"Every town needs a newspaper."
Posted September 3, 2021
The paper was out, and had been for a couple of days. The Governor and most of his party had left town, except for the two Territorial Marshals. No rocks had been thrown through his font window, so Phinn made his way to the Post Office to interview one Richard Orr, Postmaster and one time lawyer, about what has transpired at the meeting from the mans point of view.
Yes, Phinn had scalded him in the last edition, now it was time to allow the man equal time to rebut what had been printed. He thought that if he could allow a retraction for the ever annoying Arabella Mudd, he could certainly grant Orr an interview.
He stepped into the post office, closing the door behind him. At the counter was Assistant Postmaster Nolan Ashworth. "Ah, Mister Ashworth, could I trouble you to ask Mister Orr if he might have a few minutes for an interview?"
Ashworth studied McVay a long moment. "Of course, I be right back." And he took the required two steps, knocked on the door, stepped inside and repeated the request.
Ashworth let Orr know that McVay was here, asking for an interview. Orr was not alone, he was deep in conversation with two men: one of them smartly dressed, the other somewhat scruffy. Still, he indicated that his Assistant, who actually ran the Office on a day to day basis, should show the scribbler in. The two other men left as McVay entered. One, Lorenzo Crabbe, greeted him in his usual smarmy way as he left, with a nod of his head and a "Mr. McVay" as he passed through the doorway. The other, the scruffy one, was a lounger called Grimes: known about town for nothing good. He merely gave the reporter a look of amused disrespect as they passed.
"McVay, come in!" hailed Orr, sitting back in his round-backed Captain's chair. He was in full, jolly, hail-fellow-well-met mode. "Take a seat!" he boomed, as he opened a smart looking cigar box and turned it toward the entering editor. He was already puffing on one himself.
"Whiskey?" he asked. He had a decanter and clean glasses on his desk along with the two used ones from Crabbe and Grimes' visit.
"You know, I've got a bone to pick with you Mr VcVay." he announced, puffing away at his stogie.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
"McVay gave Crabbe an odd look of disdain at the man's greeting, and the fact it was well known fact that Crabbe was a charlatan, though seldom spoken of in that context.
"McVay, come in!" hailed Orr, sitting back in his round-backed Captain's chair. He was in full, jolly, hail-fellow-well-met mode. "Take a seat!" he boomed, as he opened a smart looking cigar box and turned it toward the entering editor. He was already puffing on one himself.
"Don't mind if I do, thank you Dick." Phinn acknowledged, taking on of the offered cigars an fishing out a match to light it with several puffs to get it going good.
"Whiskey?" he asked. He had a decanter and clean glasses on his desk along with the two used ones from Crabbe and Grimes' visit.
Phinn simply nodded that he would as he blew out the smoke.
"You know, I've got a bone to pick with you Mr VcVay." he announced, puffing away at his stogie.
"Yes Dick, I imagine you do. And, I'm here to hear your views on the hospital project, all this talk of a hospital commission that had not been mentioned before." He began, "Seems to me that perhaps you're not actually in favor of something that the town council doesn't control, but, I want to hear your side to all of this. As for publishing what you have to say? let me be frank, though the community at large has a right to know what's going on in the name of their town, it could be too explosive to print, that is, if you are forthright in what you have to say." He smiled. "Perhaps some could reach my readers, and some not. As i said, it all depends." there was a pause.
And you know Dick, bullshit is just that, bullshit."
Orr's welcome was cordial enough, and the veteran reporter accepted his hospitality politely.
"You know, I've got a bone to pick with you Mr VcVay." he announced, puffing away at his stogie.
"Yes Dick, I imagine you do. And, I'm here to hear your views on the hospital project, all this talk of a hospital commission that had not been mentioned before." He began.
Orr's laugh boomed out like a Mephistophelian Santa Claus. "Oh, that little matter!" he reached for the newspaper on his desk. "Yes, I read all about it in your paper. 'Town Council Loses!' Catchy headline, but the rest of the article... seems a little biased against me!"
