, 1922-02-23

pOSltl OF TOmmte Dickinson OF
the Eighth Grade, Hanna, Wyo.
Admission of Wyoming As A State.
In submitting my composition of
the subject under the above title, l
wish to state that I am indebted to
the History Of Wyoming" by the 8.
J. Clark Company. for the various
dates given and the copies of the sew
eral Memorials. etc. presented to
Congress, incident to the admission
of III Territory Of Wyoming as a
State.
In the year eighteen hundred
eighty, according to the United
States Census. the population of the
Territory OF Wyoming was twenty
thousand, seven hundred and eighty
inc but there is no record of any
definite action being taken by the in
habitants looking to admission to the
Union until February 7th. 1888 when
a Memorial was introduced in the
Territorial Legislature setting forth
the various of the Terri
tory and briefly touching upon the
number of horses, cattle and sheep,
and their valuation. the railroad sys-
tenn and the free and compulsory sys-
tenn OF education, and memorialiZed
Congress that believing it to be for
the best interest and the welfare of
the people Of the Territory, asked ad-
mission to the Union.
The Memorial was signed by l.. D..
Pease. Speaker of the House of
Representatives and John A. Riner,
President OF the Council. After fol
lowing the usual course taken by
Memorials presented to Congress, the
petition Of the people of wyoming
Territory was granted. and the Act
of Admission a signed on July
10th. 1890, by President Benjamin
Harrison. On July 23rd, 1890, a
great celebration in honor OF the
occasion was held in the city OF
Cheyenne, when a number of ad-
dresses were made. Among the
speakers were Governor Warren. Mrs.
Theresa A. Jenkins, Mrs. Esther
Morris and Clarence D. Clark, who
afterwards represented the State of
Wyoming in the United States Senate
for a good many years.
In front Of the Capitol Building a
grand stand had been erected and
here Governor Warren presided over
the exercises.
Mrs. Theresa A. Jenkins was the ;
first speaker. She reviewed the
struggle in behalf OF Woman's Suf-
frage which had been included In the !
Constitution, and in concluding her
address said. "Bartholdi's Statue of
Liberty enlightening the world is
fashioned in the form OF a woman,
and placed upon a pedestal carved
from everlasting granite OF the new
England hills. but the women of
have been placed upon a
firmer foundation and hold aloft a
more brilliant torch" ,
At the conclusion of Mrs. Jenkins
address. Mrs: Esther Morris, who had
been called the Mother Of Woman's
Suffrage in Wyoming" presented to
the State Of Wyoming a fine flag
forty-four stars, which was
chief executive, in a few well chosen
the entire audience Of some six thou
sand persons Joined in singing the
Star Spangled Banner"
The first election of state officers
was held on Thursday. September
18th, 1895, and resulted in the choice
Of the following:
Francis f.. Warren, governor;
w. Barber. secretary OF state:
Otto Gram. treasurer: Charles w.
Burdick. state auditor; Stephen T.
Farwell, superintendent of public in
struction; Willis Van Devanter, chief
justice of the supreme court; Her.
nan V. S. Grosbeck and Ashburg B.
Conway, associate justices; Clarence
D. Clark. representative in Congress.
On October 11th. 1890. the state
officers were installed in their re- |
spective positions, and the state Of
took her place among her
sister states. the forty-fourth star in
the American Flag.
l conclude my composition with
the poem entitled "Old Wyoming:
me back to old Wyoming, where
there's plenty room and air,
Where there's cottonwood and
pine trees.
CROSSWORD and prickly pear,
Where there amt no poPp and
glitter, sI
Where a shilling's called a "Bit".
Where at night the magpies twitter,
VKThar1 H. T-s.. Rf-Ik- RA l