Rensselaer Union, Volume 11, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 August 1879 — The Sprague-Conkling Ditticulty-The ex-Governor’s Version. [ARTICLE]

The Sprague-Conkling Ditticulty-The ex-Governor’s Version.

Bouton, Mash., Anguat 16. The Globe has the following dispatch from Narragansett Pier: Senator Sprague has been in consultation with his lawyers, and absolutely declines to make a statement for publication directly, but an Intimate friend relates the substaucc ot what oc*urred between Mr. Sprague 4nd Senator Conkdng on Friday, AugustS, as the story came from the lips of Mr. Sprague himself. Its publication would not be permitted even now but for the letter of Mrs. Sprague. Governor Spi ugue’a yersjon of . MiC affair is iisToltows: “He TiaffliecnTlown fti Maine on a business trip, expecting to be absent until Saturday night, lie finished bis bus.ness beiore he expected to, and returned late Thursday night, but did not see Mrs. Sprague, although he knew she was present 111 the house. On Friday morning be learned for the first lime, and down at the pier, that Senator Conkling was up at his bouse aud had been more a day or two. The Governor was angry beyond measure, and the cause of his anger, he said to his friend, was the intimate rcia ions between Senator Conkling and his wife, which liai long been highly obnoxious to him. The existence of these relations was no secret to him. He had seen the scandal growing and becoming more and more public, and he spoke bitterly of the conduct of Senator Conkling toward his wife at Washing ton. Bitter wurds had often been spoken between Ills wife and himself because of that inwmacy. She was fully aware how obnoxious to him was that intimacy, and what were his feelings toward Senator Corkling. But in spite of this, said Mr. Sprague, in spite of all the scandal and the violence to his tcclings, that she should invite Senator Conkling to be a guest at bis bouse during his absence, and that Cfflikling should have the brazen effrontery to come there at incensed him beyond all measure. As ne exp eased it, Senator Conkliug was trying to do for his home in Rhode Island what he had already done for his home in Washington, and he had determined to put an end to it at oners aud forever. With this deliberate intention lie hurried back to Canouchet as soon as he heard Conkling was there. Near the house he met Linck, the German Professor, but he declared Eositively that he had no row with him, and ad no idea of Bbootmg him. He did not even have his gun with him at the time. He did order Linck to leave the house, aud was opposed to his being there, not, however, because he had anything against the man himself, but because he could not afford to have such an attachment to his establishment, and he felt that the display of such extravagance at Canonchet was injuring him in his efforts to save the wreck of his vast property interests and to get on his feet again financially. But he hardly give Linck a thought Probably he did speak angrily, he said, for he was very angry; but his indignation wasagainst Conkling, and not against Linck. lie found Conkling in the house alone, and ordered htm outon tne Instant. Conkling reins dto co. A lew high words ensued, and then he Weut up-stairs to pet his shot-gun. ,He found that he had no percur-eion-caps for his weapon, aud, went otf to the village to get some. As soon ns he could protur.; them he huirleiFbacfc, and Conkliug way rti.l mere. He again ordered him to leave, and Conkling refused to go, ai d tr.cd to mol-, lify Spracue ami excuse himself from leaving :o suddenly on the ground that he lial tio cairiuge lor himseU or his baggage, which wag not even packed. Thereupon Mr. Sp-ague drew oat his. watch snd toid Conk-, ling that he would give him thirty seconds to get out, and that if .he was not out by that time he (Sprague) would blow his Lrains out.

At that moment a carriage appeared in Right, which had evidently been sent for while Senator Sprague was absent in his search for caps. At any rale, Conklirg Immediately got into it and dr -vc away, leaving life baggags behind him. W'liat happened afterward in therhouse is not related, except that Conk--8» WM would quit hanging around the place, and determined to make him fully understand that he- (Sprague) was thoroughly in eamest, and that it was not a mere passing tit of rage, the Governor, as soon as he had said his say at the house, and ordered Conkling’s luggage out. jumped into his own wagon, and drove off toward the Pier to find Conkling, and t>* carried bis gun with him. He found Con\ ling pacing up and down iu front of a case. Jumping from his carriage, he beckoned Conkling to come to film and said, curtly: “I want you.” Conkling cams, aud another scene ensued. Conkling spoke low and mildly, evidently seeking to avoid attracting observation, and tried again to pacify the Governor. This only enraged Mr. S; rague the more. He denounced Conkling violently, aud told him plainly that be had had enough of hie Intimacy wlih Mrs. Sprague. The Governor reminded Mr. Conkling that he had broken a promise he once made In Washington to give up his acquaintance wiih Mrs. Sprague. Finally, the Governor cut Conkling short in an attempted reply, by asking him abruptly If he was armed. Conkling, bristling up, replied that be was not; that if he was he (Sprague) would not goon as he was goiug. Without noticing this threat, Sprague repl led: “ Then go and arm yourself, and hereafter go armed. I don’t intend to shoot an unarmed man; but I tell you now that If you ever yross my path again I will shoot you on sight.” With that threat Governor Sprague jumped into his carriage again and drove off, and Mr. Conkling returned to the case. This is undoubtedly a substantially correct story of what actually happened between Senator Conkling and cx-Senator Sprague.

—A Boston correspondent has discovered a queer thing about Nah ant. He says that among the merchants spending the season there, wholesalers never associate with retailers, and this unwritten law is carried so far that a certain retail merchant and his family are not welcomed into the circle in which his son, a wholesaler, moves, notwithstanding the father famishes the cash'with which the son carries on his business. *■ The average of mortgages upon the fanning lands of France is but 5 per cent. In England it is.sß. The United States lias but 3,000,000 proprietary agriculturists. France, with a vastly smaller area, has 6,000,000, 5,000,000 of whom are small farmers. England has but 25,000 landholders, and 12 per cent, only of the people till the soil; the rest are engaged in manufacturing and other pursuits. One million are paupers.,