Posted August 23, 2022
"Well, of course gold and silver are driving the business in the mountains, and that's good for the ports and lay-overs," Emeline observed. "I suppose the trick is whether or not they survive once the...if the mines go bust." She didn't want to jinx their prospects, nor imply there could be trouble, but if something did happen to the mines in the Sierras or Nevada, the impact would be far-reaching.
"Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing it all! And the journey as well, so long as it isn't too rough." She grinned. "Although I must say, I'll be happy to be home for a while, which is a good thing, since the baby and the ranch will keep us there."
She did not at all begrudge any of the things that would keep them home, in fact, all the adventures still out in the world could never compare to the ones that waited at home!
Posted August 24, 2022
"Well, of course gold and silver are driving the business in the mountains, and that's good for the ports and lay-overs," Emeline observed. "I suppose the trick is whether or not they survive once the...if the mines go bust." She didn't want to jinx their prospects, nor imply there could be trouble, but if something did happen to the mines in the Sierras or Nevada, the impact would be far-reaching.
"Well, it's a caution on the minds of everyone up there. Veins peter out. That's a fact, and new ones are still being found. But in time, maybe not our time, but in time Mother Earth will have given her all, and we'll be glad of it. Bellieve me." He explained. "Ol' Virginny'll stand on Sun Mountain for some time to come."
"Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing it all! And the journey as well, so long as it isn't too rough." She grinned. "Although I must say, I'll be happy to be home for a while, which is a good thing, since the baby and the ranch will keep us there."
"I never thought we'd be gone this long, but I wouldn't trade, not a moment of it. Yet I'll be glad when we get home. Now about seein' everything, Yes Ma'am, we will surely do that from the Tahoe Lake up on the Sierra Mountains, to the Capitol in Carson City, along with the mint, on up ta Virginia City what with Silver City, Gold Hill an all along the way. We can stay as long as we want. But home, we'll be headed home then."
She did not at all begrudge any of the things that would keep them home, in fact, all the adventures still out in the world could never compare to the ones that waited at home!
Posted August 24, 2022
"The house should pretty much be finished by the time we get back," Emeline commented, shaking her head. "It will be so different than the bare frame that we left!"
In a way, it would have been nice to be there to watch the house actually become a house, but then, it was going to be exciting to see it whole for the first time. And there was still going to be a lot of work to do on it, to make it a home.
"I'll have to make curtains and whatnot...I'm thinking that lace ones would go quite nicely in the bunkhouse. Don't you agree?"
She was teasing, of course, but what good was a husband if you couldn't tease him?
Posted August 25, 2022
"I imagine that the boys would like that, yes siree bob! Nothin' like fancy curtains in a bunk house. Beats burlap all ta hell." He replied with a grin. "Scuse me. But if you want, well made curtains that can block out the light for the night hawks would be a real nice touch." He was serious about that, and he'd seen some, heavy cotton duckin, oil cloth and thelike. Oil cloth was especially good if there was no glass in the windows. That would not be the case on the Rockin' P.
Men really paid little mind to much unless whatever was presented would not be of service to them,, such as fancy curtains. Feed your hands well and they stay on provided there's a decent owner and a good foreman. If this Frank Teal worked out as he hoped, the foreman's job was taken, as for the owners, well, that was He and Em. He liked their chances.
Posted August 26, 2022
"Don't worry, I won't make them lace curtains, nor will I make them put on ties for supper, although they will have to clean up before coming to the table." Emeline grinned. The bunkhouse would be nice, tidy and clean, but she'd leave most of the decisions to the men who had to live there.
Breakfast was as amazing as the other meals here had been, Emeline had French toast that was stuffed with a cream cheese mixture, and Emeline coaxed the recipe from the chef...she'd try it at the Lickskillet when they got home, if she could get the ingredients.
"How much time do we have before we leave?" she asked, "I'm pretty much packed. Do you think we should have them pack a lunch for us here, do you think the food on the trip will be all right?" They knew what they'd get from here, but on the road could be a gamble!
