The Mecca,where the two met Stephen Birch and his party the summer before was locked up. He looked through the glass. He could see the shapes of the three billiards tables in there, but the place had a very dead look to it, similar to the drug store. Cap felt a presence. He turned around, startled to see a motherly-appearing woman who was probably in her fifties staring at him and smiling. “Hello, youngman. Are you looking for a place to stay? I operate several boarding houses around here if you need a room.” “I might. I came in with another fellow. He headed to the Row to visit with someone named Rose Katrina. I’m not sure how long he plans to stay.” She raised her eye brows. “Oh yes. I know who that is. Johnny Gakona. I remember him from last year. I think he drinks too much. I hope you don’t. Rose works for me, you know.” Then it hit Cap that this woman was Kate Kennedy. She was the infamous stout matron who oversaw all the prostitutes in McCarthy. She owned the Alaska Hotel and several other businesses. He had never encountered her before, but it was said that she also controlled the prostitutes at Breedman’s Hotel Chitina. Rumor had it that she came from Dawson City where she made her first fortune. This was a rich lady.
“Your MadameKennedy, aren’t you?” She smiled at that. The smile chilled Cap. “Look, I can take care of myself tonight. I usually just camp out anyway. Why don’t you let Johnny know I’ll be at the usual place?” Her smile quickly turned into a look of disapproval. “That Johnny Gakona kid only paid once. After that he took advantage of my girl and my business.” “Maybe I’ve changed my mind. We might be here for awhile How much are your rooms?” Her eyes brightened up. “For you, only a dollar a day. There’s one upstairs over there.” She pointed to a stairwell leading to the second floor of the Golden. Cap saw that the windows which seemed to face the glacier. “You mean oneof those?” “If you like. I have plenty of space tonight.” “One night,” Cap said as he pulled out a dollar coin and handed it to the woman. “I’ll take one with the view of the river and glacier.” “Follow me,” she said, as she led him toward the covered stairwell. The narrow wooden stairs creaked under her heavy footsteps. She pulled out a skeleton key and headed down a very dim passageway. It was almost too dark to see. Then Cap heard her insert and turn the key. She pushed the door open, flooding the hallway with light. Inside a single window was partly opened. The pull shade was fully up. Curtains hanging along both long edges gently moved as a light breeze came through. On each side of the narrow room was a single bed. Both sagged ever so slightly. Each was made up with linen and a woolen blanket. Behind the bed on the right was a narrow bureau with a mirror. Behind the other bed was a washstand with a basin, pitcher and two tin cups. A single chair stood in front of the stand. The woman pointed to a small closet. Cap threw his pack on the floor and walked over to the window. “There’s theextra blankets. Never know when you might need ‘em. The outhouse is out back. So is the pump. If you need any female company let me know. I’ve got a nice selection. If I remember, you were partial to Bubbles. I’ll send her up if you like.”
“How do I find you, Mrs. Kennedy?” “Oh, just ask anybody. Just ask for Kate. You’ll find me. I’m always around here somewhere. You have a good evening, young man. I’ll see that your friend Johnny Gakona knows you’re here.” The Madame quietly slipped into the darkness of the hallway and was gone. Cap pushed up the lower pane of the window all the way. It seemed almost dead out there. He poured some water out of the pitcher and tasted it. This stuff tastes stale. No, it tastes dead. Like muskeg water, but worse. Room smells old and musty, too. This place really seems dead. Be glad to get out of here. I feel trapped in here. Got to get out of here and find some real water. Eat later. The sound of the shrill train whistle of No. 71, followed by the screeching of iron as the wheels of all those cars began to move, caught his attention. Now that sounds alive. Wish I were going to Kennecott tonight. It’s lonely in here. I might be tempted to do something foolish just waiting for Johnny. I’m tired the water can wait. Cap pulled his Hudson Bay blanket out of his pack sat on the narrow bed, which seemed comfortable enough. He pulled off his boots and tossed them in the direction of the chair. He three his heavy shirt toward the other bed, lifted his weary legs onto the sagging mattress and pulled the potlatch blanket over himself. He was asleep almost immediately. He found himself looking up at Chief Nicolai. “Grandfather, you’re still alive.” “Tsuuye, I stay close to my people. You just can’t always see me.” “Where are we?” “Look around you.” Cap was startled to find he was still in the room above the Golden. Nicolai was sitting on the empty bed three feet away. Somehow the room seemed darker and even older. The only sound he could hear was that of the wind coming off the glacier. He lifted himself up. His boots were on the floor right where he’d kicked them off. His shirt was laying on the bed next to Shee-ya, where he’d tossed it. He pulled off his Hudson Bay blanket and stood up. “Look outside, Tsuuye.” The view startled him. The buildings across the street stared blankly back at him. Most had dirty, broken glass. In the direction of the railroad yard something seemed to be missing. Yes, that was it. The entire group of buildings where the large white