"Seems to me that perhaps you're not actually in favor of something that the town council doesn't control, but, I want to hear your side to all of this. As for publishing what you have to say? let me be frank, though the community at large has a right to know what's going on in the name of their town, it could be too explosive to print, that is, if you are forthright in what you have to say." He smiled. "Perhaps some could reach my readers, and some not. As I said, it all depends." there was a pause.
"And you know dick, bullshit is just that, bullshit."
The big bearded man listened to McVay with the attentive but relaxed air of a man at peace with the world, puffing appreciatively at his cigar, occasionally blowing a smoke ring that wobbled through the air before evaporating into nothingness.
"Well, Phinn..." he looked almost quizzically at the ceiling as he leaned back in his chair "You can put me down as 'No Comment'." he nodded to himself "Even your compositor should be able to manage that without too many typographical errors."
He dropped back forward in his chair so he was facing McVay full in the face. He pointed his cigar at him in a rather accusatory way. "You know, you have rather upset my daughter, Mr McVay. You failed to mention in your report her rather pathetic little tableaux and her silly little poem in favor of the hospital and my order to have her arrested. Why, she even accused me of bribing you not to write about it in your piece! Can you imagine that?!"
"You don't have daughters, do you, McVay?" he asked rhetorically, standing and starting to pace the room, puffing on his cigar "They're the damnedest creatures to deal with: one minute they're Daddy's little girl, want to be just like you; then they go through this rebellious stage: seem to want to attack you, hurt you, work against you. But you always know that in their heart of hearts, they're just wanting your attention, your approval, and that one day, they will be back on your side. The part in between is the Dickens to deal with though." he ruminated, talking about Anaesthesia.
Or was he, perhaps, talking about Leah Steelgrave?
"Every town needs a newspaper."
The big bearded man listened to McVay with the attentive but relaxed air of a man at peace with the world, puffing appreciatively at his cigar, occasionally blowing a smoke ring that wobbled through the air before evaporating into nothingness.
"Well, Phinn..." he looked almost quizzically at the ceiling as he leaned back in his chair "You can put me down as 'No Comment'." he nodded to himself "Even your compositor should be able to manage that without too many typographical errors."
Phin smiled at the snide remark. "Yes sir i'm sure of that. And you flattery will of course, only get you so far. I came to get your side in all of this."
He dropped back forward in his chair so he was facing McVay full in the face. He pointed his cigar at him in a rather accusatory way. "You know, you have rather upset my daughter, Mr McVay. You failed to mention in your report her rather pathetic little tableaux and her silly little poem in favor of the hospital and my order to have her arrested. Why, she even accused me of bribing you not to write about it in your piece! Can you imagine that?!"
"Well Dick," Phinn began, "none of that actually concerned the issue at hand, which was the approval of the project Miss Steelgrave has presented over the past months." Before he could continue, Orr cut him off.
"You don't have daughters, do you, McVay?" he asked rhetorically, standing and starting to pace the room, puffing on his cigar "They're the damnedest creatures to deal with: one minute they're Daddy's little girl, want to be just like you; then they go through this rebellious stage: seem to want to attack you, hurt you, work against you. But you always know that in their heart of hearts, they're just wanting your attention, your approval, and that one day, they will be back on your side. The part in between is the Dickens to deal with though." he ruminated, talking about Anaesthesia.
Phinn's brow wrinkled as Orr went on shaming his daughters presentation before the Town Council.
Or was he, perhaps, talking about Leah Steelgrave?
"No Dick, I have never married, and my dalliances have not produced any progeny that I am aware of, either male or female. And are you aiming your little tale at Miss Steelgrave? Suggesting that she is merely being rebellious at her age, like some adolescent when she is a full grown woman? And yes, your daughter present a fine living picture and he poem, lovely. But not a part of what I witnessed from the rostrum. Not at all." He shook his head.
