Chapter 73 – Sale of the Mine
Andy looked around the room, everyone was trying to figure out what needed to be done next, but he needed some more information, so he thought it was just best to ask.
"I have a couple questions." Andy asked. "Including the three sitting here, I have seen five or six Mounties. Are you all stationed here? What can I expect for law enforcement here? Would I need to hire security? I know that you said that there was at least one Mountie here and that there is a sheriff."
"Hope Valley." Wynn said. "Right now has one full-time Mountie, Corporal Jack Thornton. He was the one that we told you was injured rescuing a child at the Silverton settlement. He is recovering, so you haven't met him yet. Constables McGinty and Carver are from Benson Hills. Constable Green is from Buxton. They arrived here to help with the injured and cover Jack's duties as he heals. Dee and myself are here from Hamilton. There are five Mounties in Benson Hills because they cover a large area, they also help with transfers. Benson Hills is a couple hours by horseback. There are also six Mounties in Buxton, which is also a couple of hours by horseback. They all help each other and are willing to send for help when needed. Hope Valley also has a former Mountie Inspector, Bill Avery, as Sheriff. The group of men all work together and support each other.
As far as security goes, that is up to you. But we have had this conversation about the Pinkertons. I would suggest that you terminate ALL your contracts with them where there are Mounties and make it very clear in other areas what the expectations are. I don't approve of the use of Pinkertons in general, but I can see why companies use them in areas that don't have full-time Mounties or other law enforcement or when traveling. The problem is that many of the Pinkertons don't care about the law and are only loyal to the person paying them. Don't get me wrong, there are some great Pinkertons out there and the Mounties have used them from time to time, but it is a case by case basis and those Pinkertons are screened and monitored by Mounties. I will even admit that I have used Pinkertons from time to time to protect my wife and children when traveling without me when they were younger. What I am finding these days is that the Pinkertons have hired a large number of men that washed out of Mountie training and that doesn't bode well for their character as far as I am concerned."
"Okay." Andy said. "That makes more sense. If it was needed, would Hope Valley get another Mountie?"
"If it was something that Jack and Bill felt was needed." Wynn said. "I would do what I could to support them. At this time, Bill and Jack are able to handle things and I trust their judgment. I have a feeling I might be leaving a Mountie here to help until Jack is fully recovered. I am not sure who that will be at the moment. I have one more Mountie coming to town as I have made some personal changes for the area. I am not quite sure when he will be arriving, but the other Mountie left this morning and is headed to Fort St. John. A Mountie that had been assigned up there temporarily, is who is headed here, Bill. We will talk more later."
"Thank you Wynn." Bill said. "Speaking for myself, Jack and I have been able to handle things and we haven't hesitated to ask for help when we needed it."
"Getting back to business." Andy said. "Madam Mayor, we need to sit down and work things out to purchase the mine and get it reopened."
"Abigail." Frank said. "I am going to go. I want to check on the children."
"I am going to get going too." McGinty said. "It has been a long couple of days. I think I might go check on Jack, then I am going to be at the old mining office."
"Thank you both." Abigail said. "Frank, can you make sure that people have eaten. Also can you let people know about the funeral and that I will be calling a town meeting at some point tomorrow using the mine office whistle."
"I will." Pastor Frank said. "Have a good night everyone."
"If you want, Andy." Abigail said. "We can sit down now."
"I will leave you to work." Bill said. "I am exhausted. Fair warning, if Mr Mullins doesn't let me get some sleep, he is going to be in more trouble then he may already be in. I am in no mood to deal with an obnoxious and unruly person."
"Do what you have to." Wynn said. "He has been warned. We will talk tomorrow."
"Tell Chris that he better behave." Andy said. "Or I will leave him with you guys and let what happens happen. He knows that I am serious. Also tell him if he doesn't listen, I won't help him get back to Colorado and he will be on his own with what he has with him."
"I will relay the message." Bill said.
After Frank, McGinty and Bill all left, Abigail turned to Andy to get down to business.
"Normally." Abigail said. "I would have Jack, Corporal Thornton, to sit in on the meeting, but since Wynn here is the ranking member of law enforcement, I would like him to sit in. Also, I would like Dee here to take notes."
"That is fine." Andy said. "Your town, your rules."
"Thank you." Abigail said. "The council approved the sale and reopening of the mine as long as we can reach an agreement. I have concerns and I need to look out for everyone."
"I assume many of your concerns stem from Crownsnest." Andy said. "I promise, that is not how I do business. Please talk to the men that have worked at Silverton or Rock Creek."
"Thanks, I have." Abigail said. "Yes, Crownsnest is where some of my concerns come from, but also past experience. My husband was a miner and worked for a couple different mines, before carelessness and greed cost him his life. I have seen mining companies bully people and push people to the breaking point. This town has been through enough and I don't want anything that will make life harder for the people that have suffered.