drugstore building stood was gone. Fireweed grew thick among charred timbers where the heart of the town once stood. The distinctive railroad warehouse with its diamond-shaped windows at the end of the siding was missing. So was most of the railroad trestle. A few old pilings could be seen sticking out of the gray, roaring water of the main channel. The railroad water tower at Clear Creek had also vanished. “Grandfather, what happened out there? The railroad and half the town is gone. Looks like a ghost town.” “It is a ghost town. Look at me. I’m a ghost. This is a ghost town. You were right when you told Johnny that McCarthy would die. You have seen it for yourself. This is the future which the white men will leave you--useless, empty buildings. Some of them gone completely. No railroad. No mine at Kennecott. Just scars on the land. Don’t listen to these white people. They are not here to stay. They’re here to take and to spoil and then to leave. “Believe only in yourself and your own people. Stay together no matter what happens. If you follow the white man too far you will be lost. There are many devil spirits among the white man. Learn from him, take what you can, but remember. White man come and white man go. They have no roots here. We will always be here. What exists now because of the white man will fade away until there is nothing left. Nothing at all. They will leave you destroyed as well unless you heed me. Always remember who you are. Only as saghanni utsuuy can you hope to survive. You are of the Raven Clan--the Children of the Earth.” “What about the Saghanni ggaay, Shee-ya?” “You already know about the ravens. They are here because of the curse. They only come when a spirit is about to pass on. Sometimes it’s a human spirit. Sometimes its the spirit which lives in an object--like the white man’s old home. Watch that they do not come for you. They look like us, but they are not us. “There is much left for you to do, Tsuuye. Work with your sla’cheen. You will both be lost otherwise. It was meant that you would always work together.” Cap reached toward Nicolai to touch him. Nicolai faded into the darkness. Cap jumped straight out of bed and fell off the edge. His head hit the backpack, which cushioned his fall. His body hurt. The floor was cold and hard. He pulled himself off the bare wood floor and looked outside. Everything was in its place as he remembered it when he walked into town earlier that day. It was just starting to get dark. People were finally coming out. He could see some of them walking the dusty street below. He took the water pitcher and headed outside down the dark hallway and stairs toward the water pump, still not wearing either his shirt or his boots. He was too upset to think straight. At the bottom of the stairs he found a firm, sun-warmed wooden sidewalk. He glanced across Shushanna Avenue where saw the double garage doors open and a model-T inside waiting to be serviced. The town appeared very much alive, though now there was no one in sight.
Cap walked around to the back of the building. The grass felt good as he swished through it in his bare feet. The warm wind blew gently on his bare back. He knew he was still alive. He spotted the outhouse and then found the well pump. It supplied fresh, icy-cold water almost instantly. He took a long, refreshing drink, then hauled the full pitcher back up to his room. He downed two more icy cups of the good-tasting water. The Golden’s right downstairs. Think I’ll get dressed in my good shirt and have a real drink. Maybe play some pool. Need to be around live people. Any live people. Too weird around here. Cap had a special, fancy shirt he kept for going out. Sometimes he liked to appear in downtown Chitina looking well-dressed. He wanted to look good now. He unpacked the western-style wear and his bone choker, which he tied around his neck. It had been given to him by his father. Might want to take Kate up on the offer. Will it be Bubbles tonight ? Have to look good, just in case. Cap was surprised to find Kate Kennedy sitting alone inside on one of the tall stools at the bar. The back bar featured a long plate-glass mirror. He saw an image of himself which looked good. “Have a seat young man. My, don’t you look good! Wish I were half my age after seeing you like this. Bartender, let me buy the young man a drink.” The bartender gave Kate a puzzled look. “Are you sure that’s allowed? After all, he’s Indian.” “He’s an Indian, all right. And I’m a white woman. Where’ve you been, Jim. This is the Twentieth Century. There’re no slaves anymore. No inferior people. Not even us women are below you like you still want to believe. We ladies are every bit your equal now. And don’t you forget it. Besides, Indians just got the right to vote. So pour the man a drink. I believe he needs one.” The bartender reluctantly poured a whiskey into a glass and pushed it toward Cap. Cap looked at Kate, not quite knowing what to make of the large lady. “Thank you, but let me buy you the next one, since you decided we’re all equals here. And you can call me Cap.” She looked back and smiled. Cap still was not sure about that smile. He felt like he was looking at a she-devil when Kate smiled. “Now that’s a gentleman I hear. And a remarkably handsome one at that. You do know that, don’t you? I size up men for a living. You’re a real gem. Thankyou for the offer young man, I accept.” Cap turned around to view the pool table. No one else was in the room but Kate and the bartender. Kate understood what Cap wanted.
