the Rocky Mountains, within the present State of Montana and Idaho.

On the 3d of March, 1863, Congress constructed the new

Territory of Idaho, comprising all that part of Dakota west of the 27th degree of longitude, passing northward through the Black Hills and near the mouth of the Yellowstone

river. Over twelve thousand people emigrated to the mountain mines of Idaho in 1863, and in May, 1864, the new Territory of Montana was framed out of eastern Idaho, with a population of ten thousand people, and a yearly product of seven million dollars in gold. July 25, 1868, the Territory of Wyoming was organized, taking from Dakota all the territory west of the 104th degree of longitude.

The idea to form the Territory of Dakota into a State developed as early as 1871. Hence for eighteen years the people of South Dakota have been laboring to accomplish what 1889 brought them. The first movement for Statehood in South Dakota disclosed the very general desire for division of Dakota Territory. On January 12, 1871, a memorial to Congress was passed asking for a division on the 46th parallel. A similar memorial was adopted December 31, 1872. The same memorial was adopted December 19, 1874, and again January 24, 1877. In 1879 a protest passed both houses of the territorial legislature against the admission as one State. In 1881 a memorial passed asking for division into three States. In 1883 another passed asking Congress to divide Dakota.

During the winter 1881-82 more than a hundred leading citizens of the territory went to Washington and urged Congress to enact a law enabling South Dakota to form a State. Such a bill was favorably reported to both houses but passed in neither. Bills in the legislature of the territory to the same effect never became a law. But the people were not discouraged but kept up agitation and on September 4, 1883, a convention of 150 delegates was held at Sioux Falls and framed a constitution which was submitted to the people of South Dakota at the regular November election and carried by a majority of 5,622 votes. But nothing resulted from this as far as congressional action was concerned and the matter was further agitated for two years, and so strong was the feeling that the legislature of 1885 passed a law providing for a constitutional convention at Sioux Falls, which met

on September 8, 1885, and framed the constitution which, with but a few changes, is the constitution of the State of South Dakota.

In compliance with the schedule and ordinance of the constitution of 1885, the legislature met at Huron, the then temporary capital, on the second Monday of December, and listened to Gov. Mellette's message, and later elected Judges Moody and Edgerton United States senators.

But nearly four years passed, after all this had been done, before South Dakota gained Statehood. Under an act of Congress, approved February 22, 1889, a third constitutional convention was held at Sioux Falls, beginning July 4, 1889, to revise the instrument framed in 1885 to conform with the famous Omnibus Bill. This session lasted thirty-two days. The constitution was again submitted to the people as revised, voted on October 1, 1889, and adopted by a large majority. The vote on prohibition also made that a part of the constitution.

CHAPTER II.

DEADWOOD.

According to some authorities Ed. Murphy and others from Montana visited Deadwood gulch in the late autumn of 1875, and were the first discoverers of gold. Murphy wrote to John Hildebrand, who in April, 1876, came on from Montana bringing a considerable party with him.

On the 13th day of November Frank Bryant found gold in Deadwood while hunting deer, and on the 15th of the same month he, with one of his party, commenced to prospect Deadwood gulch, and on the 17th the following notice was written on a spruce tree by Bryant:

"We, the undersigned, claim three hundred (300) feet below this notice for discovery, and nine hundred (900)