We have worked hard to build a life after the disaster that led to the mine closure. We have built businesses and moved this town in a positive direction. I want to make it clear that all businesses are expected to pay their fair share. We have implemented a tax and fee structure for all businesses, based on the number of employees. It is fair and you will be expected to contribute. There is the old mining office, it was forfeited back to the town and can either be purchased outright or it can be rented. Part of what is expected is a permit to build, which you will be required to apply and pay for for the houses that will be built. That will also include a permit if there is any building that will be done at the mine.
We have an infirmary and are hoping to have a full-time nurse here. There is an offer on the table for her. There is a traveling doctor who comes about once a month or so. Pacific Northwest had a company doctor that also treated townspeople for a small fee. If that is something you want, I can help with arrangements. Know that the infirmary belongs to the town and the nurse will be paid through the town and the taxes. Also right now the school is considered private. It was started by the mothers after the mine disaster last year. It was a way for the widows/mothers to take some control back from the mining company. Mrs Thornton's salary is paid for by the mothers. There is a plan to have the town take over her salary and still keep it a private school. Mrs Thornton and the mothers reached an agreement that each family would pay what they could. Your employees will be expected to contribute what they can until the current school year is over. You want to have a company here, then you need to be a part of the existing community and not demand we change to fit you. Have I made myself clear?"
"Yes." Andy said. "I will pay for the children of my employees to attend school for the remainder of the year. You tell me what is owed otherwise I will give Mrs Thornton a check myself. I know what private school costs back East per month and I will pay that rate to her.
"Let me talk to Mrs Thornton." Abigail said. "I will have a number for you later."
Andy nodded agreement.
"From what I understand, the town actually owns the mine." And said.
"Yes." Wynn said. "All the land that was held by Pacific that wasn't immediately sold, was forfeited back to the town as part of the settlement or taken due to abandonment. That is why the town has the mining office and infirmary, as well as the actual mine."
"Thank you Wynn." Abigail said. "Let's focus on the mine first. If you are interested in buying the old mining office, that will have to be approved by the council. All they have approved was the sale of the mine."
"I understand." Andy said. "I was thinking of building an office out near the mine. I don't like the optics of being in the old mine office, but I will do what is needed for the time being."
"That is up to you." Abigail said. "Just know that a majority of the people would be fine with it. There are a few widows that will not be happy, but anything to do with the mine they are unhappy about. Don't worry about them, they are only a few people. I wanted to be upfront about things with you. Overwhelmingly, the majority of people will be welcoming of your business as long as you respect the people of this town, the town itself and the things that have made this town special. You cross the people of this town and you will be on your own. I will not defend you to them, if you go against me and the town."
"Alright." Andy said. "I understand. I will be expected to be a part of the town and pay what is fair. I already have a person in mind for the superintendent of the mine. It is someone that knows mines and has worked with my uncle for years. He holds the same values as I do and I will be around. I mainly work out of Union City these days. Although, my main house is in Calgary. With Silverton and Rock Creek, I will be around. I like to be hands on. I will be here to oversee the reopening of the mine. I hire people that I trust, but also drop in when they don't expect me to be around. I have found that being around tends to keep the management more honest.
Please let me know what permits I need to apply for and I will do it before I leave in the next couple of days. I need to go back to Union City to get ads out for workers and to contact the people that I want to run here and Silverton. I will be back and at that point until I get the house/office built, I think I might rent the old office, just to have a place to work."
"Sounds good." Abigail said. "Let's talk numbers. First the rental of the office will be fifteen dollars a month. A thirty dollar deposit along with first and last month rent due immediately. Now let's talk about the mine. I know what the land was appraised as, so make an offer."
"Well." Andy said. "From what I understand, the mine and the surrounding land is about three or four square miles. I don't have an exact number since I didn't look into the mine all that close after learning about Gowen's involvement."
"Actually." Dee said. "According to the paperwork I have from Pacific Northwest, there are four and a quarter square miles that are officially part of the mine. There is an additional two and half acres that Pacific Northwest owned between the mine and the town proper. This has since been given to the town as part of the settlement after the trial. I believe that there may also be some equipment such as carts out there still and they would be considered part of the mine when you buy it."
"I think that a lot of the equipment was taken by Pacific Northwest." Abigail said. "To be honest I haven't been back out there since the last of the men were pulled."
"I am just remembering from the last time Jack and I rode by at Christmas." Dee said.
"I understand." Andy said. "I will check everything out. What was the acreage again?"
"Four and a quarter." Dee said.
Andy paused and looked like he was doing math in his head.
"So that is two thousand seven hundred and twenty acres for the mine." Andy said. "Maybe in the future, I might want the additional acreage, but at the moment, I will just buy the mine. I believe that there is plenty of land for what I want to do. Can I have a piece of paper?"
Dee handed Andy some paper and a pencil. Andy wrote a number on it, folded and handed it to Abigail. Abigail looked at it and crossed the number out and wrote a slightly higher number. She refolded it and handed it back to Andy. Andy looked at it, then looked at Abigail.
"Split the difference." Andy said.
"Deal." Abigail said.
