"Every town needs a newspaper."
Daylight makes its way through mostly cloudy skies, which generously dispense a healthy drizzle on and off. It is still cold, though it will warm up, but not by much. It's May in northeastern Montana. Phin climbed into the rented buggy, pulled the buffalo robe over his slicker, and snapped the reins. The pair of horses that would pull the buggy through the mud leaped forward in the harnesses, and they were off for the twenty-mile trip north.
Gunther had said of the pair that they were trotters. And that was exactly how they started. A nice gait, even at a trot, they would eat up the distance. Where Gunther came across this pair was a mystery. A draft horse would be far too large to pull the buggy, but a pair of smaller horses would do just fine.
All Phin hoped was that the temperature wouldn't drop and the drizzle would turn to snow. But such were the risks of spring travel in Montana.
An uninvited visit to request an interview for the local paper may well turn out to be a round trip to the office with absolutely nothing to show for it except being tossed off the front porch! Then again, as vain as Leah claims her father is, he may welcome him with open arms to brag on himself, and that possibility was worth the trip, weather and all.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
The ride north, whcih people were calling 'the drive north, or almost in any direction, was still frigid to cold, but he was tucked in to his buffalo robe and gauntlets as he drove along thinking of the questions besides the obvious ones that he wanted to ask, not that he expected all of them to get answered, but he hoped enough to present a proper picture of the man no one really knew much about.
Owning the second largest ranch in their part of the state meant everyone knew the name and there were a good many who also knew the man as a business opponent as well. Some would never deal with him again, and some others couldn't if they wanted to, as they were dead or ruined outright. But his questioning would be about his feelings regarding the hospital, and most importantly, about his only daughter, Leah, and her success.
There was a secret that he held close, which she had confided to him. That would never be broached to anyone.It was not something he wanted to know, but did. Talking land and cattle was certainly one thing with a man like Elias, letting on you might know more than you should about anything, Steelgrave, might not be healthy. And there were a whole lot of things to know about, too many things one shouldn't. But there was the coming of the railroad as well.
How was Elias Steelgrave going to insert himself into the coming railroad, or was he already involved? Questions, lots of questions.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
Damn few answers as he needed the trail leading into the Evergreen Ranch. He knew very little about Elias Steelgrave, the man, mostly hearsay, and he knew how that could be relied upon. The one thing he tried not to do was rely on gossip and rumors for news. And if there is a man who is chock full of rumors and gossip material, it would be, what were they calling him? Oh yes, King Steelgrave.
Well, maybe he had those aspirations, but what he wanted to get was Steelgrave's take on several issues facing Kalispell, and no matter how well-to-do he was or how much land he controlled, the issues would affect him, one way or another.
He made the return onto Evergreen Road, as most called it, and drove through the trees until he came out to where the house stood in the distance. That was when the riders came upon him.
"Whot's yer bidness, Mister?" The man he knew to be Cal Corbet growled. There were three of them, Corbet, Ned Logan, and Jack Davis, all hard men.
"Come to see Mister Steelgrave about an interview for the Kalispell Union.
"Got no gun, an' I know 'Im right, Mister Steelgrave'll kill 'im if he needs it." As Davis completed the circle of the buggy, they all three laughed then.
"Follow on then Mister Newspaperman!" Corbet ordered, "Tryin' anythin'd be bad fer yer health!" The problem with that was they'd kill him outright and say he tried something. His response was to snap the reins. Corbet on the right, Davis in the lead, and Logan bringing up the rear.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
Once they stopped at the porch, Phin had something akin to birds in his stomach as opposed to butterflies. But he was here, and he would just have to make the best of the situation.
"Climb on down there, Newspaperman," Logan said, none of the three dismounted, "Gwan up an' knock, the Chinaman'll answer the door, an' good luck to ya." The riders turned and headed back to where they had been stationed, he supposed, so he did as he was told, stepped up onto the porch, and knocked on the door, firmly. It only took moments for the door to open.
"Hello. I see you coming. What you want?" Ling asked,
"I'm here to interview Mister Steehgrave if he is amenable to that," Phin stated. The butterflies had stopped.
"Come in. I tell him you here, come, wait in parlor. not be long." Ling led him to the parlor and then disappeared.
'Well,' Phin thought, 'so far so good.'
"Every town needs a newspaper."
For whatever reason, Elias Steelgrave was sitting in the kitchen drinking a concoction that Ling had made up, stating, 'It good for you. You drink." He had stopped arguing with the Chinaman sometime back.
