Chapter 86 – Informing the Town
Just before 4pm, the whistle from the mine office was sounded. Lee had let the men that had come into work know that there was a town meeting, but they didn't need to attend. They had let Lee know that they would finish working and if there was anything that they needed to know, to please let them. Kenneth had expressed that many of these men probably wouldn't be staying in Hope Valley so they had no need to be familiar with all that was going on in town. He had also felt that if it was something important, then they would be told. Lee agreed with him and let him know if there was anything that they needed to know that he would let them know. He had also let Kenneth know that he was looking to hire some workers on a temporary basis and that he would be willing to talk to any of the men that were interested in staying on and continuing to work in Hope Valley at least for a time. He said that he couldn't guarantee them full-time work after the contract to build the houses was complete, but he would do what he could to employ as many men as he could. Kenneth let him know that he would let the men know about the opportunity.
Lee was grateful that the men would continue working. He had wanted to attend the meeting and worried about leaving them. He was also glad that he didn't have to continually check on the men, it appeared that the leader of the group, Kenneth, was serious about keeping the men working and doing what they were hired to do. Lee had figured that there would be questions and he also wanted to be there to support Abigail. He knew that there were some that were still unhappy about her being mayor. He wasn't sure what their problem was, but he had put people in their place more then once. He wasn't one for idle gossip or talking poorly about someone. He especially wasn't going to allow it for someone that had given a lot to keep this town together. Even though Lee didn't know the full story of what happened right after the mine disaster, he had heard enough to know that it was Abigail who was there for people and to keep people going. Besides that, Abigail was someone who was important to his best friend and his wife. That alone was enough for Lee to defend and support Abigail.
People quickly gathered at the saloon. It was standing room only when Abigail looked around the room. She motioned for people to quiet down so that she could get the meeting started. Without prompting, Rosemary stepped up and let out a quick whistle.
"Thank you Rosemary." Abigail said.
"Anytime." Rosemary said with a smile.
Rosemary had been making an effort to be more a part of the town, especially since she was engaged to Lee. There were still people that were leary of her because of her early behavior toward Jack and Elizabeth. At least Rosemary was trying to make an effort to be a part of the community. She was even working at Dottie's Dress Shoppe, which helped some. The other thing that helped, was it seemed that Jack and Elizabeth had made their peace with Rosemary. It wasn't like they were best friends, but there were steps toward a real friendship.
"Now everyone." Abigail said. "I know we all have things to do, so I will try to make this quick, but there are things that need to be addressed. First of all, to the men and women from Silverton and Rock Creek. Welcome and I am sorry if I have not had a chance to personally welcome you to Hope Valley. I know that things are up in the air right now, but we are working on things. The first thing is that for those of you that don't know, we will be having a large funeral for those lost at Rock Creek tomorrow, 1pm at the cemetery. For those of us who lived here last year, we have been through this. I would encourage you to show your support for the people who lost a family member. I will also understand if it is too difficult for people to be there. Just keep everyone in your prayers.
The next order of business is I want people to know that a deal has been reached and I, with the backing of the town council, have agreed to reopen the mine here in Hope Valley. I don't have a lot of details, but here is what I can share. The owner, Andy Yeager of FootHills Mining, is also the owner of the Silverton and Rock Creek mines. He has been in town the last couple of days. I know that there is work that needs to be done and things that he needs to do before the mine is operational again. I want people to welcome Mr Yeager and his business. He will be here for a couple more days and then he will be leaving for a couple of weeks to get things started."
Before Abigail could continue, people started shouting over each other asking questions and voicing their opinions. Abigail looked at Wynn, but before he could do anything, Rosemary let out a sharp whistle to silence the crowd. Abigail nodded her thanks to Rosemary. Abigail knew that there was going to be some tension, but she thought people would be more receptive to the idea.
"I know that people have questions and plenty to say." Abigail said. "But I would like to get through the rest of the business that needs to be addressed. Then I will take questions and try to hear people. All I am going to say is that I didn't take reopening the mine lightly. It wasn't something that I was seeking, but the opportunity presented itself and I felt that it was what was best for the town. I know that some people may not be happy, but I need to do what is the best for the majority of people and bringing business into town is what is best.
