Storyteller / Shared NPC
The place was ready when men began to arrive. Ty and Rip had done a great job preparing the place as best they could. But the first task was having the men look over what was there already. And they saw easily what was already known, a fortune in copper waited to be excavated. So what was necessary would be timbers, and other than them trying to cut and then trim their own they needed to head for the mill and one Mister Christoph Alders about that very subject. The deal could be an offer to fell the trees for Alders in return for a reduced price on the finished timbers. It was worth the time and effort. At least Sykes believed it was, and he would not go much further without using square set timbers.
On hand with the fifteen miners already hired on were the men that would run the mine and the crews for the Copper Queen Corporation, Brimley and Apgar. The head of security for the mine, Tyrell Thornton, and his assistant, young Rip Wilson were also present to hear these discussions. And some wanted to just get after it, but Brimley demanded that they listen to Sykes who'd been in Nevada and well versed in square set timbering which had fast become the method of timbering in mines the world over.
Sykes had the look and the manner of a hard man who was well aware of what he wanted done. Bremley and Vincent Apgar were no pilgrims either and they backed the idea of holding off until everything was settled. Timbers, the wagons to transport the ore, and supplies arranged for. There was a good deal to get settled although much had already been broached and in the works. Skyes was the final piece of their team, so they were ready to get the rest set up and going.
Brimley Apgar
Sykes
"Holdin' off til all's set and ready makes sense to me," Ty said in his easy manner. "But we got the necessities up here already, That's plenty of food, airtight, and the like. An' fresh smoked meat, but what's needed, I think, is beef, huntin's only gonna push the local game further away than they already are. We've got potted meat a plenty already stored. Have canned vegetables that sortta thing so we can eat without fresh meat, but we can get pork, an' we can get lamb or mutton time to time. So meat is available."
"Well, food's gonna be the thing. We need to supply that mill I saw when I got here to be cuttin' timbers, which we gotta have. Squrae set' the safest way ta go when minin', either cross sections 'er shafts, and believe me, from what I saw, we'll be seeing' 'em fer both." That was Sikes' take on the situation.
"Staked out a likely section of land that's timber rich, need to get o to Guyer about it, he'll likely have to buy it afore we go cuttin' on it. It's about three, three and a half miles northeast of here." Bremley added to the conversation. "Can't be tramplin' on somebody else's property without getting a load a buckshot fer our trouble." That drew some laughter.
"I believe Mister Guyer said he was comin' up this week." Rip informed them.
"Good, we can take care of what needs takin' care of when he gets here," Ty stated. Things at the Copper Queen were coming together
Storyteller / Shared NPC
The meeting with Guyer went really well. he told the men he had arranged with Addy Chapple to haul for them. That solved one problem, the other, the timber needed. They had discussed doing the cutting and getting that timber to Alder's mill to be cut and then hauled back to the site. It sounded like a whole lot of work, but in actuality, it would be a task where if it went smoothly, and there was no reason to think it wouldn't.
Addy Chapple was as dependable as the sunrise, and the agreement with her was all important to the success of the mining operation and Guyer had made that plain, she was as important s any of them, if not more so. Timbers were essential to their success!
So far there were fifteen new men at the site waiting to get to work, there was some to do in the first shaft, but they would need to work under threat of a collapse, which Guyer was against, he stated he would make payroll for his people and he would move on the timber, which he did successfully the following day for a mere three hundred dollars for ten acres.
So his next meeting would be with Addy and Alders about scheduling deliveries to the mill, and then the return deliveries to the Mine. That meeting was to take place shortly according to the owner of the Copper Queen. Within a month they would be going full steam. Everything was in place or about to be to ensure that success.
Pulling Ty and Rip aside he paid them sixty dollars apiece for the job they had done. Ty immediately said he and Rip would be going to town and opening a bank account for Rip.
The Copper Queen was, in fact, underway.
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
Monday, March 5th dawned with a dusting of snow, Speed Guyer rode to Alders Mill with Freddy Sykes to see about his cutting the lumber for the square set timbers. One thing about Montana spring, it is cold and winter seems to hang on for dear life. But, life goes on whether it is hot or cold, wet or dry. They had the manpower to cut and with the help of Addy Chapple, they could haul the wood to the mill and then back to the mine.
Addy was to meet them to finalize the plans, which would require her input. Things were changing in and around Kalispell, with one of the Copper Queen's two mines getting ready to produce ore, and talk of building a mill for not just the copper ore, but the gold and silver that was also being mined in the area. Alders would be a busy man with this as well as his own plans.
The two men stepped down, tied their horses, and walked into the office. "Mister Alers, this is Freddy Sykes, the man that knows square set timbers, I guess Addy's on her way." Speed said.
"Mister Alders. A pleasure sir." Sykes greeted extending his hand. Things were moving in the right direction, it would not be long now.
@Baily, @Bongo
A town is only as good as the timbers that form its buildings.