“You’re a player? So am I, ” Kate spoke up in her overbearing voice. “Let’s see what you can do, sweetie.” “You ever find Johnny?” “Haven’t been down at the Row yet. He’s got to be there. You know how he likes that Rose, sweetie.” “Do I ever. Call me Cap.” He changed the subject. “Small town, McCarthy. It ends very suddenly, just like Chitina. So tell me Kate, why does it seem so quiet around here--almost like a ghost town?” “Well, sweetie, sometimes it does seem that way. Kennecott is still going strong, but the Chisana boom died out, and all those promising claims along the Nizina never did amount to much. Only a few camps are operating out there. Since Kennecott quit expanding it’s not the same anymore. We used to have workers down from Bonanza and Jumbo and Motherlode and Green Butte all the time. No longer. Some families have already left. Businesses have boarded up. Not me. I’m the spirit of the town. I’ll be here to the end. No one runs old Kate out.” Cap took a sip out of the glass, then leaned over above the table to make his first shot. He heard the door open behind him. “Hello, Cap! Where you been?” He turned around. It was Johnny. Rose was with him. She was almost over-dressed. If it was possible, she was wearing even more makeup and heavy perfume than before. This time Cap hugged Johnny, much to Johnny’s surprise. “What happened to you, Cap? Something’s not right, is it?”
“Are we leaving tomorrow, Johnny? There’s not much to do here and this place is beginning to give me the creeps.” “Have Kate find you a woman. I see you’re dressed for it. Bubbles is still around. I didn’t see you turn her down last time.” Cap had only taken one shot of whiskey so far. He reached to the bar to grab his glass, when something caught his eye. He couldn’t believe what he saw through the mirror. He whirled around to face the outside window. Sure enough, it was the lone figure of Nicolai staring at him through the glass. A raven stood on his shoulder. Cap dropped the cue stick he had been holding. Everyone else looked in the direction of the window, but only Johnny appeared to be startled. “Did you see that, Sla’cheen?” Cap did not wait for an answer. He set the glass back on the bar and headed for the door. The ghost of Nicolai, if that’s what it was, had vanished, as had the raven. “Do what you want, Johnny. I’m getting some sleep. I’m out of here tomorrow, whether you’re ready or not. Had enough of this town.” Johnny let loose of Rose and followed Cap out the door onto the sidewalk. “I saw him, too Sla’cheen. He wanted me to see him. Him and his raven. Where are you staying?” Cap pointed to his open window directly above. “I’m sending Rose home. I’m afraid after seeing Shee-ya I might want to get drunk. I’d probably mess everything up if I did. Especially after seeing him. I’m staying up there with you, Sla’cheen. I’ve had enough to drink, already. Need to get out of here, too.” “Rose won’t understand.” “Yes she will. I paid her this time. She said Kate needs the money. It’s all about the money. I’m tired of it. Don’t leave. Wait right here for me. I’m going up there with you.” “Rose, I’ll see you later. No, don’t wait for me. Just see you later.” “You got room up there, Cap?” “We’ll manage, Sla’cheen. We always have.”
|
08 February 2011
Chapter 36: "Cap's Vision of Nicolai," Pt 2
Chapter 36: "Cap's Vision of Nicolai," Pt 1
Sal Reed stepped down from the high cab of No. 71. On the last run he had brought in No. 73 and exchanged it for this one, as the 100-hour maintenance mark approached. It had been another great day in the valley. The winds were light and there was almost no cloud cover. The bright sun had caused the river to sparkle a multitude of reflections into his face most of the way up. But he did not mind. It added to the dreamy effect of this absolutely wonderful valley. Sal felt great today. Everything was working well for him. The amount of in-going freight had finally started to diminish after a long run of thirteen years. Full inbound train loads had been the rule. Finally the loads were smaller and less frequent. He had been on this system from the very beginning and had risen to the senior position. Sal had the pick of assignments. If his brother John had lived, John would have been senior to Sal. John died in 1913 when the rotary he was operating crashed through trestle 75B. What was so ironic was that on the way north, John’s rotary No. X-1 had been stopped on that very trestle. John Reed decided to take advantage of the stop to drop the hot ashes through the grate, even though it was against company policy to dump ashes on the wood trestles due to the danger of fire. For reasons no one would ever know, John ignored the policy. On the return trip, he failed to see the thirty feet of burned, missing trestle. John was crushed by No. X-1 when it crashed through the trestle remains and landed deep in the ravine. The accident resulted from his own carelessness. But in a rare jury decision, his widow won a substantial settlement in court anyway.
