"It'll happen easily enough," Emeline declared confidently, "we have good builders, and the process already started. Even if we don't get an engine, we can still use the building, and it won't do any harm to start getting the basic things done."
She wasn't sure what the 'basics' might be, but the place did need cleaning, and she'd already noticed a few boards that could be pounded back into place, and the time would give them a chance to map out ideas for the inside of the building, and what needed to be added or taken away.
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
"You could do the cleanup and immediate repairs easily enough, but you'd need to hire help for that. This is a good sized project you're talking about." Speed pointed out, "There's some folks in town that could use the work, too."
"Could be, yes sir, we could certainly hire out the cleanup and the repairs. All of it looks simple enough to get done, just takes time I haven't got and it would be a help to the folks community." Barnabas said, looking at the cleanup that would be needed as well as the repairs that were beginning to be seen more clearly. "Maybe a bit more'n I thought." Then he laughed. "Place now looks a mite different all of a sudden. It needs help before anything can come of it."
Speed grinned, "Just elbow grease and time. Simple enough."
"Of course, we can have the basic things taken care of before we ever have any sort of equipment arrive." Emeline shrugged. "Who knows, we might find a better use for it, or something might change..." Flux was to be expected, and while they had plans, and this seemed a perfect match, there was no telling what might happen by the time a pumper got here.
"It's a great property, a lot of possibilities. And you're right, it will give work to people in town, and that's always a helpful thing." Not that there was a huge unemployed group in town, but there were plenty of folks who didn't want to work around mines or ranches.
Barnabas grinned, "Buyin' that pumper's one thing, gettin' 'er here's a whole other thing all of itself."
"I'd thought about that, without the railroad, we either have to get it shipped on a wagon, or drive it here." Speed advised. "That means we'll have a good deal of time to do whatever we want with your property here. Could come in handy for one thing or another."
"'spose yer right about that. Least ways we can get 'er cleaned up some, maybe a fresh coat'a white wash, 'er paint. Need red on the outside, we'll wait on that for now." Pike agreed, "But we can get the place shaped up in here, won't take much, I don't think."
"Addy can probably help with getting the pumper here, depending on where it's coming from," Emeline suggested, "even if it's too far for her to go fetch, I'm sure she'd have some ideas on what we can use." The woman had been around these parts for some time, and likely knew most of the freighting companies in the region.
"Never thought I'd be into dealing with land speculation," she chuckled, "but I'm excited at what we can do for the town." After all, with the money they had, it would be a sin to squander it on too many frills when there was so much good they could do with it.
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
"That's true, with her connections, we might get the thing delivered before the Founders Day Celebration." Speed said as he continued to look around the place. "I'm thinking this place has room enough for two pumpers, and all the equipment that goes with them, and up here, well, a full company of firemen could be housed."
"BeIieve you're right about that, Speed. And as the town grows, there will be that need for two. Maybe even squeeze in an ambulance like those in the war."
"I hadn't even thought of that, what with the hospital, I believe we could use an ambulance before we're big enough for that second pumper." Speed exclaimed. And he may well be right about that need.
