Continued from Part 1 of The Pike Family Excursion
Posted January 1, 2022
"Yes, more, and don't you forget it, Mr. Pike!" Emeline laughed, then nodded to the shop keeper. "It's good to meet you, Mr. Penderson. I've seen stained glass before, but never thought about having it in our home." Of course, 'home' had meant a simple house with a couple of rooms to hold a dozen children, having the essentials, and maybe a few frills, functional, but nothing like the ranch...still a home, but with bigger frills!
"So..yes, I think having the big window done in sections would be easier to ship, right?" She looked at Mr. Penderson. "If the builders have the instructions, they can install it, right?" Maybe it took a specialist to put one in, so the whole idea was absurd?
"I really do like that one, though. It's so cheery, and it will remind us of Summer, no matter how cold it gets."
Posted January 3, 2022
Barnabas studied the glass for a long moment, hand to his chin, "I like that, I like that just fine, I do." He said, "Now, 'spose we had that fer the transom, an' Mister Penderson here build us the winder like we was sayin'. A matchin' strip across the top, an' a strip down each side? How'd that be?"
"We can do that. Might take the better part of the month to accomplish, but if you would allow Mister and Misses Pike, we can either allow you to go ahead with your glass, or, we can frame the center glass in squares, good size, say split what is left into thirds across and down. Nine panels, either in wood or leaded, I would go with wood for strength." Penderson explained..
Pike looked to Em, "I'm thinkin' we'd be the talk o' the town with a winda like that, whadda you think Em?"
Posted January 4, 2022
"It sounds amazing!" Emeline agreed, "And I don't suppose there's a problem with waiting, the house is still in construction, and we're away, anyway. Besides, quality is worth the wait." Although she couldn't wait to see the finished product, it would be beautiful, especially when the Sun cast colorful patterns across the room.
She had no idea how much that would cost, that was up to the men, and she wasn't planning to splurge...much! "This is something that will be there as long as the house is, I think we should do it!"
Posted January 5, 2022
"Nope, no problem at all." Barnabas said. "Even was they finished, an' I believe they're supposed to be by the first of August, it can be redone. Simple's zat."
"We can have it, as I said, maybe three to four weeks, we're slow at the moment if we were to start on them today, and with shipping time, well, it will be close." Penderson explained.
Barnabas looked to his Em with a smile. "Start today." He said and reached for his wallet. He and Penderson discussed price with the shipping and Barnabas paid him. "Best stop by Wells Fargo, I'm light on cash. Mister Penderson, it's been a pleasure."
"Now, when you get home, if there is any problem, any problem at all, you wire us and we'll make whatever arrangements that are necessary. My card." The man handed Barnabas his card and the shook hands.
Posted January 6, 2022
"Thank you, sir." Emeline was beaming brightly as they walked back to the carriage, excited to have had the chance to make such an improvement to the house. "I'm more anxious than ever to see the house completed!"
The future was so bright, and there was so much to look forward to, and best of all, she had Barnabas at her side for the journey.
"Thank you, Mr. Pike, for indulging me." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then whispered, "There just might be a reward for you tonight after dinner!"
Posted January 6, 2022
"That'll be somethin' special, and' likely the envy of the valley, I mean they got windas like tat in the big towns, Helena, Boseman, Virginia City. The one up there I mean. They surely got mansions up on the Comstock , but you an' me, we got us a reminder of this time here in Frisco fer all ta see!"
He opened the door and helped Em into the open carriage, it was no day to be in an enclosed one. He climbed in. "Driver, thanks for bringin' us here. Likely never would have thought about such things on our own."
"Quite all right, Sir." The driver replied. "Hope you found something you liked in there, he has quite the selection. Used in the finest homes in the city. Where to, Sir."
"Ain't rightly sure. Em? Where to, any place special?" He asked.
Then she glanced at Barnabas, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze. "Anywhere...this city is so big, and it seems like something interesting around every corner." She'd never been in a city this big, and it was fascinating, and even most of the architecture was different than the cities in the mid-west, and she was enjoying just relaxing and looking.
"How long before dinner? We don't want to be late!" Not that she thought he'd forget, but she wanted to make sure she made a good impression with his friends. "Please don't let me do anything embarrassing...or too 'country'."
Posted January 7, 2022
A voice from the front of the carriage said, "I'll have you back in plenty of time, Ma'am. Mister Sharon gave me explicit instructions."
Pike sat back, "Guess that's taken care of, Em. So I guess maybe we just sight see, maybe we just leave it to the driver here to show things of interest, maybe things most folks miss."
"May I?" The driver asked.
"Sure. Gwan." Brarnabas said.
"Well I'll take you and the lady down to market street which ids filled with beautiful buildings, but one in particular is my favorite. The Emporium. It was built in 1895, opened in 1896, survived the 1906 earthquake but was destroyed by the subsequent fire. Rebuilt in 1908 to it's original splendor."
"As you gaze at the magnificent façade, 275 feet in length and seven stories high, you can hardly realize the great size of its component parts. This is due to the symmetry and harmony of the architecture, the style of which is Modern Renaissance. The main entrance is immense, the span of the arch alone being 25 feet and its height 40 feet. It is the largest single bond arch as yet constructed in any mercantile building or business block, and some of the stones used in it weigh twelve and even fourteen tons each.
"Above the third story rises the imposing colonnade of Corinthian columns, eighteen in number, flanked to half their height by pilasters. These columns reach to the top of the sixth story, thus covering with bases and capitals included, a height of three stories. Their entablature is simple and elegant, and above it rises the façade of the seventh story, which is surmounted by a rich cornice and stone balustrade.
"Fifteen elevators, run by electric power, will be in operation for passengers and freight. Indicative of the high class of tenants...is the fact that already the Supreme Court of California has leased the entire seventh floor for its court rooms and the transaction of its business in this city.
"The building has been made practically fireproof. Constructed throughout on a mammoth skeleton of steel, and protected laterally by brick fire walls against danger from outside, the structural material of the interior – mostly terra cotta, steel, and stone – reduces the risk of fire inside to a minimum."
"I have memorized the article from the Overland Monthly of November 1895 and share it whenever I have the opportunity. We'll stop and you can go in. I believe you will find it a most interesting experience."
Posted January 9, 2022
"Oh, my goodness! You certainly have a talent, sir, recalling all that information! I'm afraid sometimes I can barely remember my own name!" Emeline laughed as she looked the building over and processed all the information. "It's fantastic, and certainly ahead of its time!"
Anxious, she glanced at Barnabas. "Can we go in and look around? I don't think I've ever been in a building so large." It was hard to imagine that a structure so massive could hold up or be safe, but then, she knew that cities back east, Chicago, St. Louis, New York, all had buildings that would likely dwarf this one.
"It's hard to imagine that someday, this area may well be all buildings like this, rising to far into the sky."
Posted January 16, 2022
As he looked at the facade of the building he too could visualize what Em was saying about the future. More and bigger buildings. More people, horses, cabs and carriages and whatever else the future might bring. None of which he was actually looking forward to, all a man needed was a good woman, a good horse, and plenty of land.
Yet, he understood that Em like all of this 'civilization', with it's fancy dress, proper manners and such. Now, would she trade life in Montana for this? Had for him to guess, since all this was new to her and exciting. Suddenly he pulled himself away from such thoughts.
"Believe you got a point, Em." As he opened the massive doors for her. "Place has grown since I was last here, just seems to keep gettin' bigger. Now this, this here's what I'd call a store. I mean have a look at alla this stuff!" It was true, countless vendors with products of all kinds, this could get real expensive, not that he really cared.