New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-12

and second to none in the quality Of
In the winter Of 1s59-'SO he re-
turned from a trip to Europe to he
elected Governor by a union of Re-
publicans and Democrats. In the
spring of 1861 he was reelected for
second term.
Nine days later Fort Sumter was
fred on. To the first call for troops,
Rhode Island, through his energy, YVES
one of the first states to respond, and
as commander in chief Of the state
troops he went himself TO the front.
At the tragedy Of errors known as
Bull Run he was one OF the few I'M
der fire who distinguished themselves
by their valor, and he became one Of
the popular heroes of the day. A year
later he was again elected for his
third term by the practically unani-
nous vote OF the state, only sixty-fye
ballots being cast against him.
The next year Mr.. Sprague was sent
to the United States Senate, and be-
came chairman OF the Committee on
Manufactures, though his time was
chiefly spent in vastly extending his
own business interests, in Rhode
Island, Maine, South Carolina and
Georgia. In the first year Of his term
he married Miss Katherine Chase,
daughter OF Salmon P. Chase, Secre
tary Of the Treasury and Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court. The Presi-
dent, the Cabinet, foreign ministers
and many member. Of both houses OF
Congress attended the wedding. which
was said to be the most splendid en-
costly ever held in the United states:
He and his accomplished bride opened
one of the finest houses In Washing
ton and became social leaders there,
ard he also built at Narragansett
Pier his famous house, Canonchet, at
that time probably the finest seaside
residence in the country.
He was reelected TO the Senate Tor
second term, and incurred some un-
popularity and reproach by praising
in a speech his own industries and ad-
versely criticising those Of rival firm,
Brown & Ives. Then evil days began
10 dawn. Overexpansion OF building
operations left no reserve fund on
hand with which 70 meet strain, and
in the hard times Of 1873 his firm went
into bankruptcy, with liabilities OF sl4,-
100000
At the end of his second term Mr..
GpTaPup
to private life TO save what he could
, from the wreck of his fortune. But
his efforts were in vain. Everything
went excepting only Canonchet, which
he and his son. with the aid Of armed
guards, held stubbornly against legal
attacks.
Meantime Mrs. Sprague, who lived
chiefly in Washington, was having trou-
bles Of her own, financial difficulties
threatening to deprive her Of her
fathers estate Of Edgewood. She
sought the legal and political aid Of
her fathers old friends, prominent
among them being Roscoe Conkling,
Senator from New York. In 1879 Mr..
Conkling called on Mrs. Sprague at
Canonchet, whittier she had gone for q
time to aid her husband, and there a
violent quarrel occurred between him
and Sprague, which led to rupture be-
tween the latter and his wife. Mr.. and
Mrs. Sprague we're divorced In 1882,
and little later, in spite of the armed
guards, the courts ordered Canonchet
TO be sold for the benefit Of creditors.
1t brought $3.50, scarcely 10 per cent
Of It's cost, but Mr.. Sprague managed
to keep possession Of it.
The next year he married Mrs. lnez
Calvert. of West Virginia. and then
ossayed a re-entrance into politics. In
the fall of 1883 he was nominated for
Governor by the Democrats and Inde-
pendent., but was badly defeated. In
1902 Csnonchet, whore he still lived,
was destroyed By fire, and a few years
lstor he went TO Paris TO live. About
Eve years ago his health became seri.
ously impaired, and be never entirely
rallied from tire invalidism which then
came on him.