Christoph rose from his chair to greet Marshal Guyer and Freddy Sykes, reaching out to shake the newcomer's hand. "The pleasure is mine, Mr. Sykes. Always good to meet a man who knows what he's about." Sykes might look a little rough around the edges, but Alders was sure that he was an expert - otherwise a man as savvy as Guyer wouldn't have employed him.
Placing his hands comfortably in his pockets, he glanced at the door. "Miss Chapell will be transporting the timbers your men will be cutting, correct?" That was what he'd gathered from previous conversation, but it never hurt to reiterate things. And rehashing some of the details would help fill the time until Addy did arrive and the real business could begin.
Although typically Christoph preferred to have his own men cut the timbers they would mill, working with pillars of Kalispell such as the Marshal and Addy Chappel was not a disagreeable thought, and there were other business reasons that had prompted Christoph to agree to meet with Guyer, Sykes, and Addy.
@[Flip] Bongo
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
"Miss Chapell will be transporting the timbers your men will be cutting, correct?"
"That's the basic plan, if we do the cutting for you." Guyer answered, "Now, if your men do the cutting we would still help with the transporting. what we were thinking is we've the manpower to cut the timber and with Addy available, and a couple timber haulers for wagons that would not tie up your people."
Syke nodded in agreement as spoke. Then he smiled and said, The thing is, we sortta want ta make alla this as easy fer ever'one as possible. Right now we got men waiting to get after the ore, but we need ta shore up the mine before that can happen. So like Mister Guyer said, we got the manpower available!"
"But, if it's your custom to do the cutting, then by all means, sir, go right on ahead." Speed said, realizing that Mister Alders men needed to work too.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
Working with horses could be unpredictable, and this morning had been one of those times. One of the Belgian workhorses had managed to get a leg through the slats of his stall and needed to be freed. Fortunately, the animal had had access to his food, so was content to wait for help. Well, and the big draft horses were by nature calm.
Once Addy had discovered the poor creature, she'd had to break the slat to free him, then repair the damage. At least there had been no harm to the horse, but now, Addy was running a bit late for her meeting.
She was wearing a wool split skirt and linen shirt, and a sheepskin coat against the chill, and as she stepped into the office she swept her hat off and nodded to the men.
"Gentlemen. Sorry I'm late."
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
"Not to worry, Addy, we just started." Speed told her, "Glad you're here, as we were just discussing the cutting, so moving the logs is close to being discussed. Right now it's about getting men to work, his and ours."
And who would be doing the cutting would determine when transporting to the mill would begin, and that too might be what Alders would want control of, but that remained to be mentioned. It was just spring and men needed wages to support their families, both at the mill and at the mine, so all of that would need to be finalized so they could all get underway.
"Now I'm jest talkin' off the top'pa my hade here, but, if you need us, we can and will help out. Mebee, Miss Chapple here'll be needed up ta the Queen ta haul out ore, or mebee she'll be needed ta haul them logs. We'll make do however we need to. That sound fair ta you Miss Chapple?" Sykes asked as Guyer nodded his head in approval of what his foreman said.
Once this part was settled, then they could get to the business of talking price to cut and trim the lumber from those trees that were cut.
"One other thing, Mister Alders, we're going to need a stamp mill for crushing and grinding the ore. And for the flotation to concentrate the copper content. That all could be done at the mine itself. Perhaps, in time a smelter, smelting is the process of heating and melting ore to extract a metal like copper. And finally, with some real luck a refinery to refine it, but most all that is in the future, The stamp mill comes first so we'll be looking for investors for all of those things."
Sykes laughed, "You'll excuse Mister Guyer, he gets excited when it comes to seein' thing grow an' prosper."
@Bailey
@Bongo
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
Addy shrugged at the mention of the mine as well as the mill. "Reckon if I know enough ahead'a time, I can accommodate both. Got my sights on a new wagon an' team, an' shouldn't be much ta find a driver."
She grinned. While she wasn't of the book-learning sort that these others were, she knew freighting, and she knew draft animals, and she was certain she could provide what they'd need, so long as she had time to get the wagons and teams.
As for the stamp mill...
"Ya think th' town council might have somethin' ta say about a stamp mill? Folks might not appreciate all the noise." Even at a distance, the continual thumping could drive people nuts and cause opposition.
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
Speed had to smile, it was true, stamp mills were loud, he had been around one or two in his lifetime to know. Distance might buffer the continual sound, but perhaps not enough. "I believe that they would want some sort of ballot on it."
Sykes also smiled, "You want a stamp mill, buy up the land and build it halfway to where the nearest one is located. Sure, it'd mean travel, but then too it would mean peace with this community, if thet's what yer after."
"There's a real plan, and that saves the town from hearing the stamping." Speed agreed. "Look, we will need to spend to have those items that will make money, and, provide jobs for the town, getting this land makes a whole lot of sense to me. Anyway, it's the timber we need."
@Bailey @Bongo