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Show SERVES FIFTY YEARS LONQ TERM FOR A UNITED STATES CONSUL. (nfalln J, RpIn,, Mhn o,t, Amt. n talere.li at (llbmtLr. Il. Hern ' lUrneM for Half Ontarr Important I'm! Haw, Tho Itoek of aibraltar hat become toe watch tower ot observation of lp In Bptnlih water. A ery one now, it is a Urlllah fortress and 'ony In the south ot Spain. All of "e trafflc between the northern and weatern maritime countries of Kurope, ftorth America and the Wet Indies h the Mediterranean and ths Hast 'idles iumm through the Straits of Ql-eraltar Ql-eraltar The rock It the flrit port entry and le last on departure, iho Herman "IPs Plying between New York and jttly Hop here In going either way lo jtnd and receive pauengers. The ptnlh ship coming from Ilarcelona, lie Spanlih metropoll. or from Ma-gt Ma-gt and the other cities of Eastern Spain toward the Atlantic pats throurh the Htrslts ot Olbrallar In full view i f the llock. Cadlt, tho Steal port Spain, Is near by. I With all our rouiiils withdrawn from Spain, the transcendent Import-nee Import-nee of (llbraltar as a point of observation observa-tion and Information becomei evident, wllti thlt In mind nnd In view of our 1 iiutlly unfortunate cuilom ot changing chang-ing foreign consult before they know IIOItATIO J Hl'ltAflUn what they aro sent abrouu .or, I have turned to the ronular rcrorni to tee wist manner ot official wo have at Gibraltar. I find a man who can faithfully rroblaxon on hla hat "Fifty ari a United States Consul." Fortunato It this man In theto times lilt msgnlty thei Importance ot olTlclal ,nltlon nnd give to merit nnd experl-te experl-te their proper reward. Tho proud distinction ot half n century's service, making blm tho Ncttor of -ic American Ameri-can ronsutnr corps, belongs to Horatio J. Bprague, the United States consul at aibraltar. Mr. Sprague was appointed ap-pointed by President James K. I'olk May 12. 1819. Moreotcr. his father be-foro be-foro him, Horatio Sprague, of lloaton. Msia, wa appointed conanl at fllbrnl-Ur fllbrnl-Ur by 'resident Andrew Jackton April 30. 1133. Again, the son ths promt consul, Illchsrd lxuls Sprague, I deputy and vice ramul, and. If the record of the Sprague family It kept up, will bo tervlng the United Statrt it Gibraltar when the twentieth century cen-tury It halt gone Horatio the older, a nMlte of notion, not-ion, vliltcd aibraltar before and after 1112 Ho tubequenlly ettabllihed In I aibraltar the butlnrta of American merchantman and thlpowncr. Ancient An-cient records refer to him at "enjoying "enjoy-ing a high standing In tho commercial world, ot great moral worth and gen-inl gen-inl hospitality, specially to hit countrymen." coun-trymen." During the flrit year of hit aibraltar residence. In IMC, he ti pretentrd by the Humane Society of Maitnchutctlt with a gold medal for aiding In the recue of Captain Jamci Illler and hi crew from tlav-cry tlav-cry Those worthy New Ilnglander had been placed In tlsvery by n horde of wandering Arabt In Iho African ileierL The present Horatio was born In Gibraltar on Augutt 13. 1833. At the age of nrteon. after a regular coune tn private tuition and whllo atlll atudy-lng atudy-lng French, Snanlah and Italian, ha began aiding his father In both hit mercantile and conanlar ofllcet In 1810 he was ndmltted at a tllent partner part-ner In hla father' commercial dullness, dull-ness, Tha: year his father vltlled the United States nnd ml him In charge of the contulate. After reluming to aibraltar tho health of tho elder Bprague failed. Ho died In 181, leaving leav-ing the present Horatio the head of tha fimlly, which Included tho mother, five tont md four daughter. The commercial biulncai continued to flourish tnd tbo Spraguei prospered Conul Sprigua vltlled the United Stitot for flvo monthi In 181. Thl It tho only visit ho ever msdo to America. Whllo In Waihlngton he was presented to tho then President Zachsry Taylor. Notwlthitindlng the fact that his enllro llfo ha been ipent In Europe, I am told by those who know him that he I at genuinely an American In heart and tout and manner man-ner of ipeech as ono can find In a Journey through tho Hates. Ono of hit Interettlng experience In official life wat n ths fill of 181 hen ho terved at Interpreter of Spanlih for Commodore Joseph Smith, commanding com-manding tho United Btates naval forces of the Mediterranean. Tho commodore commo-dore wn on the United States flag-ihlp flag-ihlp Cumberland, escorted by tho United Slues corvette Plymouth. Ho wo going to Tangier to force tho re-eeptlon re-eeptlon of Tbomat N. Carr aa United State comul general to the Morocco Bprigue and a party of mirlaet were rent aihore to deliver and Interpret the commodore'i command lo the HA-thow HA-thow of Tangier. With a promptnest worthy of prrtenl Imitation Joseph Smith gave the Ilatbaw ot Tangier Juat twenty-four hours In which to comply with hit ultimatum liefore the uiplrnllon of the time tho representative repre-sentative of the United Sfatel woi Informed In-formed that the Morocco government wna kneeling Iri rradlneit to grant their withe. Then Consul General Carr. irc-oinrxinled by Iho romroodoro and hi staff, landed In Tangier and were recehed by a iwltilo and wllh a Moorish gusrd of honor In attendance Coniul Brrague returned to Tnngler In 1S77 and again In 1819 to lnveallgste charges against the United State con-tult con-tult who were stationed there. In November, ISSt. Mr. Bprague. In addition to his poaltlon In (llbraltar. was maikf United States contular agent at tbo Spanlih port of Algeclrns and tho lurrnundlng coatt contiguous to aibraltar. He held thl poilllon for thirty ycart. It wa tpeclilly Important Import-ant during the war. when Algectrni wnt tho rendcivout for the federal vreiels. The coniular office nt aibraltar ha been steadily Incrrsilng In Importance Into Iho opening of tho Buex Canal. The bualnri ot the om.ee la atlll email. The exporta from thl point to Ih United Blstrs are about 115.000 a year, and conslat chiefly of corkwood and bric-a-brae. The Import from tho United Slates aro ehlofly flour, petroleum, pe-troleum, tobacco, furniture and patent medicines. |