Now to continue. For the men from Silverton and Rock Creek, I am sure some of you have many questions. At this time, here is what I can tell you. Mr Yeager will have payroll for you, I believe tomorrow. There are also a number of men that have been told they will be released back to work on Friday. After sitting down with Mr Yeager and the others the plan is to take the single men back to Rock Creek first. Men with wives and children have more to consider. That being said, we have worked out a few housing options. There are more in the works. It is just going to take some time. I know that the tents aren't the greatest, but they are here for a time and we will use them for people that want to stay and wait on more permanent housing. Those from Silverton who are married and/or have children, if you want to stay in Hope Valley there are options, please talk to me and Mr Yeager after the meeting. To the men from Rock Creek with children, we are still working on things, but you also have choices to make. Please start to think about what you want and also please stick around for a bit after the meeting.
Finally, as you all have noticed there is a group of men that came into town this morning and have been working around town. I can't tell you much more, other than they are here to help for a couple of weeks. What happens beyond that has yet to be determined. Mr Coulter and Mr Yeager reached an agreement and will be building additional row houses for miners that will be working here and possibly at Silverton. There is a lot that still needs to be worked out. Obviously, there will be more new people coming into Hope Valley over the next couple of weeks. I expect that we will welcome them and treat people with respect. Sheriff Bill Avery and Corporal Jack Thornton will be around to keep the peace and I expect people to listen to any of the other Mounties that stay here while Jack is recovering. Now I am sure that you have questions. If Mr Yeager will please come up here, we will do what we can to answer them. Deputy Commissioner Delaney is also here to answer questions. If you have questions, please stand and wait to be recognized. If I don't know your name, please introduce yourself before your question."
Abigail looked around and there were a number of people standing waiting to ask questions. She looked at Wynn and Andy, before taking a deep breath and turning back to the crowd that was gathered.
"Yes, Florence." Abigail said.
"When are the children going to be going back to school? She asked. "Is Mrs Thornton going to be teaching? With men leaving, I think the children should be back in school."
"School will restart on Monday." Abigail said. "Right now, Elizabeth Thornton and her mother-in-law Charlotte Thornton will share the teaching duties until Elizabeth says otherwise. If you have a problem with that, then you can talk to Charlotte. She was a teacher for over twenty years and I have full confidence in her. Next, Mrs Bickley."
"When will miners be coming to Hope Valley?" She asked.
"Mr Yeager." Abigail said.
"I hope to have the mine here up and running by the end of summer." Andy said. "It is going to take some time, I want and need to have the mine inspected. Then I am sure there are safety features that will need to be added or upgraded. I will be hiring people as the mine gets going. I already have an idea of who I want to run the mine. Other hiring will be between the two of us if he agrees to run the mine, but I suspect that miners will slowly start showing up within a few weeks. Like I said the first step is going to be getting the mine inspected. I have already wired two different inspectors to see how soon that can be done.
Before anyone asks, I will not announce the superintendent of the mine until I have been able to talk to the man in person. I currently want to get Rock Creek and Silverton back up and running at capacity. I am still trying to figure out what is going to happen to the land from the Rock Creek settlement. I owned the land. For the men that were there, I will not be taking any additional rent from the checks. After I talk to the Bureau of Land Management, I will determine what will happen with that land. If I choose to keep it, I will let you know. There are too many pieces up in the air right now to determine what is going to happen. As soon as I know, I will let the people that are affected know. Right now any men that returns to Rock Creek will be housed in tents closer to the mine. I have additional tents, supplies and equipment arriving in Rock Creek on Friday. Since these tents will be shared with other men, there will be no rent at this time. Men who want to bring their wives, we will work something out and there may be a small rental charge.
Depending on what happens, I may house miners from Silverton here in Hope Valley and provide transport to the actual mine. There are many details that need to be worked through. I know that some of the settlers from Silverton are worried about their land. I know that Deputy Commissioner Delaney is working on that and I don't have any answers for you. I didn't own the land that the settlement was on, so I can't speak to what is going to happen with that. D.C. Delaney do you have anything to add?"
"Yes." Wynn said, stepping forward. "To the people that were staying at the Silverton settlement, I am working to determine what is going to happen to the land that you were on. I have questions that need to be answered. I was hoping that you would be willing to speak to me and/or a couple of the other Mounties tomorrow. We will be seeking you out or you will be free to come into town starting mid-morning tomorrow. Right now, we will be at the mayor's office, if that changes we will have a note posted. I hope that you all will feel comfortable talking to us. We are here to help you. Thank you."
"Yes, the gentlemen in the third row on the far end." Abigail said.
"My name is Andrew Bell and I worked at Silverton" He said. "My question is for Mr Yeager. If I want to go back to work, but leave my wife and son here in Hope Valley, is that possible?"
