"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
"Well Ladies, you may rely on me in support of your 'Young Women's Refuge.' I believe that it is certainly something which is needed, perhaps not all of the time, nor regularly, but often as that need presents itself." He said in praise of the idea.
Frances and Arabella both gave an appreciative "Awwww" "Won't you stay for a cup of coffee and a slice of cake, Mr. McVey?" asked Frances.
"Unfortunately I have an appointment to interview one of the men running for mayor of this fine town. But if you don't mind I shall drop by from time to time, at appropriate hours, of course."
"Well, I hope it goes all right!" yelped Arabella, before leaning in to Frances and loudly whispering "I don't reckon his talk with Mr. Pettigrew went too good!"
"Well, thanks fer carryin' mah junk here, Mr. McVey!" she said with more volume.
"So ladies, the very best of luck, and I shall see you from time to time." He said cheerfully as he stepped toward the door.
"Oh good luck with your interview!" "See you later!" "Come on in any time!" "Bye Bye!".... their various good wishes and farewells seemed to intermix as he was shown to the door by Arabella.
Once he had gone, Arabella turned to Frances and Bridget: "D'ya reckon we shoulda made a plan?!"
"Every town needs a newspaper."
It was a pleasant visit with the ladies of the 'Young Woman's Refuge' although brief. He marveled how these three had decided to do something that would benefit others in need, as they themselves were. That some good could come of the tragedy was a welcome thing. Too often misery and pain of losing a loved one leads to sorrow and despair, but evidently not there.
What he had left to do was to meet with Cole Latham, the last of those running for Mayor of Kalispell, and from his biased opinion, the worst. Yet in fairness, he was obligated to listen to his self-aggrandizing if not his plans for the town. Or would they be Elias Steelgrave's plans for Kalispell? He tended to believe the latter. A den of vipers, Elias and his cronies, and he believed firmly that Judge Ben Robertson was firmly in cahoots with whatever these plans might be.
He marched over to the Municipal Building where Latham had his office. Not the towns lawyer, but sequestered in a spot in the the towns offices. A very nice spot at that. Only City Attorney Harriet Gene Mercer had a larger office, and Phin, for one, wished she was back in it! He had a feeling she might be needed in the very near future.
Phin climbed the stairs slowly, not really looking forward to Latham's verbal barrage about how great he was, and how the town owed it to him to elect him to the post of Mayor. He stopped in front of the door, grimaced, and then knocked.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
"It's open." Came Latham's response to the rap on his door. As Phin opened the door and stepped inside, "Well, Phinias McVay, to what do I owe the honor of you visit, sir?"
"I understand you are in the running for Mayor and thought to do an article on the candidates, more or less in their own words." Phin replied.
"Fine, fine. Have a seat. Care for a drink?" Latham offered.
"A bit early yet Cole. Perhaps later. So, why are you running for the office of mayor? Seems to me you have a lucrative business, what with Miss Mercer away. You are the only attorney in town."
"Yes, that's true, her absence has increased my business and my profits. I owe her a debt of gratitude, however should she never return, well, that would be just fine with me, and keep that jackal, Dutton Peabody out of town!" He cleared his throat. "So I suppose you'll want to know what I would do if elected. Simple, see to it that Kalispell is run correctly."
"First, I would remove the Town Marshal, nothing against Guyer, but we need a real police force. Such as they have in some of the larger towns and most all of the cities out here in the west. And to do that, among other improvements I have in mind, we'll need a tax base to support it. It may not be popular at first, well, until the citizens see the benefits of the changes and improvements that will result."
"Excuse me? What improvements are you referring to? And why a police force, I mean frankly, how do you justify that?" Phin asked in surprise.
"Phin, a police force only makes sense in the town our size, considering the lawlessness and incoming mining prospects. Why, two or three men can't possibly deal with all of that. Good as they might be, I'm afraid they would be over matched. And you know as well as I, with mining comes the dregs of society, card sharps, prostitution, opium dens, all manner of crime. Far too much for Guyer and his two deputies to deal with."
"Every town needs a newspaper."
"Just what the Sam Hell are you going on about?" Phin asked, "There ain't no opium dens in Kalispell, and ain't likely to be, unless you were thinking of bringing them in. Hell we got whores, always have had. And yes, mining seems to be on the uptick, but I don't see a rush like they had in the south, Virginia City, down that way. Crime, sure as hell we got that, but no where near the scale you're talking about. Of course you may know something I don't."
