Chapter 60 – Monday Night's Thoughts
After the service, it had been a somber evening in Hope Valley. The families from the settlement had supper together at the cafe. Everyone else went back to their own homes. There wasn't much left to the day and people knew that there was the possibility that they would be getting injured from Rock Creek. When Abigail had gotten back to town, she checked on Jack and Elizabeth. They had both been sleeping most of the day since Jack's little outing. Abigail was worried that Jack was going to have a setback. She was also worried about Elizabeth. She needed to get out and do something, but she refused to leave Jack's side. At least she had talked to Faith and had her check on Elizabeth. They hadn't said anything, but Abigail was sure that Elizabeth was pregnant. She would wait until they told her, but she was happy for them.
Wynn stopped at the mercantile when he got back to town and saw that there was a wire from Charlotte and two from headquarters. Wynn was heartbroken to hear about the settlement near Rock Creek. His heart also hurt for the children. The first messages from headquarters let him know that Jacobs had boarded a train that afternoon from Edmonton to Union City and then would ride the rest of the way starting the next morning. He should be there by Wednesday night or Thursday at the latest. The third message was to let Wynn know that he was free to make any changes to Fort St. John that he wished. There was an older Mountie named Cross that wanted to stay there, since he was close to retiring and loved the area. Anderson had planned to send another younger Mountie out there when Jacobs returned in late May. Since Wynn recalled him early if he wanted to send another Mountie sooner, that was fine. Seeing that, Wynn knew what he was going to be doing. What Rushman's rank was when he headed to Fort St John was the only thing that was in question.
Wynn was tired, but he also knew that there was a lot of work left to do. He headed back to Abigail's office to work some more. He had his maps and most of his paperwork spread out there. As long as Abigail didn't mind, he wanted to be able to work from there. He wanted to figure out more about Mr Mullins and also the mining company. He also was working on what the options were for the people that had been affected by the disasters. He knew that there were a lot of questions that he didn't have the answers to, but he didn't know what else that he could do at the moment. He wished that things had been different and Jack hadn't gotten injured, but then he wouldn't be here and that might have been worse.
Wynn wondered how many of the families would stay in Hope Valley if they had the chance and would there be housing and jobs for them. Wynn wasn't as worried about the jobs since he knew that the railroad would be hiring and that Lee had already been talking about expanding his sawmill. That also made him wonder why Abigail would turn down an opportunity to bring more jobs. Once again he had more questions than answers. It was becoming a common theme of late. Seeing the town pull together to help each other and those in need made him miss the days when he was more hands on and not doing paperwork all day. When he came to Hope Valley, it was the only time that he really got away from the office other than traveling and he had even cut down on that since he had put Collins in Cape Fullerton. Wynn was lost in thought when he heard a knock on the door. He turned to see Abigail. She looked at Wynn and in that moment, he looked like he had aged years. She realized that this all was taking a toll on Wynn a well.
"Saw the lights on." Abigail said. "Everything alright?"
"No, not really." Wynn said. "I got another message from Charlotte. Apparently a flash flood ripped through the settlement in Rock Creek and all they found were five small children that had been hiding in the trees. She also said that there were twenty miners in the mine. So far they have found four dead and rescued three. Sounds like it is a horrific situation up there. I wish that there was more that we could do, but right now it is a waiting game."
"Are they bringing them here?" Abigail asked. "I will say a pray for everyone. I am glad that Charlotte was there. Maybe they will find others."
"Didn't say." Wynn said. "I would assume so. Especially the children. When I know more I will let you know. I think that the chance of finding others is going to be slim, but I don't think that they will give up so easily."
"I know that Faith talked to you about moving the three that she was concerned about." Abigail said. "Have you heard from the mine owner?"
"Sounds like a rep will be here tomorrow." Wynn said. "I guess he was already in Buxton or heading there and was planning on heading to Rock Creek, so he is coming here."
"Well." Abigail said. "Hopefully there will be some answers soon."
"Can I ask you a question?" Wynn said.
"Sure." Abigail said. "But if you are worried about me, I am fine. It wasn't the first time that I have had to deal with things like that Mr Mullins said."
"Well that was part of it." Wynn said. "But what I really wanted to know was why you turned down the chance to reopen the mine. I thought that it would be good for the town."
"I don't disagree." Abigail said. "Reopening the mine would be good for the town, but just as much I want a company that will also be good for the town. I just couldn't figure out what it was, but I knew that Rocky Mountain Mining wasn't for Hope Valley. From what I could determine, they operated similar to how Pacific Northwest operated. The last thing that I want is a company to come in and think that they can take over. We have gotten past that, and I know that people don't want that again. If there was a company that would be willing to work with the town then that would be a different story. We don't want to be a company town again."
"I get what a company town is." Wynn said. "But do you really think that they would take over?"
Abigail took a deep breath and sat down in a chair across from Wynn. Wynn knew that she had something to say, so he stopped his paperwork and gave Abigail his full attention.