"Really Dick, your demand that she be arrested need not find it's way in print, by now the whole town knows what few actually witnessed. There is of course the matter of the property that should be allotted for the hospital and orphanage in exchange for the right of ways which will benefit the town in the near future. How will that proceed without Mayor Scott Cory, should he remain unavailable?"
"No Dick, I have never married, and my dalliances have not produced any progeny that I am aware of, either male or female. And are you aiming your little tale at Miss Steelgrave? Suggesting that she is merely being rebellious at her age, like some adolescent when she is a full grown woman? And yes, your daughter present a fine living picture and he poem, lovely. But not a part of what I witnessed from the rostrum. Not at all." He shook his head.
"Miss Steelgrave?" Dick Orr chuckled "The thought never entered my head. You seem to be obsessed with her!" he said shaking his head. "Of course, I don't particularly want my daughter's near incarceration to be in your paper, but my she herself is very keen on the idea. These young females, you see, they crave the drama!"
"Really Dick, your demand that she be arrested need not find it's way in print, by now the whole town knows what few actually witnessed. There is of course the matter of the property that should be allotted for the hospital and orphanage in exchange for the right of ways which will benefit the town in the near future. How will that proceed without Mayor Scott Cory, should he remain unavailable?"
Orr continued pacing and puffing, puffing and pasting. Eventually he stopped and looked down a the still seated McVay. "You're keen as mustard on all this aren't you, McVay? Listen, can I tell you something off the record? Something that might put your mind at rest about Miss Steelgrave and her precious hospital?!" he said.
"You need to swear to me on something sacred: I need you to promise me you won't print a word to this as a fellow former member of the Army of Northern Virginia!"
"Every town needs a newspaper."
Phinn had been denying his marriage since her passing in '72. People, no matter how well meaning, continue to bring back the pain of the loss. So, as was his custom, he said nothing in regard to his late wife.
Orr continued pacing and puffing, puffing and pasting. Eventually he stopped and looked down a the still seated McVay. "You're keen as mustard on all this aren't you, McVay? Listen, can I tell you something off the record? Something that might put your mind at rest about Miss Steelgrave and her precious hospital?!" he said.
McVay looked at him a bit taken by this offer of divulging a secret regarding whole matter of the hospital. They say, 'curiosity killed the cat,' only to be followed by 'satisfaction brought him back.' This, was that moment. But something suggested he be wary of whatever he was going to learn.
"You need to swear to me on something sacred: I need you to promise me you won't print a word to this as a fellow former member of the Army of Northern Virginia!"
"Of course Dick, on my oath to Nathan Bedford Forrest, the soldier, his recent politic leaves much to be desired. But you have my word." He promised
"You need to swear to me on something sacred: I need you to promise me you won't print a word to this as a fellow former member of the Army of Northern Virginia!"
"Of course Dick, on my oath to Nathan Bedford Forrest, the soldier, his recent politic leaves much to be desired. But you have my word." He promised.
Orr took this rhetoric with a pinch of salt: sure, Forrest the post-war politician had been instrumental in setting up the Ku Klux Klan; but Forrest the Soldier, the Wizard of the Saddle, had committed acts of atrocity against unarmed prisoners of war: especially negro troops and Southern Loyalists at Fort Pillow. Ironically, Forrest was these days advocating for black rights! Dick wasn't sure if that was what McVay was referring to or his previous conduct in the 60s.
Either way, an old soldier swearing on his commander's name was about the most cast iron promise any man could make.
"All right" Orr nodded "Number One: I've never actually been against the hospital, it's just been materially useful to me to prevaricate until now. Now it is going ahead, I'm putting everything behind building it."
"Number Two: Corey's days are numbered and I'm going to stand for Mayor come the Fall, or before if necessary." The implication was that Corey might not make it until his term of office was up.