"I'm talking about growth, the uncontrolled growth of this town where they just build willy-nilly wherever they're a mind too. We can't have that. There needs to be control, permits need to be issued at a reasonable cost before the plans can be approved. And plans have to be submitted, which will require a building department." Cole Latham explained.
"Balderdash! This isn't New York, or Philadelphia for Christs sake. Not even Helena! My God man, we're still a small town, and having growing pains while we're at it!"
"Phin, times are changing, and they're changing fast! Why before the Governors intrusion into our affairs, we had everything under control, everything just the way it should be for a growing town. Then, he leaves his regulators here to enforce the will of the Helena elite!"
"So your answer is to create taxes and levy fees, which begets fines, if they aren't paid promptly." Phin retorted, "And creating a whole new department which will have to be paid for by people who don't need it or want to use it."
"They'll be required to use it or face possible arrest. That's just one more reason we will need to have a police department. Not violent crime, but crime none the less." Latham responded, "And don't give me that 'we already have enough law' business, because we don't, not to enforce the laws that will be necessary as we move forward."
Phin shook his head, "And you believe folks will buy into this rhetoric of yours? And where do you see all of this crime coming from? One attempted bank robbery in all the time the town has had a bank. Oh, I agree, there have been shootings, but they've been the exceptions rather than the rule."
"Every town needs a newspaper."
"Exceptions, yes, and we'd rather not see them as the rule. We are not Dodge City for Gods sake! And we won't be. We'll ban guns from town, only the police will carry firearms. That Phin, will put a quick end to shootings in Kalispell." Latham expounded, "And with a regular police force patrolling the streets, everyone will be all that much safer."
"So what you are saying is that the populace is currently unsafe, and unprotected?" Phin asked, "That Guyer and his deputies have somehow failed to provide the expected protection to the towns folk?"
"What I am saying is it is eighteen and seventy-six, it is time, high time, that Kalispell moved forward as a town with it's aspirations of becoming a city in short order. McVay, you a stumbling block in the way of progress in our fair town. We'll not have it, do you understand, we will simply not have it." The veins were protruding from Latham's neck, and his face reddened. "People like you, and Guyer, and Leah Steelgrave, are holding us back! Standing in the way of real progress, and we will put an end to that, do you hear me? The rest of the mealy-mouth citizens hereabouts can either get used to the new age in Kalispell or move on!"
"Cole Latham, you sound a whole lot like your master, Elias Steelgrave. Pity you and he have no understanding of the very men and women you intend to subjugate. Kalispell will fight you Latham, you and the Evergreen. These are free people here, not subjects, and you sir, need to understand that. For you will have a fight on your hands, whether you like it or not. So it is you and the old man out there that needs to understand this, Kalispell will not kowtow to you or anyone else!" He leapt to his feet fully intending to strike the first blow against this insanity, but restrained himself, taking a step back. "I believe this concludes the interview, Mister Latham." He turned and left the office slamming the door, and with it the frosted glass panel, which shattered.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
So, sitting there Phin considered the next issue of the Union. The headline, well Crabbe's demise, of course. That would be the lead story which presented something of a problem as far as what to say. Phin did not like the charlatan, so that would be a problem, though he had managed to say some nice things about Richard Orr whom he actually despised. This would be a bit more difficult to accomplish.
Then the interviews, and they alone would be something of a challenge. He had one more to conduct with Matthew Wentworth whom the Union would support, hands down, speaking of, there was a Town Council meeting in the morning about the hospital and that would likely overshadow Crabbe's demise. But the other men had a right to a spot explaining their platforms and he would see too it that they each had ample coverage. Which brought him to Mister Worchester Pettigrew.
The milliner had no business being on anyone's ballot. Oh, he was a nice enough fellow, and he seemed to have his heart in the right place, but as far as Phin knew, the man had no practical experience in so far as the running of a town, which brought into view young Mister Lewis Cass Reeve. What was his interest in Pettigrew and was it his idea for the man to be on the ballot?
He would scald Cole Latham without mercy. As far as Phin was concerned Cole Latham was simply the mouthpiece for Elias Steelgrave, and he was having none of it! Other than those represented by him, it was abundantly clear no one in town liked him besides Postmaster Nolan Ashworth, another Steelgrave man.
Of politics Phin was something of an independent voter, not a member of either party, seeing the good and bad in both and voting for what he believed was good for the country or the town for that matter. He registered to vote of course, using whichever of the two parties met more along the lines of his own politic. But supposedly town officials were non-partisan, not aligned with a particular party, but that was not always, wait, never the case.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
So, like he often did, Phin stepped out of the office for a breath of fresh air, such as it was. Leaning against the awning post often gave him a somewhat fresh perspective o matters of concern to him. What to say about not just Lorenzo Crabbe, but two of the three interviewees, though Worchester Pettigrew, would be no real problem.
