The next person to stroll in - and Lord did he stroll - was Colonel Buller!
Well, this was a surprise: Buller owned a number of businesses in the Territories, from the completely straight-up, above board and legitimate, to the slightly more shady. But his base of operations was more Missoula, Butte and Bozeman way, he'd never shown a sniff of interest in Kalispell or the Flathead section at all... before now.
He certainly knew at least one other man in the room, though.
"HA HA HA!" he had the sort of booming laugh that could cause percussion damage to the eardrums "Well Hello, I say Hello there Steelgrave! Nearly didn't recognise you without a hole in your hat! HA HA HA!!"
News that the tough cattle baron of the region had recently had his hair parted by some little girl or other with a shootin' iron had obviously spread around the Territory.
"Now what's all this, I say what's all this about a stage line sale? Thought you critters up here by the border were getting the railroad soon? Surely this stagecoach business is all petered out in these parts?!" he boomed, so all in the room could hear.
Not that he was trying to affect the bidding, of course.
"Buller you old horse thief! Surprised they haven't stung you up yet." Elis boomed right back. "Here to increase your holdings are you? I find that odd, but then word of this auction was bound to get out past Kalispell."
The two actually went back some years, like the two bull elks in the territory, although there were others, latecomers, but men of wealth and position. "So, now you're here, but for the life of me, I can't figure out why you would want control of something so far away from your stomping grounds. And you know of course this a cash on the barrelhead auction.'
He was sure that Buller had cash with him, as he did, but if it were to come down to it, who had brought enough cash to deal with the other men who would be bidding for the stage line? It did serve Missoula, Butte, and Bozeman, aside from Helena so his interest was legitimate. There was money to be made, people still used the stage to get places, and the railroad was nowhere near here as yet.
"Looking forward to an active afternoon. How about you, Colonel?" Using the man's feigned rank for the first time. "Could get rough, these gentlemen are no pushovers!" He grinned, "Gentlemen, may I introduce Colonel Buller from Missoula, a real businessman in his part of our territory."
@Javia, @JulieS, @Bailey
"Buller you old horse thief! Surprised they haven't stung you up yet." Elis boomed right back. "Here to increase your holdings are you? I find that odd, but then word of this auction was bound to get out past Kalispell."
"Why, it's been puffed, I say it's been puffed in all the papers in our section!" the Kentucky Colonel replied, indeed Phin McVey had wired the advertisement out to all the major newspapers in the territories.
"So, now you're here, but for the life of me, I can't figure out why you would want control of something so far away from your stomping grounds. And you know of course this a cash on the barrelhead auction."
"HA HA HA! Wouldn't expect it any other way!" laughed the Colonel, uproariously, at his own inane comment.
"Looking forward to an active afternoon. How about you, Colonel?" Using the man's feigned rank for the first time. "Could get rough, these gentlemen are no pushovers!" He grinned, "Gentlemen, may I introduce Colonel Buller from Missoula, a real businessman in his part of our territory."
"HA HA HA! Howdy gents, Howdy! Well, don't know if I'm really here to bid, more sight-seein' you might say. Not really a friend to auctions, they always seem to me like a way to make a man pay over the odds, just to uphold his own vanity to come out the winner. Now, if we had any sense, why, we'd all agree to form a consortium: equal shares, and we wouldn't bid against each other... think of it gents, reserve's $5000, we'd pay what? $1250 each, hire some trustworthy fellow to manage the concern and each bank his share o' the profits every month." he said this casually, as if the idea had just occurred to him.
An innocuous lanky looking man with spectacles and a beard in the corner who'd drifted in the place piped up.
"Say mister, I'd come in on that... I...I only got $1000, but that'd cover it right, if'n there was five of us?!"
"HA HA HA, that's right friend! Your arith... I say your arithmetic is correct!"
