Laramie Press ~ Exemptions ~ Female
Suffrage
The
Press Of Laramie City
The first newspaper published in this
city was the Frontier Index, by Fred. K. Freeman & Bro. This was
also the pioneer newspaper of the Territory, being published at
Fort Sanders, during the latter part of the winter of 1867-8, as
a weekly. About the first of May, 1868, early in the settlement
of Laramie, this saucy little sheet began its existence as a
daily, and continued a daily issue from the rear of the Frontier
Hotel, in this city, during the summer of 1868. Late that fall
it was removed to Benton, then a town near where Fort Steele now
is, and from thence on to Bear river, where it was soon after
destroyed by a mob. I find it very difficult to get much history
of this paper. As to dates of first and last issues in this
city, I can only approximate, as no complete files have been
preserved.
The Laramie
Daily
Sentinel
This was the title of the second paper
published, and really the first established in our city; N". A.
Baker, proprietor and Dr. J. H. Hayford editor. The first number
was issued on the first day of May, 1869, and was a neatly
printed five column daily paper, devoted to the interests of our
town. On the first day of May, 1870, this paper was purchased by
Dr. J. H. Hayford and J. E. Gates, under the firm name of
Hayford & Gates, with Dr. Hayford editor. Under this management
the paper started off in supporting the Territorial
administration, republican in politics, and devoted to the
advancement of the best interests of the people. In May, 1871,
the Sentinel was enlarged to a seven-column paper, and has been
issued daily up to the present time, and is now one of the
leading papers of the Territory.
The Laramie
Daily
Independent
The first number of this paper was
issued in Laramie City on the 26th day of Dec, 1871; E. A. Slack
and T. J. Webster, proprietors, with E. A. Slack, editor. It was
a neatly printed six column daily, and started out with a strong
opposition to our Territorial administration. Although claiming
to be independent in politics, as its heading would suggest,
this paper espoused the cause of the Liberal Republicans in
1872, and hoisted the name of Horace Greeley, and consequently
drew a good support from said party, and the Democratic party,
which by uniting, elected Wm. R. Steele delegate to Congress in
1872, and again in 1874.
On the 2d day of March, 1875, Charles W.
Bramel, Esq., purchased the interest of Mr. T. J. Webster, and
the title of the paper was changed to that of "The Laramie Daily
Sun," which then espoused the cause of the Democratic party, in
its most un-terrified form.
Synopsis of the laws relating to
exemptions, limitation of actions and rates of interest in
Wyoming Territory
Exemptions. Every
householder, being at the head of a family, is entitled to a
homestead not exceeding in value fifteen hundred dollars, exempt
from execution or attachment for any debt, contract or civil
obligation, while such homestead is actually occupied as such by
the owner thereof, or his or her family. The homestead may
consist of a house and lot, or lots, in any town or city, or a
farm of not more than one hundred and sixty acres. The owner of
a homestead may mortgage the same, but such mortgage shall not
be binding against the wife of a married man who may be
occupying the premises with him, unless she shall freely and
voluntarily acknowledge and sign the same, and the officer
taking such acknowledgment shall fully apprise her of her
rights, and of the effect of signing such mortgage.
Besides the homestead above mentioned,
the wearing apparel of every person is exempt from judicial or
ministerial process; also the following property, when owned by
any person being the head of a family and residing with the
same, to-wit: The family bible, pictures and school books, a lot
in any cemetery or burial ground, furniture, bedding,
provisions, and such other articles as the debtor may select,
not to exceed in all the value of five hundred dollars, to be
ascertained by the appraisement of three disinterested house
holders; Provided that no personal property of any person about
to remove or abscond from the Territory shall be exempt. The
tools, team and implements or stock in trade of a mechanic,
miner, or other person, and used and kept for the purpose of
carrying on his trade or business, is exempt to a value not
exceeding three hundred dollars; also the library, instruments
or implements of any professional man, not to exceed in value
three hundred dollars. The person claiming exemption must in all
oases be bona fide resident of the Territory.
Limitation of Actions. Civil actions can
only be brought within the following periods, after the cause of
action shall have accrued:
1st. An action for the recovery of
lands, tenements and here determents, within twenty-one years.
2d. An action of forcible entry and detainer, within two years.
3d. An action upon a specialty, or any agreement, or contract,
or promise in writing, within fifteen years.
4th. An action upon a contract not in writing, within six years.
5th. An action for trespass upon real property, or for taking,
detaining or injuring personal property; including actions for
the specific recovery of personal property, within four years.
6th. An action for libel, slander, assault and battery,
malicious prosecution, or false imprisonment, within one year.
7th. An action upon the official bond or undertaking of an
executor, administrator, guardian, sheriff, or other officer, or
upon the bond or undertaking given in attachment, injunction,
arrest, or any cause whatever, required by statute, within ten
years.
