"Every town needs a newspaper."
Mature Content: One never knows
With: Phinn and ?
Awning posts are a great addition to society and the buildings they create. A man can lean against one and watch the world go by, well, his world. And in the past forty-eight hours there had been much to see, which led to many questions that for the moment had no answers. Phinias McVay was not one to be put off by not knowing. And there were things he wished to know.
Evening, more like late afternoon, before last Amos Conroy and his daughter, Alice Fletcher had ridden into town and directly to the Municipal Building which housed Marshal Guyer's office, where they spent several hours. That was an oddity. Conroy worked for Guyer's other concern, Wood and Guyer Mining, so for him to be in town was not unusual, neither was it unusual for his daughter to accompany him, or, for that matter, to be in town on her own. It was not unusual to see them together, some story about Guyer saving Conroy's life in the late war. But in the Marshall's office for several hours?
He checked from time to time and they remained sequestered in the office for several hours, long after dark. Now that was cause for speculation. Something he needed to investigate, he could count on Hector Wigfall if anything went out over the wire, maybe not what was said, but perhaps the destination of said transmission.
Then, there was Guyer marching up to Oregon Street, and that meant he was there to see Leah Steelgrave, that was interesting as he'd not been to see her for a while. But after the visit, Guyer went to the hotel where Amos and his daughter had spent the previous night, which he could understand, but he left there with Matthew Wentworth and they went directly to the Municipal Building, which meant to Phinn, Judge Robertson's office.
There was a flurry of news to be had after all, it would just take a mite of digging for it.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
A flurry? Perhaps not a flurry of news, but certainly enough column inches he felt might just make several column feet, though there was really no column foot measurement. Just a phrase Phinn used time to time to get the feeling of a good deal of print worthy news stories. Anything to do with Leah Steelgrave was news worthy, and she had been out of the local limelight of late, biding her time.
For what reason, was the question. What about the land she had coming, and to Phinn that piece of the story was etched in stone. The town owed it to her in exchange for the right of ways she had procured, and in that moment he felt he knew what the visit first to her, then to Matthew, and finally to Judge Robinson. The land, it was still a bone of contention for the parties involved, but who exactly were they, not Richard Orr, he was six feet under.
Questions rose to the surface for the newspaper man. And why was Guyer at her house? The land question? That seemed unlikely. IT would be something else. He had long ago dismissed the rumors that they were romantically involved. Though for Miss Arabella Mudd's ill fated lovelorn column, it would have been just the ticket to get readers attention and the wrath of both parties. he smiled at the though of how he had dodged a bullet on that one.
Yet the question remained, why was Marshall Speed Guyer calling on Miss Leah Steelgrave? That would require investigating, but carefully. Which brought to mind Miss Sarah Thornton-Carlton, or was that Misses? Where was she? If anyone might garner an interview, and gather the answers to his questions, he felt it would be her. In the mean time, he would walk on over to the telegraph office and have a visit with young Mister Wigfall. There could be real reward in such a visit.
Sarah was making her way slowly back to the newspaper office. She had just spent a few hours with the some of the ladies who organised social events for the community church. Their latest venture was going to be a church bazaar to raise money to help some of the more unfortunate people in the area. Most of these were still trying to get on their feet after the Whitefish disaster and a few other families who were having a hard time. What should have been a quick thirty minute or so interview turned into a meal...something she couldn't get out of without appearing rude.
As she mulled over what she would write, she took it what was going on around her. It was quiet in town, as most people were probably at work. The town seemed more livelier on the weekends when the local hands from the nearby ranches came in on their days off. There were also the families who came into town on Sunday for church, as well as those who did their weekly or monthly shopping on Saturday.
Looking over towards the office she could see her boss casually leaning against one of the awning posts in front of the building. He seemed to do that a lot, but she figured that was one of things he did in order to find news. You could learn a lot by just watching.
When she finally approached the building, she gave Phinn a smile. "Sorry, for taking so long but when Missus Brown and the other ladies started telling me about the bazaar, it was hard to get away."
"Every town needs a newspaper."
"Oh, that's the nature of the beast. But we have some goings on I think we need to look into, let's step inside." He offered and started for the door. Once inside he moved to the stove. "Coffee? Anyway, here is what I've seen," Then he proceeded to explain what he had seen as well as what his suspicions were about each event.
"How is your relationship with Miss Steelgrave? I'm thinking that perhaps a request for an interview with her about the hospital might uncover what the hold up is. Then too, watching the Marshal and Matthew Wentworth stride across the street to the Municipal Building, well, something is in the wind. Something of interest to the citizens of this fair town, actual, news. That my dear is out job, uncover it and print it. Wentworth and Guyer is not a combination one sees everyday." He sipped his coffee.
"So, what do you think? I tell you what I think, I think those two are going to force an agreement, and I think that hospital is going to get built, starting very soon, unless I miss my guess."
"Oh, that's the nature of the beast. But we have some goings on I think we need to look into, let's step inside." He offered and started for the door. Once inside he moved to the stove. "Coffee? Anyway, here is what I've seen," Then he proceeded to explain what he had seen as well as what his suspicions were about each event.
Sarah declined the coffee as she had a plenty of liquid refreshments during her time talking to the ladies about the bazaar. Besides, if she was to another drink of anything she would most likely burst and have to to leave.
