Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/611

SOUTH DAKOTA 595 same time and practically all the politicians would be at the capital. Mrs. Pyle and her board asked the Governor to call the session for that time, for many of the members would be in attendance as delegates from their counties. Accordingly, after receiving the assurance that a majority of them were willing to come to Pierre at their own expense, he issued a call for December 3 at 7 o'clock in the evening. It was dead of winter and distances are long. The call was issued after 3 o'clock on Saturday and the session was to be the next Tuesday. Telephone and telegraph wires were kept humming for the next thirty-six hours and the men came from all directions. One man rushed home to Huron from Minneapolis, called to his wife to send his "grip" after him and just caught the train for Pierre. Another used up three automobiles getting to the train from his home many miles from the railroad, as the snow made the roads almost impassable. The question arose how to put the resolution through the two Houses in the least possible time. It was finally done by intro- ducing the resolutions in both Houses and giving them their first and second readings on the evening of December 3. They were then referred to the proper committees and the Legislature adjourned until the next legislative day. The earliest possible moment of the next day was one minute after midnight and this was the hour when it convened. The final passage took place at 12:44 a. m. on the 4th by unanimous vote. This was the first time that a South Dakota Legislature ever convened in the middle of the night but the members were anxious to get home as soon as possible and the trains leave in both directions about 2 a. m.