Mature Content: No.
Author: Mr Richard Compton Orr.
With: Mayor Scott Cory (?); Judge Ben Robertson (NPC); Matt Wentworth; John Anderson (NPC); Hector Wigfall acting as amanuensis for Mr Orr.
Location: Town Council Meeting Room.
When: Early-Mid July 1876
Time of Day: Early Evening.
Blood is thicker than water.
That had been 'Tricky Dicky' Orr's main consideration during his ongoing opposition to Steelgrave's brat of a daughter's bombastic and self glamourizing little plan to build a hospital and orphanage in Kalispell. But, increasingly, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Oh sure, political cronyism had its uses: thanks to his position as a party animal of the Grant administration, the Governor of the Territory, another creature of the party machine, had secured him the salaried post of Postmaster (no pun intended) of this Town which not only provided a stipend, modest in comparison to the dollars he made in his legal and business dealings, but also a certain degree of power and pull in local affairs.
The downside was that the Governor, he gathered, was increasingly pro- the plan and now, nearer to home, so was his own darling sweet little daughter, Anæsthesia, who had actually extemporised a poem lauding both the scheme and Miss Steelgrave at a local meeting of the Ladies Society! As Secretary of the Town Council - a position involving some degree of work, and therefore coveted by few - he held the power of actually calling the meetings, and therefore was able to play the age old politician's trick of prevarication and filibuster: the council hadn't had a meeting in months, and thus Miss Steelgrave's plan could be neither motioned nor passed. Also, as Secretary, he was responsible for producing the minutes (although he paid a scribe to do the donkey work) and thus was sometimes able to somewhat rewrite the history of the deliberations of this august body.
However, at the end of the day, he had his own motions to propose and had been reluctantly forced to call a meeting. He arrived first and ensconced himself in his usual position, flanked by his amanuensis, or scribe, young Hector Wigfall: funny, sitting together like that, a stranger might actually take them for father and son, so alike were they. Orr wondered who would turn up next. Wentworth was usually pretty prompt, Anderson and Judge Robertson would probably turn up, if a little tardily. As for Mayor Cory, no one had seen him for months: was the fellow even still alive? Maybe not. The possibilities of the Mayorship dangled before his own eyes, only to be dismissed: the Mayoral chain glistened, but all that glistened was not gold.
He had called the meeting with very little notice, of course, in the hope that no members of the public would get wind of it and crowd the public gallery as was their right under the constitution of the increasingly large town.
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
Word came down to Speed about the proposed meeting to be held upstairs in the meeting room that evening. He looked up at the clock, a meeting at five would be dinnertime. Folks that worked would just be getting off about that time, and ranchers and farmers, well, there was no time for them to make the trip in, if they even got word of the meeting.
He was up out of his chair, putting on his hat, and stepping through the door marching across the street, dodging traffic and other folks that were crossing and up on the the boardwalk on the opposite side of the street. With Pike gone on his long delayed honeymoon, Charlie would have to go to the meeting with him. Neither would have a say or a vote, but it was customary for both to attend for crowd control, and he doubted there would be a crowd. Something was just plain wrong here.
He stepped through the door of the Kalispell Union, "Phin? You hear about the meeting of the Town Council, slated for five o'clock this evening?" The newspaper man looked up, eyes narrowed at the question.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
"Phin? You hear about the meeting of the Town Council, slated for five o'clock this evening?"
"Hell no! You think them four flushing , jackwagons'd invite the Union to one of their contrived meetings? No on your life, son!!" Came the response, "But you can bet I'll be there, this should be good. Maybe, just maybe they'll bring up Miss Steelgrave's hospital project they've shelved for no good reason but their own egos!"
Speed smiled, "Be my take you don't much cotton to the Town Council we have."
I do not sir! They do nothing for this community, nothing that doesn't benefit them. Just like any other city government anywhere. Their goal is to enrich themselves an' the hell with everyone else. Like they were some kind of royalty, for Christ's sake!" He shook his head. "Crooks, the lot of them worse than Elias or Case Steelgrave because they don't take it all at once, but a little bit at a time."
"Now I'd have to agree with that, and I have to go and take young Charlie Wentworth with me to protect them.Ironic, ain't it?"
"Well, damn sure should be interesting this evening." Phin added.
