"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
"As the town grows, things will need to change." Speed said, "Now in addition to this new hospital Miss Steelgrave is building, an apothecary would come in real handy, and, it would give someone the opportunity to start a business. It would be in our best interest to offer assistance to such business, should help be needed, and with the barbershop reopened, things are looking up. Business is growing."
"I heard from an old friend, Dutton Peabody who's looking into a fire wagon. A pumper to replace the bucket brigade. I hadn't said as much, sorry darlin', I wanted to see what he came up with before offering any help, if needed." Pike offered, "But what I think needs to happen is maybe we corner the Mayor and his Town Council and see if there's some way to get a firehouse built. Be new jobs." Then he looked to his wife. "Really Em, I forgot about it with what's goin' on up to the ranch. He said there wouldn't be anything about it till spring."
"A fire pumper? Exactly what this community needs! In the event of a free, which is not something unheard of a pumper could save time and property, that's for sure/Pike added immediately. Problem is, I ain't heard on way 'er tuther." Pike said, then tagged on, "'course I ain't sent him a wire either."
Alice looked at Em and them around the table. "That would be the best possible thing we could do for Kalispell, fire protection!" She exclaimed, "Do we need to run this by anyone? Like Maybe Matt Wentworth and the Town Council?"
"Fer whot?" Amos said, "Permission ta help the town?"
"No, but we need to see where this plan of Dutton's is at and go from there. If it's from the Governor's office or if we're going to provide it, then we need to let him know what to expect, and, there's a building that's needed, a Fire Chief, and probably horses to pull it." Speed said.
"So I'd say we need to get together maybe with the whole seebang an' get this thing movin'." Ty interjected, "We can afford to buy it if the governor can't, is that what you're sayin'?"
Pike smiled, "If the wife says we can, then no doubt about it! But, I'm of the opinion Peabody'll come through 'er bust a gut trying!" Although he knew whatever the cost, they could do it.
"Well, of course," Emeline agreed. "Not only would it help existing businesses, but it would give incentive for new ones to come in. Given the choice between a community with a fire brigade and not, of course they'd likely pick the one that does."
Fire was a huge threat to any town in the west, and a bucket brigade was a sorry defense against it. "Especially with the hospital coming in, there is a lot to protect here. I'd think it would be something that the city or businesses would help support."
She'd be willing to pay a special tax if it meant protection for the Lickskillet.
"And I'd certainly be willing to fund the idea, to get it started while we look into options. I think it's a grand idea and there's no sense waiting on the particulars."
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
Speed sat back with a knowing smile, "Looks like I need to set up a meeting with the Town Council. They'll need to find the best location for the firehouse, I believe that's what it's still called these days. Meanwhile, I'll get a wire off to Dutton Peabody and let him know we can help if needed, I believe that's what I heard from the Pikes."
"Indeed. What good is money if it can't do some good for the community, I just don't look forward to a fight like Miss Steegrave had gettin' a spot for the hospital an' orphanage," Barnabas said. "Come the thaw, we best get together again and see what all needs doin' with this project, maybe some sortta spring festival after the round up's 'er done."
Might outta have some of yer miners and that assayer ta show up an' let folks know how it's goin'." Ty suggested.
"We'll do that. Count on it." Speed added, looking around the table.
"The best place would be right in town, on Main Street, or just off," Emeline stated the obvious, "close to the hospital and rail station." The problem being that they didn't have a confirmed location for the station yet. "We can at least look into properties for sale in town, buy a few?"
It was actually something she and Barnabas had been discussing, to buy a few parcels here and there, to open other businesses, or perhaps a library.
"As for resistance from the council, we can just carry on without them...have a private fire service." But then, you ran into the old problem of who you protected and who you didn't. She certainly couldn't see allowing a building to burn to the ground just because they couldn't directly pay, and besides, letting one place burn was likely to lead to the whole town going up.
"Maybe once we start, the town itself will put pressure on the council?"
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
"I agree, finding a spot on the main street would be ideal, and there could be a few to look into." Speed agreed. "If not, just off as you suggested. Now, the Town Council, the one that might well have given us a problem is no longer and Matt Wentworth has put together a group that I would believe would be open to more progressive ideas and at the same time be far less combative than Richard Orr's group was, God rest his soul."
"I, for one, gotta believe Wentworth and his people would be more than willin' to hear us out and we need to meet 'em and hash this out if that's what it takes." Ty stated.
"Ya gotta remember thet Matt got him Mizz Steeghrave, an' thet dressmaker Pettigrew on thet there council 'o his." Amos added in nodding all the while. "There's two I doubt'd be agin having; a fire department."
"Wouldn't take much to set up a meetin' with him, Speed. We see him almost every day." Pike pointed out.
Speed smiled and said, "Then we approach him tomorrow and get this set up."
"Winter is coming," Emeline pointed out, "so building will have to wait until Spring, but we can use that time to plan, get the mill working on the lumber. We'll be competing with the hospital for resources, but we've got some time to work that out."
There was a good deal of talent and experience here, and more to be easily had in town, so building a place should go easily. "We'll need to train the men...volunteers, I assume? But we'll need someone who knows how to do that."
The winter months would give them a good chance to get things organized so things could move quickly when they could start building.
"What about a pumper?" If they had a proper fire brigade, they'd have to have more than just buckets, but she had no idea where one would obtain a fire pumper.
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
"I'll get a wire off to Dutton Peabody and get the details." Speed volunteered. "I'll let him know we have funding for whatever he has found, and the shipping to get it here. Like Pike, I believe he has or will do all he can to get a pumper for us. Old ties are the strongest, and Dutton has them for Kalispell."
"He does, that's for sure." Pike agreed. "Be real comforting to have us a fire department, an maybe ol' Dutton can get us a man to train our fire department with some real experience." And that would be perfect for this town, where trained firemen with a pumper would be used. No need for a bucket brigade, though they would always be welcome!