"What the hell was that all about, Ling?" He wanted to know.
"Man, Macvey want to see you for interview if you meanieable." Ling relayed in his broken, sing song, english.
"What? You mean Phineas McVay is here to interview me? Is that it? Hell! This could be good for me, if I play it right, or bad for him if this is some smear job he's meaning to print." He said as he was getting to his feet and starting for the parlor.
It took moments for the man to reach the room where the newspaper editor stood waiting."Take a seat, McVay. No sense standing there fiddling with your hat. So what's this about an interview?" Steergrave wanted to know.
"Yes, sir, I've come to interview with you, mostly about your views on Kalispell and the changes you see, and what you think of them." There he'd gotten it out plain enough, and he hopefully did not sound too nervous about it. "I realize that you've not had your views expressed publicly, so this would be a chance for you to do so. I guarantee that I will print what you say exactly as you say it."
"Zat so? Well then, guess we best get started then. Something to drink?" Elias offered.
That gave Phin pause, but he was firm. "Yes, a bourbon, but just one. I have to write what is said, and be able to read it." That was good for a nerve-soothing laugh from the two men.
"Well then, shoot."
"So, first off, the hospital. What do you think of it?" Phin asked, expecting the mood to change in a blink.
"The hospital, yes. Well, since that is my little girl's pet project, you certainly opened with a bang." Elias said, taken aback, "It is very much needed by the town, and us ranchers and the sod, er, farmers, not to mention the entire county. I am proud that a Steelgrave is at the head of this project, and that Leah has become a driving force in our little community. Yes, she has made me very proud indeed. You have treated her well in your paper, which is appreciated, even though we do not get on well at this time. The girl is strong-willed, and that has come to serve her well." He cleared his throat.
"Now, I understand that construction is on schedule to be completed in June, and that bespeaks a competent firm, yes, a most competent firm was hired for the project. I would be interested to know if the Territorial Government has supported this undertaking financially, and to what degree, since it benefits the county, not that I understand the usage of that term, but alas, I am not privy to their choice of words.' He had strayed off the subject; it was a known fact that he had no love for Governor Houser.
"Of that I have no information, and Miss Steelgrave has said nothing either way about it. I suppose the financials will be made public at some point." Phin told him. "Now you may know that the staff has increased, even before completion, which, as you say, is on track for an early June. A Doctor Laurant, a surgeon out of Chicago."
"There was some talk of it that reached me. A big city doctor, well, no doubt he won't last long." Elias laughed at his own remark.
"Oh, then you had not heard, Doctor Angelique Laurant is a woman," Phin said as the room fell silent as a tomb.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
Elias sat back at the news, "That would be this Doctor Lurent. Didn't know they were letting women be doctors out here." He said as if it were preposterous.
"It's Larant, and she is from Chicago. A friend of Doc Boone's who came at his suggestion. A surgeon, I believe. Thet are of course, looking for nurses and all manner of staff." Phin informed him,
"A surgeon, now that is news! By thunder, a woman doctor at Steelgrave Memorial!" Elias erupted.
"No Elias, it will be Kalispell Regional Hospital; it will be the first such hospital in Northern Montana and will draw patients from all over the region." Phin corrected him. And it was already a known fact that he would like nothing better than his name plastered on the hospital to go along with his whore house!
"Yes, yes, I was aware of that, but I still think my daughter should have had it named after her." He grumbled.
"So did everyone, she declined the honor. Anyway, on with the interview. A lot of people want to know what your plans are for the brothel?" Phin asked, "There are plenty of rumors floating about concerning it."
"You know, Elias, mmm, there are a good many people who believe you would have it burned to the ground." He held up his hands, "Hold on, hold on. Now, whatever you say about that accusation, and honestly, you certainly have a fight to be upset about it. Including your response will give my readers a clear understanding of your feelings on the issue."
Elias sat back, his face contorted a bit with the anger welling up. The veins in his neck were standing out and then slowly receded. "You don't tread lightly, do you? Yes. That had been my initial reaction to the news she was getting this done, and she chose to shut me out. But no, I came to my senses about it." He paused, "She has done a great thing, a positive thing, and she did not need my name attached to it. Yes, I would like it named after her, hell, I'm her father and proud of her, and her accomplishments."
"Then you fully support the hospital? Is that what I'm hearing? As it sure sounds like it." Phin asked.
"You're damned right I do, and you can tell those boys that sided with her not to fear, no reprisals. None!" Elias said flatly. "I won't rehire 'em, but I won't set my men against them either."