of the Southern
Pacific R. R.; Dr. Aked, Mr. Wilson, R. C. Van Fleet, Miss Todd and A.
L. Sapiro. Then came the climax to the campaign when Mrs. Ernestine
Black stepped forward and announced that Mme. Lilian Nordica would
speak for woman suffrage and sing in Union Square that evening!

The great prima donna had come to San Francisco to sing at the
ground-breaking for the Panama Exposition and in an ever-generous
spirit agreed to give her matchless services to the cause in which she
was deeply interested. The crowds were packed for blocks in every
direction and suffrage speakers were addressing them from automobiles
when Madame Nordica stood up in masses of flowers in Union Square
opposite the St. Francis Hotel and very simply made her plea for the
enfranchisement of California women. Then her glorious voice rang out
to the very edges of the throng in the stirring notes of the Star
Spangled Banner. The campaign was over.

* * * * *

The amendment went to the voters Oct. 10, 1911. It was most important
to watch the vote in San Francisco and Oakland, as their expected
adverse vote would have to be counteracted by the rest of the State if
the suffrage amendment carried. Oakland was put in charge of Mrs.
Coolidge, who had a corps of efficient helpers in the members of the
Amendment League, composed of old residents of Oakland, who had been
engaged for many years in church, temperance and other social work,
among them Mrs. Sarah C. Borland, Mrs. Agnes Ray, Mrs. A. A. Dennison,
Mrs. Emma Shirtzer, Mrs. Jean Kellogg, Mrs. F. M. Murray and Mrs. F.
Harlan. Of these league members 240 stood at the polls twelve hours,
not half enough of them but they were treated with the greatest
respect and undoubtedly they helped reduce the adverse majority. This
work was paralleled in Berkeley, Alameda and other places around the
bay.

Four weeks before election two representatives of each of the nine
suffrage associations of San Francisco met and placed in the capable
hands of Miss Laughlin the difficult task of looking after the
election in that city and this committee of eighteen acted as an
executive board for carrying out her plans. Her management received
the highest commendation from political leaders. Dr. Mary Sperry and
Misses Miriam and Julie Michelson were a permanent office force and
Miss Schlingheyde, Mrs. Chapin and Miss Sullivan carried much of the
work. The Woman Suffrage Party gave the use of