@[JulieS]
Elias perked up slightly at the idea, then, of course, there were those he would be in business with, besides the Colonel. Alders who had the lumber mill. and then there was Mason Aldrige, owner of the construction company working on the hospital which they had passed on the way in. He was not disappointed in what he saw of it. So then there would be four of them, a quarter share of expenses and profits.
The question being, was it worth it? There would, of course, be the ledgers to review showing all of the expenses and profits for the company to date, which should tell the story. Of course, Elias was not one for partnerships or consortiums, as much to do with control as anything. And for the outlay, twelve hundred fifty dollars, a lot of money for the time, and that begs to ask, how long to make that back?
Elias had thought he would be the high bidder and take it lock, stock, and Barrel. A simple matter of cash which he had in the satchel in his left hand. But now Buukker had come along with this consortium plan. Before he would object he wanted to hear what the other two had to say about it. Not that he valued their opinions, because he did not, but because if they were in favor, then he might just buy in and see what could be done to increase his share later on.
@Bailey @JulieS
A town is only as good as the timbers that form its buildings.
Christoph arrived just after Buller, wondering who the newcomer in the impeccable suit was. He soon found out, along with the rest of the room and probably everyone who happened to be passing by. Christoph tried to disguise a flinch as he found a chair near Mason Aldridge, nodded to the other man, and watched Steelgrave and Buller greet each other.
This was not a good sign, and meant Elias had some designs on the stage line. Although he seemed not to know what Buller was doing at the sale, Christoph wasn't buying the charade. Steelgrave had proved time and again to be a shrewd businessman, or at least one who knew how to utilize fear and money to his advantage. Buller's name was familiar to Christoph, although he had never done business with him.
But it appeared that he might have to do business with the boisterous man if things went the way the newcomer was proposing. Christoph leaned over to Mason and said quietly, "I'm not certain I like the idea of sharing a company with Mr. Steelgrave. But neither do I like the idea of being outbidded by him and Colonel Buller if they decide to join forces."
The idea flashed through his head that he should propose a partnership with Mason for the purposes of the auction, but even with the construction owner's help, there was little chance that they could outbid Steelgrave and Buller if the two business giants did decide to partner up. Instead, he rose to his feet.
"Forgive me, Colonel," he said pleasantly. "But Mr. Steelgrave's question has piqued my curiosity. What is your interest in the Millegan line? Apart from the additional connections to your part of the territories, what do you gain from this consortium?"
"Forgive me, Colonel," he said pleasantly. "But Mr. Steelgrave's question has piqued my curiosity. What is your interest in the Millegan line? Apart from the additional connections to your part of the territories, what do you gain from this consortium?"
"Why that's, I say that's a good question Mister er..." someone murmured Christoph's name "Oh, Alders! The big name in timber in these parts, I believe, glad to make your acquaintance, Suh, mighty glad! HA HA HA!" he reached over and gave the man a bone-crushing handshake.
"Now, as for this consortium, why, the advantages are immeasurable, Suh, immeasurable. Item A, we all get a cheap deal and control over the vital commodity of transportation in the section: you get to move your lumber, for instance, at owner's rates, I get to move my freight at similar, et cetera, et cetera, Item B, there's been a lot of ill feeling around these parts, or so my little birdies tell me. Why, such an agglomeration o' interests can only lead to pacify the situation, in my humble opinion: gents who've been sitting at home alone on their ranches..." he looked at Steelgrave "... or in their offices, ruminatin'... ruminatin' I say... 'pon their perceived wrongs and slighted honours, can meet together and have it out in the civilised open forum of the Board Room!"
He looked about to see if these words were having any effect, then boomed on.
"Finally, I say finally gents, Item C., and here's the clincher, as a consortium, we can then invest in the Rail Road. Now consider it, gents, no one investor can control that particular company, but a consortium... why, I put it to you gentlemen that as a group of inventors we can control and monopolise the who shebang, drive forward the work of getting the tracks to this particular destination AND control the WHOLE of the integral transportation system for the entire Northern and Western part of the Territory!"