Foregoing another drink look like the right decision as she listened to McVay. She knew that the town council had voted to let Leah have the land to build her hospital and orphanage but was unaware that there was any problems. Even the ladies she had just been with seemed enthusiastic about the project.
"How is your relationship with Miss Steelgrave? I'm thinking that perhaps a request for an interview with her about the hospital might uncover what the hold up is. Then too, watching the Marshal and Matthew Wentworth stride across the street to the Municipal Building, well, something is in the wind. Something of interest to the citizens of this fair town, actual, news. That my dear is out job, uncover it and print it. Wentworth and Guyer is not a combination one sees everyday." He sipped his coffee.
As far as she knew Matt Wentworth not interested in much except his hotel and town business. At least that was the impression she got. When she was still living at Lost Lake, she made weekly trips to town and had lunch with Matt on a few occasions. Initially, she had thought that he was interested in courting her but that sort of died at the same time she moved back into town. With the death of Richard Orr, he had assumed temporary chair and the extra responsibilities. It probably didn't help that she had gotten a job with the newspaper. Now, all they ever did was just say hello to each other and have polite conversations that didn't last long. So, it made sense that he would running around town with the Marshall on some sort of errand.
However, McVay was more interested in her dealings with Leah, "I've only met Miss Steelgrave a few times at some social events in town. The interactions were pleasant, so I would have no problem interviewing her. I'm guessing that you're thinking that I might be able to get more out her...woman to woman."
"Every town needs a newspaper."
"Good, good. Hearing what she has to say about the obvious delays here might be most interesting, to me and everyone else that is excited about this project of hers. It will put this burg on the map, by God. And the untold good it will do for Kalispell and the surrounding areas? My God, Misses Carlton!"
Phinn was thinking of a headline that might just arouse the people of Kalispell, as well as those in the outlying areas that received his newspaper, and he had a feeling that he could not ignore. Things were just not right, not by a mile!
"I'd like you to see if she would be amenable to a discussion on the matter as soon as possible. Meantime, I need to get the next edition out. If what she has to say is explosive enough, well a Special Edition would be no problem, no problem at all. There is something going on, and she may be none the wiser about it, then again, she may well know what's afoot! Wouldn't you say?"
She had picked a great time to join the paper, a great time. There was so much actually going on around town. So much that would be news worthy. "Perhaps, you might be able to wangle quotes from Guyer and Wentworth as well. Maybe even Robertson. Whatever you get, you'll have the by-line."
Sarah nodded as she listened to McVay. Writing a story that could result in a special edition was something she had not expected. It looked like the story on the church bazaar would have to wait.
"I'll go and see her as soon as I have had a chance to freshen up," she said in a matter-of-fact tone, "I don't know about the marshall or Mr. Wentworth. In fact, if things are so clandestine as you say, then maybe it will be hard to get anything out of anybody. However, I will give it a try, with Miss Steelgrave at least. Hopefully, she will be forth coming or at least be able to give me the basic facts of what is going on."
"Every town needs a newspaper."
"That'll be just hunky-dory. I may put together an issue, before the one with your interview. There's just things going on in town, things that just don't add up, s o far as I see it." He offered. "But you see what you can gather from Miss Steelgrave, and maybe the Marshal and Mister Wentworth. I've this feeling that we don't know the whole of things, and perhaps between them, they have it figured out."
He sipped his coffee and then added. "I mean, what is the hold up with the hospital and the land the town owes her for those right of ways she delivered. Kalispell stands to make a pile of money if it uses them right. And a hospital? Really? Let's fight progress? I thought Richard Orr was dead! Robertson don't seem the type, but I could be mistaken." He shook his head, something just wasn't right about all of this.
"I suppose that you are hoping Leah Steelgrave, the Marshall or Matt Wentworth will be able to answer those questions," Sarah replied.
Not familiar with the issue other what she saw and heard at the town council meeting she couldn't really work out a reason why someone would want to put such a worthwhile project on hold. Even though she had been here for almost a year, there was still a lot she had to learn about the history of the town and the people in it.
"Fighting progress seems to be a common experience in many towns especially when it comes to new inventions or concepts. I'm guessing that what or whoever is behind of all this will have valid reasons for delaying the handover of town property. If they don't, then the question is what can we do about it."
"Every town needs a newspaper."
"I suppose that you are hoping Leah Steelgrave, the Marshall or Matt Wentworth will be able to answer those questions," Sarah replied.
"Well now, if them three can provide such answers, that'll make the both of our jobs that much easier, but I'll be honest with you, I doubt either of them have any idea what's going on really." McVay said as he crossed from his desk to the coffee pot to pour another cup.
"Fighting progress seems to be a common experience in many towns especially when it comes to new inventions or concepts. I'm guessing that what or whoever is behind of all this will have valid reasons for delaying the handover of town property. If they don't, then the question is what can we do about it."
"Well, it's hardly 'handing over' town property when Miss Steelgrave purchased the right of ways and thought to trade those right of ways for land here in town to build a hospital and a orphanage. Now it appears that it's her who did the handing over." He returned to his chair and sat down. "You know, I would really like to put Elias Steelgrave's hand to all of this, but I can't quite make the connection. I will venture to say something here is just plain wrong."