticipated the Civil
war. For two years prior to the out
break he maintained two full batteries
Of artillery at his own expense. When
the war came, Rhode Island and Sprague
were ready to rush to the front.
The youthful governor at the head Of
5000 well-drilled troops, was one of the
first to reach Washington He marched
with his volunteers 10 the battle OF Bull
Run and later to the peninsula.
Governor Sprague was the last sur
yivor of the famous conference of twelve
northern governors at Altoona, Pa, in
1862.
I'VE had TO take a lot OF abuse in re-
turn for our endorsement of Lincoln's |
Emancipation Proclamation" said Gov
crnor Sprague recently. "We were hissed /
in the streets and were denounced as
traitors"
AT 33 years Of age. he entered the |
U. S. senate and served during the ad
ministration Of Lincoln, johnson and
Grant.
lie married the beautiful and brilliant
Kate Chase daughter of Linceln's sec.
ietary Of the treasury and later chief
justice Of the United States supreme
court Lincoln. his cabinet, congressman
and foreign ministers attended. IL was
the most magnificent wedding ever held
in the national capital up to that time.
10 is said to have cost more than $780,
000.
The Young couple led a brilliant so.
cial career in Washington and Rhode Is.
land Spragne erected a beautiful man
sion al Nartagansett pier which cost 81,
100000 complete and was the show pal.
nee of the stste. The furniture alone.
All foreign made, cost S250,000. More
than sl5o.o00 worth Of art objects filled
the four story frame structure.
The crash came IN 1873. when the
financial panic swept the country the /
sls000o0o business house of the
spragues which owned large print cloth !
factories and numerous Other enterprises I
went into bankruptcy. Law suits I
stripped the governor Of his fortune. /
caving him only bis country home. ,
named "Ccnconchet" after an Indian I
.hief. q
Before he hal recovered from that I
llow another fell Mrs sprague be- ;
ame involved IN = romance and sailed Il
or Jamaica. Senator Roscoe Conkling
vas driven from the mansion AZ the (
ioint of = shot gun IN tho hands of
.prarue Divorce soon followed u
Later "Canconchcts was cold over the
.ead ~ the governor Prank T.. MOul.
on paid S02 250 for the ~ 000l00 -. 6
ate When he appeared b. take posses .
ION be found "Canoonchet" In state 2
& siege Governor Srrague. armed with
10 historic shot gun and surrounded ~
- suppor>srs. stood feadv q repulse \
INVASION. The siege lasted for many =
recks. until the matter was taken INTO
be- courts for settlement
When Moulton died IN 1885 bic widcw
rturued the mnnsion - the governor In
Consideration. IL is said. ~ a mortgage
r sG2.5o0. srrnFue Immediately moved
b. bringing BE second wife. who was n
irs Dora Inez f1Teedl Calvert. 81 West
lrrinia The Ga rlnce wss dear g. ths \
rnd sfatesman Here ~ had enter.
lined such Americans ss prfsiderf Car
ga. CHEF Justice Chass. Horacs Gree
.. cen BENJAMIN Butief. aud samuel
Tldrn
Thr last hiow feu whsn "0aneanal.rt- z
re destroyed ~ fre iu lp9 The
14ernar ard Nra sfrarus barely -
lred vita fher lives ia
~ wns ir WasliuatHn TIE other dss -
.id Cotrfnar ~rferus in Hteakfne rf =.
3 erertfui ifs HIfle scrnes tlsers Eid
q make me- ush to 81 srnonr them.
cfs ir tfs arff aftFF ths haaf af tle y
-. hars fonnd tIfss i,ssr - 9rnaas 3.
1ainst r8v ntr nns enf ~ fhs asm.
rts ~ NJ retirenent is that J frHi
q tHrr a. u1rlrrrr msrk Ird fw -