Page:A Brief History of South Dakota.djvu/129

Rh are still upon the statutes of the states of South Dakota and North Dakota.

It was the middle of May before the Pony Congress adjourned, and the closing scenes beggared everything in the way of coarse fun and horseplay which has characterized the many succeeding sessions. The weather was fine, and for three days and nights before the end the members indulged in a continuous open-air carousal. One of the incidents of those jocund days is thus described by Hon. Moses K. Armstrong, who was a member of the house of representatives: "I happened to cross the street one morning at the peep of day and there I beheld, beside a smoldering camp fire, two lusty legislators, Malony and McBride, holding a kicking cow by the horns, and a third, John Stanage, pulling his full weight at the cow's tail. On either side of the heifer sat Councilmen Bramble and Stutsman, with pails in hand, making sorrowful but vain attempts at teasing milk enough from the quadruped to make their final pitcher of eggnog. Off on one side sprawled the corpulent Representative Donaldson, convulsed with laughter, and in front of the scene stood the eloquent lawmaker Boyle (afterward justice of the Supreme Court) with hat, coat, and boots off, making a military speech, and imploring the cow to give down in behalf of her country."