It's not a question of who's right. It's a question of what's right.
As Matt approached the door of the meeting room, he took his watch out and checked the time. It was nearly 5pm and there was hardly a soul outside. This sudden meeting had even surprised him. Orr probably had some reason for calling it and no doubt it had something to do with his own plans.
When he had been asked to join the Town council back in January, Matt had thought he would do some good. Considering that had only two or three meetings since then, was a bit odd but then again he knew one of the reasons why they hadn't happened.
In theory, the town council approved of the plan for a hospital and orphanage. It was having the Steelgrave name attached to it that was causing problems. It was a shame that Leah hadn't done enough to distance herself from her father - enough that was to convince the council and most of the town that her father wasn't the one behind the whole scheme.
Even if he voted in favour of the plan, it would be probably end up in a stalemate, depending on which way John Anderson went. Orr and Judge Robertson, who for most of the time was a reasonable man, were against it for now. A stalemate would result in another delay, which along with all the other delays including the Indian troubles had probably dragged this out longer than it should have been.
However, voting on the hospital and orphanage would only happen if it was bought up in the agenda. He had only found out about the meeting an hour ago, when young Hector Wigfall had informed him about it, so there was no time to go through an agenda, if there was one.
Opening the door to the meeting room, he saw Orr standing near the table where the town council sat. "Good evening, Mr. Orr, " he said as he closed the door behind him, "Care to enlighten me on what this meeting is all about?"
As Mr. Wentworth entered Hector glanced up and saw him; he rose and gave a half-assed sort of a bow or nod of acknowledgement of respect and then plonked down in his chair again, trying to get his notepaper in order and fill his fountain pen.
Dick Orr looked around majestically and the pleasure at seeing that it was Matt who had arrived was clearly etched upon his patrician brow.
Opening the door to the meeting room, he saw Orr standing near the table where the town council sat. "Good evening, Mr. Orr, " he said as he closed the door behind him, "Care to enlighten me on what this meeting is all about?"
"Hullo Wentworth! Oh, we just need to wave through some urgent business that has come up." he boomed, pacing over to shake the hotelier's hand. Just a normal handshake - firm and dry though it was. When he had first met the man he had given him a masonic handshake, but not receiving one back, had regretfully concluded that he was not of the brotherhood.
"It shouldn't take too long if Anderson or Robertson will get a move on: we only need one more to be quorate. I'm hoping the public won't get wind of it and start crowding the agenda with their petty quibbles. Oh, and er, if you happen to see my daughter, I'd appreciate if you didn't mention this little affair, she's been bending my ear about that dratted hospital again!" he added.
"What's become of Cory anyway?" he then asked the other man. not that he particularly missed the relatively newly elected Mayor's meagre contributions to the meetings. "Nobody's seen him or his daughter for months."
Perhaps Wentworth, like a spider at the centre of the web, catching the flies who travelled in and out of Kalispell, might have picked up on some intelligence on the matter. He had no clue, of course, that Matt was a professional agent working for the Government.
Just about then one of those so-called members of the public opened the door and walked on in, heading straight for the first row of seats. It's not like she didn't have the pick of any of them, thus far at least. The well dressed young woman picked one right in the middle and seated herself. She then reached into her purse and extracted a fine gold pocket watch, snapping it open she glanced at it then at the wall clock and shrugged.
Looking up at the various gentleman - and boy - she simply commented, "Your clock is about five minutes fast. Not that anyone would ever say the same about the council, would they?"
Correction and jibe accomplished, she snapped the timepiece shut and returned it to the purse.
Storyteller / Shared NPC
John Anderson hurried across the street from his store to Municipal Building for the impromptu meeting of the Town Council. Wondering why at that time, with no notice for the rest of the citizens? Yet all the while hearing the word of his wife Mary Agnes, the one who provided the new Winchesters to Marshal Guyer, than God they had not been fired! 'If the hospital comes up, I hope that you know how to vote. And should I find out it slipped your mind, things will be very unpleasant for you around here.'
He went up the steps two at a time in his haste to not be the last one there. He entered the meeting room and was shocked by the lack of citizens present. Not even a mere handful. Something was wrong, very wrong! He went to the long table and took his customary seat.