"Yes, Mr Bell." Andy said. "We talked about keeping the children here so that they can attend school. For those that want to stay in Hope Valley, but continue to work I am willing to have you at Rock Creek or Silverton and arrange for you to come back to Hope Valley on your days off. Please talk to me after the meeting."
"Yes, Alice." Abigail said.
"Do we have room and supplies for all the additional children?" She asked.
"I am sure Elizabeth will do what she can." Abigail said. "We will do what we can to make sure that the students have what they need. For right now, I will defer to Mrs Thornton. I know that she will make due with what she has. Just as she did when she first arrived. Let's not borrow trouble with too many what ifs. If we did that we would be here forever trying to answer all of those. Any additional questions about the school, I can't answer and we will just have to wait until they restart school next week.
The last thing that I am going to say about the school, will be to make sure your children have the supplies they need and they have done their homework that was given when we learned of the landslide. I would also suggest that people worry more about making sure that their children are ready for school and do their homework. That will help both Mrs Thorntons, because I am sure that they will need to work with the new children to determine what their needs are. Yes, Norman."
"I heard that the railroad is coming to Hope Valley." He asked. "What can you tell us?"
"Lee." Abigail said.
"Thank you Abigail," Lee said. "Yes, I have reached an agreement with the railroad to lay a spur line to the sawmill. They have hired workers and should start laying track next week. I can also let people know that the National Railroad is laying track from Union City to Buxton. The spur line is going to be coming from there. At this point there is nothing else that I can tell you."
"Abigail if I may." Andy said.
"Go ahead, Mr Yeager." Abigail said.
"I will also be talking to the railroad and getting a spur line to the Hope Valley mine." Andy said. "I have also been in talks with them about possibly getting a line closer to the Silverton mine as well. I can't speak for the railroad, but I will do what I can to help the town if and when the railroad chooses to extend the line past Buxton. With both the sawmill and the mine, I believe that Hope Valley will eventually get a mainline. My goal would be to help the town achieve that. For now, we have to wait for the National Railroad to make their decisions."
"Thank you both." Abigail said. "All I will say is that I have not been approached by the railroad about anything at this point. I will let people know if and when that changes. Yes, Mr Conklin."
"It was great having Nurse Carter here when this happened." Floyd said. "Is she staying or are we getting someone else? Also is the town looking for a full-time doctor or will we still have the traveling doctor?"
"Right now." Abigail said. "I can tell you we have secured funding from a charity and have offered Nurse Carter the position as a full-time nurse here in Hope Valley if she wants to stay. I have not heard back from her, she had until the end of the month to make a decision. The terms of the charity are that we start setting aside funding to at least take over part of her salary after a year and fully after three years. I have already made the changes to the town budget.
Like I told the town council, at this time there are no plans to bring in a full-time doctor and we will continue to have a traveling doctor. That being said, I would seek funding if the opportunity to have a full-time doctor presented itself. I also know that the doctor in Buxton retired and they have been looking for over a year and have yet to find someone, so I doubt that we would have much more luck. As far as the traveling doctor, he should be back here in the next couple of weeks. There were things that needed attention and his services were much needed in other areas. I agreed since I knew that Faith was going to be here for a bit. Yes, Mr Weise."
"When is the saloon going to reopen for business?" Bruce asked.
"The dry order will be lifted tomorrow afternoon." Abigail said. "That said, I expect people to behave and not cause trouble."
Things went on like that for close to an hour as Abigail, Andy, Lee and occasionally Wynn answered questions. Finally people seemed satisfied, albeit not all were happy about the news of the mine in Hope Valley reopening. People from Silverton and Rock Creek stayed after other people started to leave the meeting. They wanted to know more about getting paid and getting back to work. Dee was there with the list and contracts for the housing. Andy explained that he would have payroll for people in the morning at the mining office. It took Andy and Abigail over an hour to talk to the people that they needed to after the meeting. They offered the families from Silverton the housing and were able to talk to them about returning back to work.
It was determined that Christine Albertson would take Mr Yeager up on his offer of a train ticket back East and would be leaving with him back to Union City on Friday. All the families, with the exception of Nancy Tucker, had agreed to stay in Hope Valley. The men would be returning to work as they were able. Their wives and children would be here in Hope Valley. Many of those men expressed interest in returning to work here at the Hope Valley mine once it was up and running. Mr Yeager, let them know that he would do what he could to help them be closer to their families as he was able. He was glad that it sounded like that the children would be staying in Hope Valley. Now all they had to do was convince Wyatt Weaver that it was better for him to finish school and that his mother and brothers would be taken care of there in Hope Valley. He knew that he would have help in talking to the boy, but he was still worried.