8th. An action for any cause not before enumerated, within ten
years. If a person entitled to bring any of the foregoing
actions, except an action for the recovery of real property, and
except a penalty or forfeiture, be at the time the cause of
action accrues, within the age of twenty-one years, a married
woman, insane, or imprisoned, the action may be brought within
the times above limited, after such disability shall have been
removed. If, when the cause of action accrues against a person,
he be out of the Territory, or shall have absconded, or
concealed himself, the period limited for the commencement of
the action shall not begin to run until he comes into the
Territory, or while he is absconded or concealed. If, after the
cause of action accrues, he depart from the Territory, or
abscond or conceal himself, the time of such absence or
concealment shall not be computed as any part of the period
within which the action must be brought.
Where the cause of action has arisen in
another State or Territory, between non-residents of this
Territory, and by the laws of the State or Territory where the
cause of action arose, an action cannot be maintained thereon by
reason of lapse of time, no action can be maintained thereon in
this Territory.
In any case founded on contract, part
payment of principal or interest or an acknowledgement of
existing debt, liability, or claim in writing signed by the
party to be charged, takes the case out of the statute, and an
action may be brought within the times limited, after such part
payment or acknowledgment.
Interest. Any rate may be agreed upon in
writing, but in the absence of express contract, all moneys,
claims, or judgments, draw interest at the rate of twelve per
cent per annum; unsettled accounts draw interest after thirty
days from date of the last item.
Female
Suffrage
Be it enacted by the Council and House
of Representatives of the Territory of Wyoming, Sec. 1. That
every woman of the age of twenty-one years, residing in this
Territory, may, at every election to beholden under the laws
thereof, cast her vote. And her rights to the elective franchise
and to hold office shall be the same under the election laws of
the Territory as those of electors.
Sec. 2. This act shall take effect and
be in force from and after its passage.
Approved, December 10, 1869.
We consider this act a very important
point Id the history of our city, as Laramie City was the first
place in the Territory, and probably in the known world, where
this act or anything similar was put in force, as will be shown
by the following extract from the records of a term of the
District Court, held in this city on the 7th day of March, A. D.
1870, Hon. J. H. Howe, Chief Justice, presiding, wherein the
merits of the law were discussed, and a decision rendered:
"The court was duly opened by N. K.
Boswell, sheriff of Albany County. Now comes N. K. Boswell,
sheriff of said county, and makes return of the venire to him
issued of the following named persons, by him summoned as grand
jurors at the present term of this court, to-wit: Perry
Townsend, James W. Teats, Amelia Hatcher, W. H. Harlow, Louis
Miller, M. A. Hance, Frederick Laycock, W. S. Bramel, Charles
Bussard, Charles Hutton, Eliza Steward, N. F. Spicer, Agnes
Baker, Mrs. G. F. Hilton and Mary Mackle, who, on being called,
were found to be all present except Ferry Townsend, and it was
ordered by the court, that another juror be summoned in the
place of the said Ferry Townsend. Now comes N. K. Boswell,
sheriff, and makes return of Geo. C. Densmore, as such grand
juror.
Comes now Agnes Baker, George C.
Densmore, and N. F. Spicer, and asked to be excused from serving
as grand jurors, and having heard said applicants in that
behalf, it is ordered by the court that they be excused; and it
is further ordered by the court that the sheriff summons three
good and lawful persons from the body of said county to serve as
grand jurors at the present term of this court in place of those
discharged.
Now comes the sheriff of said county,
and makes return of the following persons by him summoned as
such grand jurors, to wit: Sarah W. Pease, B. C. Dutton, and Gr.
W. Lancaster.
Now comes Stephen W. Downey, one of the
attorneys of this court, and challenges the panel aforesaid, and
moves the court to quash said panel, on the grounds that said
panel is not composed of "male" citizens, that only such are
qualified by law to serve as jurors. Said motion was argued by
S. W. Downey in support thereof, and by W. R. Steele, and T. J.
Street in opposition thereto.
The court having heard the argument of
counsel thereon, and being sufficiently advised in the premises,
overruled said motion. Associate Justice J. W. Kingman
concurring. Whereupon the aforementioned persons were tried,
sworn in, and served as grand jurors; and female suffrage in
Wyoming became a fixed fact.
The petit jury of the same court was
also composed of males and females.
And while the United States, by the
"Fifteenth Amendment" to her constitution, has seen fit to
extend the right of suffrage and elective franchise to the male
portion of the poor and "down trodden" of all nations of the
earth, regardless of intelligence, color or race, who make known
their allegiance to our government, the Territory of Wyoming, by
an act of her Legislature, has taken up the grand and noble
principle that our wives, mothers, sisters and daughters are at
least entitled to the same rights and privileges; and by so
doing, has placed her name high up on the great bulletin board
of the progress of freedom and true principles.
We sincerely believe that the great
reputation which our city has gained, within the last few years,
for her morality and law abiding character, is due to a great
extent to the influence of our noble women at the ballot box.
|