"Ev'nin' Matt, Dick. Must be important whatever drags us here at suppertime." He pointed out. "And your dad, Charles, from the bank? He coming?"
It's not a question of who's right. It's a question of what's right.
"What's become of Cory anyway?" he then asked the other man. not that he particularly missed the relatively newly elected Mayor's meagre contributions to the meetings. "Nobody's seen him or his daughter for months."
"I think that a question we would all like to know the answer to. Personally, I think..."
Matt stopped as the door to the meeting room opened and in walked Matilda Devereau. He watched as she sat in the front row, took out her watch and looked at the wall clock.
Looking up at the various gentleman - and boy - she simply commented, "Your clock is about five minutes fast. Not that anyone would ever say the same about the council, would they?"
He smiled, as he politely acknowledged Matilda. She had a point and he wondered if Orr had anything to do with setting the wall clock ahead and it wouldn't surprised if the man did. Orr was in sure fire hurry to get this meeting started as soon as possible.
Before anything else could be said, John Anderson walked in and asked about his father. "I can't say if he'll be here or not. This meeting was a bit unexpected, so he might not have heard about it."
Remembering that the town council had asked his father to do some looking into the hospital and orphanage plan, Matt continued, "In regards to the matter, we asked him to look into, that report is now with Judge Robertson who will present the findings, if the subject comes up."
Staring intently at Orr, he then asked, "Is the subject going to come up?"
Emeline had her sources, and while there hadn't been much notice about the town council meeting, she'd managed to hurry everyone out of the cafe and close up early, then left a note for Barnabas before hurrying to the town hall. Fortunately, the meeting hadn't started yet, and as she was entering, she noticed that Dr. Danforth was just trotting up the steps. With a gracious smile, he opened the door for her, then they both found seats.
One way or another, the hospital, at very least, would be discussed tonight, or Emeline would block the door and make sure no one left!
So far, so good.
Enough of the 'Hospital Faction' had been leaked information about the surprise meeting to bring them bustling into the meeting hall: red-faced and anxious to discuss the matter and get permission to build the thing passed, and he had little doubt that many more would tumble through the door as he tried 'exasperatedly' to get the meeting going.
When 'Tricky Dicky' Orr made a plan, there was only one thing that could derail it: the presence of a pretty woman. Matt Wentworth was content to merely acknowledge the clever and alluring Mrs Deverau: Orr considered the man must have insipid water in his veins instead of hot, red, American blood, to ignore such a flame. For his part, he could not resist a moth-like journey over to her, to play around her flaming good looks.
Looking up at the various gentleman - and boy - she simply commented, "Your clock is about five minutes fast. Not that anyone would ever say the same about the council, would they?"
"Mrs Deverau, you are as witty as you are beautiful this evening." the handsome, bearded (and married!) man declared, turning a proffered shake of her hand into a kiss of the back of her dainty glove, while in the background a squinting Hector Wigfall looked between his own watch and the clock on the wall, deciding which to adjust, before settling on neither.
"You will excuse me, I hope, while I attend to this tardy Council's business. Perhaps we may converse together later." Orr oozed in his deep Texan tones, excusing himself with a little bow.
He re-joined Wentworth, and now Anderson. They were quorate now.
Remembering that the town council had asked his father to do some looking into the hospital and orphanage plan, Matt continued, "In regards to the matter, we asked him to look into, that report is now with Judge Robertson who will present the findings, if the subject comes up."
Staring intently at Orr, he then asked, "Is the subject going to come up?"
"Well, I'm afraid, Gentlemen, that the subject of the Hospital or Orphange has not been submitted to me either as an agenda item or as a matter of 'Any Other Business' for this meeting." frowned Orr. Of course it hadn't - nobody had known the meeting was happening.
"I have on the table a standard planning application by a Mr. Robert Cullen for building works on his claim which I was hoping we could go through in some detail. It is rather a long document but I have looked it over myself and there are no major problems with it, but I expect it will take us the whole meeting to look through." he informed them ponderously.
"Of course, in the Mayor's absence, I as Secretary will be Acting Chair of this session..." Oh, tricky Dicky knew the Town Council's Constitution like the back of his hand.
"I am sorry to say that it is highly unlikely that the matter of the Steelgrave Hospital will be discussed tonight." he sighed, sitting at the table and picking up his gavel.