The law provides that the real, personal or mixed property which shall
come to a woman by descent, purchase, gift, etc., shall be and remain
her sole and separate property, notwithstanding her marriage, and
shall not be subject to the disposal of her husband or be liable for
his debts.

A married woman may bargain, sell and convey her real and personal
property, enter into any contract, sue and be sued the same as a
married man.

A married woman may carry on any business or enter any profession, by
herself or with others, and the proceeds shall be her separate
property and may be invested in her own name.

The law also provides that the father and mother shall be equal
guardians of their children, and that the survivor may by last will
and testament appoint a guardian.

The husband, if he have property, is required by a recent decision to
furnish his family with reasonable support; otherwise there is no
penalty for failure to do so.

Dower and curtesy obtain. The widow's dower is one-third for life of
the real estate, and one-third of the personal estate absolutely if
there is a child or descendant of any living. If there is no issue or
descendant of any, but father, mother, brother, sister or descendants
of these, the widow has one-half the personal estate. If none of
these, the widow may have all of the personal estate, and all of the
real estate if there is no kindred whatever. A widower, if his wife
has borne a living child, is entitled to the use of one-third of her
real estate for life, and one-third of her personal property. If there
are no heirs, lineal or collateral, he takes the whole estate
absolutely.

The "age of protection" for girls was raised in 1889 from 12 to 16
years. The penalty is, for the first offense imprisonment at hard
labor in the penitentiary not more than fifteen years, and for each
subsequent offense not more than thirty years. No minimum penalty is
fixed.

SUFFRAGE: Since the Territorial government was abolished and male
citizens disfranchised, in 1874, there have been numerous petitions to
Congress for the ballot by both men and women, but no action has been
taken by that body.

OFFICE HOLDING: Through the early '80's Mrs. Belva A. Lockwood, Mrs.
Jane H. Spofford and others worked unceasingly for the placing of
matrons at the jail and police stations. One was appointed in 1884,
and, during the sixteen years since, a matron has been secured for the
jail and three for the ten po