Latham? It was not like anyone in town had much of an opinion of the man, that was well known, and yes he would simply attack the mans lack of character and suspected alliances, which were actually well known, or, the thought came to him, he could write an article on Leah Steelgrave and her hospital project. Not the first by any means and it likely would not be the last in the woman's struggle to do something extraordinary for the community.
He would consider another interview with her, but to what end? He knew all there was to know about the struggles with the town, as well as her father over this hospital-orphanage project. And the Good Lord knew that this situation could be quite volatile where Elias Steelgrave was concerned. An expose on him at this point would do her no good, whether the Matthew Wentworth led Town Council approved the project or not.
He shook his head as he reentered the newspaper office.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
He walked to the type cases and looked at the choices available to him. He picked up his composing stick, which meant he would begin setting type as soon as the headline came to him. Not that it was a given, or even that it would be appropriate, yet a man had passed on, one known to most of the towns people, even if he was disliked by a majority of them.
But what to say about Lorenzo Crabbe? It wasn't as if some redeeming facts immediately came to mind, hardly. Then too, the upcoming elections would be the talk of the town in spite of the man's passing. The candidates, only one measured up as far as Phin was concerned and the paper would back him going forward. So far, no one was after either of the lawman positions, either Town Marshal or County Sheriff which had been vacant for sometime.
Tommy Lane burst in through the side door, "Sorry to be late, Mister McVay, Miss Bowen held me after class."
Phinn stopped what e was doing to look to the lad, "And what were you guilty of Tommy?" He asked, a raised eyebrow.
"I, uh, well, I dipped Milley Murphy's pig tail in my ink well. I didn't think it would ruin her dress, and well, I should have known the ink would run, which it did and ruined her dress." He admitted.
I promised I would pay for a new one."
"Mister Lane, you will immediately go down to the mercantile, or the General Store, do you know her size?"
"No." Tommy said looking at his shoes.
"Well, you ask them, they may know. You have them put that on my account, and after you deliver this dress to the Murphy household, you bring me the receipt. Am I clear?" Phin demanded.
"Yes sir." Tommy responded.
"Go!" He ordered, and watch the boy dart out the front door at a dead run. Then Phin smiled, dealing with Millie's parents would be punishment enough, and the loss of wages. Well, that would be over time, his mother needed what he could bring home.
'DEAD BEAT DEAD' He liked it, but perhaps it was a bit strong.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
Morning had come, as expected. Phin was at his desk, a cup of coffee close to hand and the remains of his bacon and biscuit breakfast sitting on his desk as he reviewed the latest issue with a certain amount of pride.
He had printed what he had to say on those he interviewed, he had been kind to Mister Pettigrew, glowing in his remarks about Matthew Wentworth, and ruthless about Cole Latham. His remarks about Lorenzo Crabbe had been his honest opinions, and after all, it was his newspaper and he could print what he wanted, or believed was aligned with the beliefs of the customers that shelled out the two cents for it.
Of course, there may well be a problem with Latham, or even Elias Steelgrave over his remakes about the two. But they were honest and forthright, at least as far as he was concerned. Now, now he would be heading over to the Municipal Building and the Town Council Meeting that was slated to be held with but one topic on the agenda, Miss Steelgrave's property agreement with the town. A long time coming, and hopefully concluded on the morning. It need be delayed no further.
He took up his coffee and had a swallow. Things were actually looking up.
Turned out Phineas was quite wrong about 'things looking up' because it was right about that time when his front door opened up and two women....alright one woman and one teenage girl stormed on in. It would only take one glance at their angry faces to see they were plainly not happy. He knew them both - Caroline Mundee, saloon singer, and Arabella Mudd, a young miss the newspaperman had more than one encounter with in the past.
Caroline was just two steps ahead of Ara as she wasted no time marching straight up to the editor's desk, maybe it was a fortunate thing there was a desk between them. She had one of his newspapers in her left hand. Well if only for an instant as she now threw it down onto his desktop.
"Saw this piece of trash this mornin'. You are a cowardly vulture, picking on a man's reputation when he's dead and gone so he can't defend himself!"
"Lorenzo Crabbe was my good friend. I am relieved at least that his ward, simple young Bridget Monahan, who got rescued by Lorenzo from a fate worse than death and then cared for by him since, can't read. So she wouldn't have to see him slandered like this."
"Yer disgusting!" Caroline snarled in barely held back fury.