"Yes." Abigail said. "There is a mining town, down near the border with the States. It was a prosperous town, there were many businesses. The town had reached an agreement with Pacific and things were going well. Pacific had a certain amount of control, but allowed independent businesses to flourish. The town and the people were comfortable with the arrangement. Don't get me wrong, there was some push back from the mining company to have more control, but the people/business owners stood their ground. It was a fine balance and they were working through growing pains. I have gotten to know the mayor down there, through letters. We have been writing back and forth for months. He first wrote to me before I was mayor. He wanted advice from Noah about how to navigate some things with the mining company.
Apparently, he knew who Noah was and respected his experience and reputation in the industry. He was sad to learn that Noah passed away. He was even more concerned when I wrote to him and let him know that it was at the hands of the mining company and was hoping to take the company to court. He stayed in touch and I let him know how the trail went. He asked very pointed questions about things that were not reported in the paper. I answered him as best as I could. I also warned him to be careful, because I didn't trust Pacific Northwest. After Gowen was arrested and I was named mayor, I turned to this man for advice moving forward. He helped me navigate those first few weeks when I didn't know who I could trust when it came to businesses/vendors that the town worked with.
Then it happened that their mine was the first that Rocky Mountain bought from Pacific Northwest. Any business that wasn't owned by the mining company, they pushed out. First they took control of the mercantile, then it was the cafe, then it was the school. Before long, everyone in town worked for the mining company. People who didn't like it, were basically forced to leave. I don't know how they did it, but they pushed independent business out. I didn't want to see that happen to Hope Valley. We have worked very hard to take control back of our lives and the last thing that anyone wants is a company coming in and taking over. There was a time that Pacific had control of most aspects of life here. That was why the mothers chose to start our own school and hire a teacher after the accident. That is why the women of this town stood together and went into the mine, including Elizabeth to save our houses. You have to know that Jack wasn't happy about that, but there wasn't anything he could do to stop her. The last thing that I want is to see a company come in and try to tell the citizens of my town what they can and can't do.
The new mining company was also trying to pressure the mayor to do certain things. It got so bad, he sent his family back east to get them away from the Pinkertons. He was afraid that they would try to harm his family because he wouldn't do what they wanted. I tried to talk to him about going to the Mounties, but he was still afraid. He said that he wanted to leave and join his family, but he didn't want to abandon the people that were still loyal to him. He tried to fight the company, but by that point he had total control of everything. As of two weeks ago, he left to join his family as the company and Pinkertons had driven out the remaining people who opposed them. I feel bad for this mayor, but he had no one to turn to.
People that were here when Pacific Northwest ran the town know what I am talking about. I think that is why Jack still has trouble from time to time with some people. The Pinkertons ran roughshod over this town and to this day, many people don't trust law enforcement because of things that they did. We both know that Jack is not like the Pinkertons and he has worked really hard to earn people's trust. I mean you saw it when we had the meeting about Gowen. I think that the reason that people were upset was because things had been done behind closed doors and they were afraid that it was going to go back to the old ways."
"I didn't know that about Rocky Mountain." Wynn said. "Good to know about the Pinkertons as well. I knew that the town had struggled last year after the disaster, but I hadn't heard many of the details other then official reports. I didn't know that the women of this town had gone into the mine. I had wanted to talk to Beth more about that when she said something back in January when they were in Hamilton, but there was so much going on that we didn't get a chance to talk about it. Why am I not surprised about Beth going and helping? I love my niece, but she can so stubborn when she thinks she is right. When she sets her mind to something, there is no talking to her. I think that is one of the things that makes her so strong, but it can be incredibly frustrating as well. I see that same trait in my wife and her brother, so I know where Beth got it. I am sure Jack wasn't happy, but I also know that he would have gone in as well if he could have."
"Henry Gowen was threatening to evict us from our homes." Abigail said. "This was after he tried to stiff us on the death benefits. He paid them, but he found every reason to deduct any amount from it. Some of the widows barely got anything. We knew that Gowen was greedy, but the way he treated us."
Abigail let out a shuddering breath.
"Anyway." Abigail continued. "I think because we helped each other and stuck together is what made us stronger in the long run. So when Gowen threatened us, I proposed a deal – the women work to clear the blocked shaft and if we got it done in two weeks before he was threatening to evict us, we could keep our homes. Despite him trying to sabotage us and refusing to let the men help. Almost all the women, not just the widows, stood together and cleared the shaft, working twenty-four hours a day for six days straight. The children helped by making and bringing meals. The older ladies watched and helped the children. They also made sure that every family ate that week. We wouldn't have been able to make if we wouldn't have all pulled together.
After that, we were granted one year in the row houses – rent free and then at reduced rent after that for as long as we lived in then house. And you are correct, Jack was not happy about Elizabeth going into the mine, but he also understood why she felt that it was needed. Actually, I was glad that Jack was here during that time. He watched over people at the mine, so Gowen wouldn't be able to push us around. Jack wasn't happy with the way that Gowen treated us. He talked to Gowen and tried to get him to back off.