Andy pulled out his checkbook and wrote a check to Hope Valley for the amount of the mine. While he was doing that, Abigail got the paperwork for the land that the mine was on. She handed it to Wynn to look over. Wynn pointed out where Abigail needed to sign. Wynn then pointed out where Andy needed to sign. Wynn then had Dee sign as a witness. Abigail made a note in the towns papers about the sale of the mine and what land went to Andy. He actually gave Abigail two checks. One for the sale of the mine and one for the rental of the mining office. He gave her the deposit and two months rent. Abigail pulled out additional paperwork and had Dee write up a rental contract for the mining office. Again, both Abigail and Andy signed both copies. Abigail knew that she had agreed to the sale, but she just hoped that she had done the right thing.
"I will have my men move out of the mining office." Wynn said. "We have been using it as a staging area and the boys have their bed rolls there since the saloon was in use."
"Don't worry." Andy said. "I am not concerned about this week. From my understanding, they have a number of supplies there. Please don't rush anything on my account, as long as it is ready when I come back. I am going to be leaving after the funeral and then will be back by the end of the month to get things going. I may have things shipped here. Maybe they can be stored at the office and I will deal with things when I come back."
"We will figure something out." Wynn said. "I will have my men out of there as well as the supplies by the weekend."
"Thank you." Abigail said. "I will make sure that it is cleaned and ready for you. If you are going to have things delivered, please have them marked for the mining office and I will make sure that they are safely stored there."
"You also have my word." Wynn said. "As long as I am here, I will make sure that the building is secure. I will also leave a word with Bill and Jack to make sure things are taken care of until your return."
"Please let me know what I owe the town for the injured men who will be staying." Andy said. "I was serious about taking care of the injured and paying for the children's schooling. Also let me know what the plan is going to be for the children. I will do what I can to help. Also thank you for all your work. I will make sure that anything delivered is marked for the mining office. Everything can be stored there and I will deal with it when I get back to town."
"Let me know where you will be in Union City." Abigail said. "We can settle up on the injured men when you get back. I will talk to Mrs Thornton and I am sure that she would be fine with payment when you return as well. If you have the chance I will let you know."
"I am sure that Beth would be fine with whatever you work out, Abigail." Wynn said.
Andy looked at Wynn with a confused look on his face. Wynn knew immediately what Andy was confused about.
"I have known Elizabeth, Mrs Thornton for years." Wynn said. "To differentiate, she was called Beth and my wife is Elizabeth."
"Understood, I was confused mainly because I hadn't heard her name before." Andy said. "I will make sure that you have my contact information before I leave. I am going to go and try and talk to Chris. If Sheriff Avery is sleeping, it can wait. I need some information from Chris about Crownsnest and other things that he has done. I don't know if it is clear to him yet, that he doesn't have a job with my company or my uncle's company anymore. I just wanted to get things straightened out and I think that Chris has the information that I need. I understand that Sheriff Avery has had a rough week, so I can wait until tomorrow to talk to Chris."
"Please wait until tomorrow, then." Wynn said. "I am sure Bill is sleeping, he had a rough couple days in Rock Creek and from my understanding a rough few days even before that."
"Then I will wait to talk to Chris." Andy said. "Do you have the permit applications and the tax schedule?"
"I can look for them." Abigail said. "I am still trying to arrange the office to be more functional for me."
"Yes." Andy said. "If I don't get them done, I will send them to you."
"That won't be a problem." Abigail said. "I will back date the permits, and I have given you verbal permission to start the houses with Lee. Don't worry about the council. They understand that this is a different situation and also I let them know that you would be building houses."
"Thank you." Andy said.
Everyone started to gather their things to end the meeting. Wynn and Dee had other work to do, but they were willing to let Abigail have her office if she needed. As Dee and Andy talked for a moment, Abigail started to look for the paperwork that she needed to get for Andy. Andy stood and was getting his stuff to head out, when he remembered that he wanted to talk to Abigail and Wynn about. He sat back down to talk about more things.
"Oh, I know what I was going to ask." Andy said. "You said that you would be talking to the people about what is happening, I decided that I will be sticking around until after the funeral as I said. On Friday, would there be a way to get the men that have been released and want to work back to Rock Creek. I will have tents, cots and equipment there for them. I already wired my supplier and he assured me that he would have everything that I need to get the men back to work. It is set to be delivered to Rock Creek mine by noon on Friday.
I have also arranged to have payroll here for all the men on Thursday morning. I figured that it would be easier to have cash on hand. I will be issuing checks to the families that will be getting death benefits. I have sent the stagecoach back and it will return on Friday to take me back to Union City. While I am here, I will do what I can to help. I would like to see the families that are staying start to get settled."
"We are trying." Wynn said. "The apartments don't have furniture or needed supplies. There will also be the needed supplies for the two row houses that will be used. The injured who will be staying, we are planning to move over to Gowen's old house. That is the one owned by the town. It is fully furnished. A number of the women have cleaned Gowen's old house as well as the apartments. Two of the apartments needed a coat of paint and that hasn't arrived yet. I think it might be here tomorrow. I already have a group ready to paint as soon as it arrives."