"Number Three: And I'd value your opinion on this... I'm considering starting a rival newspaper to your own. Well, what do you think of that?!" he asked, his eyes twinkling.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
Either way, an old soldier swearing on his commander's name was about the most cast iron promise any man could make.
"All right" Orr nodded "Number One: I've never actually been against the hospital, it's just been materially useful to me to prevaricate until now. Now it is going ahead, I'm putting everything behind building it."
"You've hood winked most in this town then, Dick. There's not a person to believe otherwise. Most believe that you are against the hospital and, would do whatever it took to rest control of it away from Miss Steelgrave. But do continue, please."
"Number Two: Corey's days are numbered and I'm going to stand for Mayor come the Fall, or before if necessary." The implication was that Corey might not make it until his term of office was up.
"Most everyone believes that its the position you've been after for a while now. You have some information on the condition of Mayor Corey to suggest he's too ill to continue? Is that what you're saying Dick?"
"Number Three: And I'd value your opinion on this... I'm considering starting a rival newspaper to you own. Well, what do you think of that?!" he asked, his eyes twinkling.
"Hell, this burgh is hardly big enough for the one paper. I"d like the competition if there was a good reason for it, which I find hard to believe. But you go ahead, Dick, start your paper. Most folks I believe will see it for what it is, an outlet for your version of what is going on, not the news. Controlling what people read, what they know, and a heavy dose of what to think isn't healthy, but sure Dick, you start your paper. I'll not say a word." Phin responded. Controlling the news was as old as politics itself. He smiled, "Tho you still haven't said anything that would put anyone's mind at ease about the hospital project
Orr had shrugged off McVay's comments about his first two points, they were done deeds as far as he was concerned, but the third project, still in its early planning stages was clearly the one that excited him and brought him back to his chair, where he sat facing McVay and talking excitedly between puffs of his cigar.
"Hell, this burgh is hardly big enough for the one paper."
"Yet." interjected Orr, but otherwise let McVay ramble on.
"I"d like the competition if there was a good reason for it, which I find hard to believe. But you go ahead, Dick, start your paper. Most folks I believe will see it for what it is, an outlet for your version of what is going on, not the news. Controlling what people read, what they know, and a heavy dose of what to think isn't healthy, but sure Dick, you start your paper. I'll not say a word." Phin responded. Controlling the news was as old as politics itself."
Again, Orr had to chuckle to himself at McVay's hypocrisy, as if the Union didn't express its editor's 'version of what is going on' - but no matter. Orr wanted to talk hard business.
"Well, it's not so much a matter of me starting a second newspaper, I was thinking more along the lines of us starting a second newspaper." He immediately waved his hands "Don't say 'no' right away, Phinn!" he implored "Go away and think about it: two newspapers with different editorial teams, using the same printshop and news-sources, co-operating to produce two completely different rags: oh, sure, you can keep the Union as it is, it's your paper, it expresses your view of things and your politics: its rival will express the polar opposite, whatever that may be. Between them, both papers will manage to 'scratch the itch' of all of Kalispell's potential readers. And where the Union is a bastion of scrupulous truthfulness and moral integrity, its little sister will, shall we say, not be adverse to stooping to the methods of the yellow press of the coastal cities."
He smiled, "Tho you still haven't said anything that would put anyone's mind at ease about the hospital project."
"Oh that again!" Orr yawned, and opened a desk draw, from which he drew some plans - the ones supplied to the Council many moons ago. But these had been altered, scribbled upon in pencil and ruled lines, calculations dotted the map.
"Here" he thrust the architectural drawings toward Phinn. "I had a architect look them over as soon as the Steelgrave girl submitted them "I then put in a tender to the Council to supply the building materials should the project go ahead... oh, it was about the time of the Whitefish crisis. Believe me Phinn, times like that, you can push just about anything through at the beginning of a meeting." he told the newspaperman, candidly. "I stand to make a good deal of money on the construction of the Hospital. That should be enough to convince you that I'm serious about pushing ahead with all possible speed."