It was fun watching Elizabeth prove Jack wrong about her at every turn. He called her a 'spoiled princess' who had no business being in this town. She was determined to prove him wrong. Whether it was breaking up a fight between two of the older boys, getting a black eye in the process, or going into the mine. She wasn't going to back down. Whether she wanted to prove it to herself, Jack, her father or all of them, she pushed through more than I thought she would. When she first arrived, I gave her a week and I thought she would turn tail and leave. She proved me wrong and I am so glad. She was able to get through to the children and in the process won over many of the mothers. Many of them didn't think that she had what it took to teach out here. That stubbornness that you were talking about, I saw in spades first hand that first month that she was here."
"Wow." Wynn said. "I hadn't heard that story. Why am I not surprised about Beth? When I learned that she was coming out here, my brother-in-law – her father, joked that she would be back within a month and married to his choice within six after that. I don't know if she ever knew about that, but knowing Beth, I knew that there was no way that she was going to come running back to Hamilton. She would have stayed here to prove her point, if it killed her. I am sure that Jack pushing her buttons by calling her a spoiled princess only made that stubborn streak show even more."
Abigail laughed because she knew it to be true.
"I know that Dee was going to look into the company who owned Silverton, but he hadn't heard back from all his contacts." Wynn said. "We did learn that the same company that owns Silverton, owns Rock Creek, but they are in talks with Rocky Mountain. Maybe you should share your findings with the rep that is coming. I am sure that he would like to know. FootHills is a small company and they only have two or three mines from what Dee could determine. He also said that they were looking for capital/investors and that was probably why they were talking to Rocky Mountain. I am just glad that they responded so quickly and are coming to talk to us."
"I will." Abigail said. "I don't know if it is Rocky Mountain as a whole company or if it is just Mr Mullins. He is the person that was in charge down near the border. I can't stand that man and I don't want anything to do with a company he is a part of and especially if that is how they treat people. I have better standards than that. I want better for Hope Valley."
"I don't blame you." Wynn said. "It is getting late, we should head to our respective homes. I think that it is going to be a long day tomorrow."
"I agree." Abigail said. "Walk with me to the cafe."
"Sure." Wynn said.
Abigail waited for Wynn to straighten his paperwork and get the lights. They were just heading down the steps when Ned approached and handed Wynn a message.
"Thank you Ned." Wynn said.
Ned nodded and hurried back to the mercantile. Wynn stopped and looked at the message.
"Sixteen injured." Wynn said. "Plus five or six children all headed this way at first light."
"That means that they should be here about lunch time." Abigail said. "Knowing Bill and Charlotte they will take their time to make sure the injured are okay."
Wynn walked Abigail to the cafe and then he headed to the row house. He was tired and assumed that Dee was already at the house. He knew that they were going to be busy with the rep from FootHills coming in, as well as the injured arriving from Rock Creek.
Charlotte and Bill were up early. Reality of it, Charlotte had hardly slept. She had stayed with the children and was also checking on the injured women. Bill was actually glad that she had come with. He might not admit it out loud to anyone else, but he liked the way that Charlotte did things. It was still dark when they started to get the men going. They wanted everyone loaded and ready to go as soon as it was light. Bill had gotten a list of the injured men. He also had the names of the men who died. Mr Annesley also did his best to talk to each of the men and get the names of their family members in case they turned up.
Against his better judgment, Bill had talked to the children and filled in a few gaps of names. There were three copies of names – one was to stay with Mr Annesley, Bill had one and he had given one to McGinty for Mountie records. They hadn't said much about the settlement, only that it was empty other than the few children when Bill and Charlotte had arrived. They didn't want to concern people more than they had to. They were hoping that the women had been able to get out, but both Bill and Charlotte knew that it was unlikely. Bill pulled Lee aside.
"Lee." Bill said. "I hope you understand that I have to go back to the settlement to see if there is anyone else out there. From what we have learned there are fifteen missing women and ten missing children. Take this list and give it to Wynn. McGinty has the official list for Mountie records. This can be a working list for Wynn."
"No, I get it." Lee said. "I will send a couple men with you. No problem. I will make sure that Wynn gets this. Thanks and be safe."
Lee quickly looked around and saw Floyd Conklin and Jesse Flynn and walked over to them. He told them to go with Bill and that he would see them back in Hope Valley. A couple of the local farmers overheard them talking and said that they would head that way as well. Lee thanked them.
"Get everyone back safely." Bill said.
"I will." Lee said. "You come back safely as well."
"I will." Bill said. "See you back in Hope Valley."
With that Bill, Jesse, Floyd and three other men were off. Bill was leaving it up to the Constables, Lee and Charlotte to get the injured people and children back to Hope Valley safely. Lee understood Bill's need to make sure that they left no one behind. Before he left, Lee checked with Mr Annesley that he would take care of the five dead. Mr Annesley said he would have them buried in the local cemetery. They didn't have a regular preacher, but it was more important to get the men buried. Lee asked him to hold off for a day until they heard from someone in Hope Valley, maybe they could send their pastor out there.
