January 1900 - January 17, 1900 (Wednesday)

January 17, 1900 (Wednesday)

• Brigham H. Roberts was refused a seat in the United States House of Representatives after an investigation showed that he had committed polygamy. He had married his first wife in 1878, a second wife in 1878, and a third in 1897. The vote of a committee was seven to two against seating him, with Congressmen DeArmond and Littlefield arguing that he should be seated and then expelled.
• The Yaqui Indians of the Sonora state issued a proclamation of their independence from Mexico, and asked Americans to come to their aid. The declaration, made at Bavispe, was signed by Manuel Suuveda, who declared himself President of the Yaqui state. The Mexican consul in El Paso, Francisco Mallen, described claims of the Yaquis as "simply ridiculous". Days later, the Mexican Army suppressed the rebellion, killing 200 people and injuring 500 in Nogales.
• After the Attorney General of Missouri, E.B. Crow, had announced plans to seek an injunction against its completion, the Chicago Canal was opened in a hastily prepared ceremony. Governor Tanner of Illinois signed a permit at 10:15 am, and Col. Isaac Taylor of the Canal Commission made a five minute speech about the importance of connecting the Great Lakes with the Mississippi River. At 11:16 am, the dam between the canal and the Des Plaines River was lowered.
• The Superintendent of Immigration in Toronto reported that nearly 14,000 Americans, with a total worth of two million dollars, emigrated to Canada during 1899, and added that "Kansas and Arkansas supplied the greater part of those who came."