The man with the beard and glasses in the corner became rather animated and waved his wad of cash in the air "I'm in!!" he yelped, but Buller wave a dismissive hand at him and gestured to Mason, Alders and Steelgrave.
"Sorry son, I'm only talkin' to the BIG MEN here!"
@[Bongo]
Oh, the cleverness of me!
Tuc could overhear some of the conversation and shook his head as he approched the auctioneer and had a brief conversation. A moment later, the auctioneer called for attention.
"Gentlemen! Listen up! Seems there might be a bit of a misunderstanding, but this business is strictly a stage line! That doesn't mean the coaches can't carry small freight, but there are no freight wagons, nor any sort of large freight business...just to be clear when you choose to bid!"
The man looked around at the group. "Now, remember, the business includes the routes, several swing stations along the way. And even after the train comes in, folks are still going to have to get from here to there!"
Mason had heard of Colonel Buller but never met the man before now. The construction business was booming in this part of Montana, especially in Helena, so that had been no need to go into Buller's neck of the woods. However, there would be no harm in at least establishing a connection with him for future projects, when the time came for expansion.
Shortly after Buller's arrival, Christoph Alders turned up and took a seat beside him. Both of them listened to Buller's proposal...
Christoph leaned over to Mason and said quietly, "I'm not certain I like the idea of sharing a company with Mr. Steelgrave. But neither do I like the idea of being outbidded by him and Colonel Buller if they decide to join forces."
Mason had to agree with what Alders was saying. For now, he was content to see what else Buller had to say and after the man had dismissed a would-be investor, the auctioneer made an announcement...
"Gentlemen! Listen up! Seems there might be a bit of a misunderstanding, but this business is strictly a stage line! That doesn't mean the coaches can't carry small freight, but there are no freight wagons, nor any sort of large freight business...just to be clear when you choose to bid!"
The man looked around at the group. "Now, remember, the business includes the routes, several swing stations along the way. And even after the train comes in, folks are still going to have to get from here to there!"
Mason was well aware of what the sale entailed and the stage line would be a money-maker, however, he was more interested in the routes and the buildings that came with it. When the train did arrive in Kalispell, things would be needed to be taken, as the auctioneer had said from here to there and that's where a new freight business would come in handy.
This auction was shaping up to be very interesting affair and Mason hoped that even if he didn't win, he could make some sort of deal with the person who did.
@ [Javia]
@ [Flip]
@ [Bailey]
@ [Bongo
Elias was a bit out of character as he listened to the Colonel, Alders, and Aldridge who spoke up, as well as Milligan. He liked old Tuc, but this was business, and Elias had thought to be cutthroat until the consortium crap came up. But Tuc cut that off at the knees, there were no freight wagons or horses to pull them.
He leaned close to Latham, "Not what I expected, Cole."
"No, and who invited him?" Cole asked, also surprised at what had happened. For him, it would mean being the attorney for the stage line and a tidy profit for being that.
"Buller gummed up the works with this plan of his, but maybe the lack of freight wagons and draft animals to pull 'em, maybe the old coot'll start to sing a different tune. Don't care to get into business with the other two if it's a consortium, no real profit in it."
"Agreed. You want to pull out?" Latham asked.
"Not just yet, Cole lets wait and see what happens next." Was the reply.
The man looked around at the group. "Now, remember, the business includes the routes, several swing stations along the way. And even after the train comes in, folks are still going to have to get from here to there!"
"Yes, yes" Colonel Buller waved his hand dismissively at this this attempt to 'puff' the goods on sale, by some feller who seemed to have a vested interest in getting a good price for it in the auction.
"Now, to get, I say to get back to this here business of freight... presumably some small time operator round these parts takes care of that, but he can soon be undercut: couple of wagons, charge a pittance, bust the opposition, take over. It's a monopoly I'm aiming for gents, a good old fashioned American monopoly! HA HA HA!"
The Colonel had no idea that the 'He' was a 'She' - but that fact would have only cheered him, knowing it was a mere woman he'd have to break.
@[Everybody]