Ch 20, Pt 1: "Formal Dinner at the Birch House"

Legacy of the Chief, Chapter 20: "Formal Dinner at the Birch House-1924"

The Stephen Birch Guest House, Christmas, circa 1924 -- colorization by Armando Santini Stephen Birch’s private train, headed by Mikado No. 73 quietly slipped into Kennecott at the small telegraph station at the National Creek trestle. Compared to the typical large train consists of thirty-five steel flatcars with numerous boxcars and a passenger combine in front, this one appeared odd with a very large locomotive pulling only an observation car, with nothing else--not even a caboose. The train arrived in a midsummer late afternoon day that was stunning. The Chugach Range in the distant background to the south stood out starkly, appearing larger than usual, the irregular ridge tops highlighted by the deep blue hues in absolutely cloudless skies. It had been a pleasant July day without becoming too hot, because of the modifying effects of Kennicott Glacier with the light breezes which helped keep the relatively narrow valley cooler than the Nizina Valley riverbanks and adjacent lowlands to the south. Evening approached as the train arrived, bringing long shadows from Fireweed Mountain directly to the west across the four-mile-wide glacier. The entire office staff, headed by manager Bert Nieding and Superintendent Bill Douglass, stood on the railroad platform to greet the special guests. Not only were distinguished visitors becoming increasingly rare, but Stephen had not appeared at Kennecott in nearly a decade. The other director was almost as well-known. Every mining engineer had heard of the legendary Dan Jackling, but none but Bill Douglass had ever met him. Jackling, like Birch, was a very impressive-looking man who could fit as well in a high corporate office on Broadway Street in New York as he did in remote mine sites like this one. Kennecott, circa 1918     --Candy Waugaman Collection The train party of four moved on to a brief meeting at the private mess in the old National Creek barracks, just uphill from the small station and telegraph building. It was an informal get-together, enabling all the parties to meet and relax in advance of the more serious business meetings which would begin tomorrow. Frank Buckner, the junior engineer, was among them. He frequently found himself with the assignments no one else wanted. After lunch at the Staff Annex, he and the other engineers watched as Birch, Jackling, Nieding and Douglass briskly walked up the long wooden walkway toward the Birch guest house towering over National Creek at the top of the hill. The two corporate aides followed at a respectful distance. The housekeeping staff had already prepared the Birch guest house right down to the setting out of cigars and brandy in the well appointed reception room. The rest of the engineers were now done for the day. The bachelors headed for the staff house. Buchner was among them. His companion was Russell Belvedere. “You know, Russell, I’ve never been up there.” “You may have your chance to see it tomorrow, Frank. Expect to see dinner invitations issued to the entire engineering staff.” “Really? I never heard anything about this.” “Hey, Frank, you know be by now. I always know what’s going on before it happens. Actually, I talked to the boss’s stenographer. She knows before anyone else what’s going on around here since she makes up the schedule for the old man.” “You mean Douglass?” “Yes, the super, who else?” “Formal dinner?” “Probably. You better have yourself ready, just in case. We have a full day ahead of us working on those reports the superintendent assigned us while the big-shots are in meetings all day. After that, I expect we’ll be getting together.” Kennecott at track grade, circa 1915.    --Lulu Fairbanks, #68-69-1326N, UAF AK & Polar Regions Photo Archives Continue with "Formal Dinner at the Birch House," pt 2