Posted August 26, 2022
The sudden barrage of questions forced a big grin from the Kalispell Deputy. "Well, there is a dining car aboard, you know, so no, I doubt we'll need for a lunch to be packed. As for the food? I would suppose it is top quality, after all, Bill made the reservations covering multiple departure times. This will be, as they say, first cabin. Now once we reach Reno, I expect to find great hotels and restaurants, since it is the hub for the area, and once on the hill, well, it will certainly be just like San Francisco, without the ocean or your seals."
"Now the Tahoe Lake area, I haven't been up there in years, but then you knew that much, I assume. But we'll see what they have. It's the view of the lake that is so impressive, it is massive, and it is crystal clear. Worth the trip no matter what." He added, then, "Let's get your packing done and the luggage sent ahead, then a carriage to the depot, and we are on our way, how's that sound?"
Posted August 26, 2022
"It sounds perfect!" Emeline kissed Barnabas on the cheek. "I'm still getting used to traveling in style, instead of walking alongside an old conestoga wagon." Of course, the trip from Illinois to South Dakota had had a completely different goal, but Emeline had never thought she'd be going first-class anywhere! Well, she never really thought she'd be going anywhere in the first place! Goodness, how things could change.
She had no idea, though, how opulent 'first class' was going to be until they stepped into the train car, and she stopped short, staring in wonder. "Oh, I had no idea a simple train car could be so...not simple! It's amazing!" Chuckling, she turned to Barnabas. "I'm afraid they're going to find out that we're just ranches from nowhere in Montana!"
Posted August 27, 2022
"Ranchers? Nowhere Montana? Now maybe both are true, but I'm a mine owner, a stock holder, traveling with my wife to Virginia City for a meeting." Then he laughed as they made their way to there seats. "I forget that I'm just a Deputy Marshall, but really, what I forget is that we are wealthy people, traveling in the style that is expected of us. Almost scary, as if at any moment we'll be discovered and removed from this lifestyle."
He insured she was comfortable and then sat down beside her. "I had forgotten how it was I came by this good fortune. Actually I didn't really give it a lot of thought since I had left town in a hurry, and the riches never really were something I thought much about, if at all. Then I met you, and everything changed and suddenly my holdings could be used for us to have the home we want, the ranch we want, and anything else."
Posted August 29, 2022
"The key is to use good sense," Emeline commented, although she had no doubt he wasn't the sort to squander, or not to plan ahead. Indeed, already they had more than one 'iron in the fire', so something really horrible would have to happen for them to be in trouble.
"After, of course, we enjoy ourselves! It's good to splurge now and then." She knew that for herself, this was not likely something she was going to get used to, or jaded about, so that she actually expected that life back home would be far less extravagant, or at least closer to what was ' normal' for her...on a bit grander scale!
"So, you say you left town in a hurry?" She gave him a teasing look. "If there something I need to know?"
Posted August 29, 2022
"I must'a never told you the story of the fateful night, well, turns out fateful in a good way." He began as they made themselves comfortable in the plush seats. "Old Bill surely knows how to travel. Now, about that night. I sat in on a poker game in the Delta Saloon, just to kill some time. I had a bit of money to lose, so I was feeling pretty good. I didn't do well the first few hands, winnings and losses were about the same." He grinned.
"I figured to pull out after one more hand, Well, I'm dealt a pair of threes so, I discard three and I pick up an ace, a queen, and wouldn't ya know, another three. Now this was my best hand of the night. When I did manage a win it was with a pair, now I've three of a kind!. Well we kept playin', the pot kept growin', and players began foldin', 'cept for Nelly Wadsworth. Now in them days, you never knew who was sittin' at the table could be just about anybody save for the Silver Kings themselves. Nelly held a one third share in the Yellowjacket mine and when it came down to me an' him, He laid it on the pile in the middle of the table. I was all in and had my gold watch which I laid on that piece a paper of his."
"Nelly had him a big toothy grin as he laid them paste boards a showin'. A pair of aces. I was stunned as I laid them three threes down an' the place fell silent, well, at least at our table, and then what was watchin'. I scaped that pile inta my hat, stood and left fast as I could. Winnin' could be dangerous, so that deed slid down inta my boot soon as I could."