Sal shook his head. He missed his brother and wished above all else that John could still be here to enjoy what Sal thought of as “God’s country.” What a pointless tragedy. I can’t believe you did that to us, John. He walked back to take another look at his consist. There were the usual thirty-five steel flat cars of 100,000 pound gross capacity. Four of them were loaded with milled lumber. There was a battery-powered locomotive bound for the mines on the fifth car and a load of steel on the sixth. The other cars were empty. In front were three outside-braced box cars. The attached tags indicated full loads of everything from oats to boxes of new clothes from Sears. A fourth car, no. 288, was the stock car holding several dairy cows destined for Kennecott. Pullman combine no. 51 was directly behind the tender. Sal decided it would be best to break the load up and relay it all to Kotsina. Then it could be reassembled for the trip into Shushanna Junction. He turned to the stationmaster. “We’ll break this up into two sections. I’ll take the heavy front end as one load, with the pusher to my rear, then return for all the empty flat cars.” George nodded. Usually they would send the coach car last, so the passengers wouldn’t be stuck at Kotsina waiting for the rest of the train. However, there were no passengers today except Johnny and Cap, who were still considered railroad employees. George would prevail on them to help with the train relay process. He walked back to the depot to explain this to the two passengers. Sal began powering up the engine for the first run. It was quite warm out so the engine required little time to gain full pressure. The first group of cars would be ready to leave soon. It would be a quick process. At the depot Cap sat with his father. “Remember, you’re the son of the chief. Do right. If you have a son, you will be chief someday. That’s our way.” “I know, father. I’ll follow our Indian way. You know that.” Johnny sat with his mother Helen, his sister Violet and her musher friend Abbey. Charlie sat on the other side of Cap. Abbey had the dog Yew nee on a leash. If anyone could hold back this dog, it was Abbey. She had a way with animals which baffled the men. George walked up to Johnny and explained the situation. “You just help with this relay process to speed it all up, and I’ll owe you one.” “You’ve always been fair with us, George. But we’d do it anyway. We’re still part of the railroad. Don’t send someone along you don’t need when we’re there anyway.” The train pulled out so smoothly, the two Indians in the combine hardly noticed. Sal was a wizard at the controls. “Back to Kennecott. Are we going to make this a habit, Sla’cheen?” “It’s an interesting place to work. Something always different. What do you think? I know you like the food.” “I could get used to it. That was quite a party at Tom’s lodge. What’d you think of it, Johnny?” “I sure found a lot of female admirers. Tom’s rose hip wine was not as good as he made it sound, but it sure was strong. The women seemed to like it, anyway. I still didn’t find any women I like as well as Rose.” “Still on that Rose thing, are you Johnny? Am I going to have to drag you out of McCarthy again?” The train pulled to a halt at Kotsina. The men jumped off the coach and waited. Sal Reed backed the loaded cars into the siding, where the two Indians uncoupled the load from the engine. “You guys come with me. Hop on. There’s enough room here. Ever ridden in one of these backwards? You might as well enjoy the run back to Chitina instead of waiting around for nothing here at Kotsina.” “This is going to be a great day. You’ll really like this. Come on up, Cap.”
Cap stepped up onto the high deck. He could feel a sense of enormous power coming through the steel floor of the cab. It was everywhere. He felt the life which existed within the massive engine. Now he was beginning to understand what Johnny must be feeling. Whatever magic there was in these iron horses was beginning to overtake him as well. This is . . . what is this I’m feeling? It’s great, whatever it is. I’m up here on this high deck and I love it. No wonder Johnny’s such a nut. Must be contagious. Now this is a machine. Cap would never speak those words. But Johnny caught the look on his face, smiled and pointed at him. “You’ve got the bug too, Cap. I know it when I see it.” He hugged Cap after saying that, much to Cap’s surprise. This was rare for the two of them, but both Cap and Johnny were so caught up in the exhilaration of the moment that they could hardly contain themselves. Johnny was thrilled beyond belief that his sla’cheen -- the person who invariably and inevitably ended up mattering the most in his life was there to share the ecstasy of this ride with him. It was less than an hour later before the train was finally reassembled at Kotsina and ready for the remaining run. “It’s one of those unusually great days out here, ” Reed observed. “It’s the kind of day a railroad engineer lives for. You two might as well stay up front with fireman and me. Plenty of room. Enjoy the trip. The scenery is awesome from up here as you’ve already observed. More so from the cab than anywhere else on the train.” Indeed it was. The route included several long straight lines of track which enabled the huge engine, running on track in near-perfect condition, to operate at very high speeds. The excitement of having that full sounding steam whistle blow so close as the heavy Mikado rushed through the Chitina River valley was of a type neither Cap nor Johnny had ever experienced. Even the normally stoic Cap was completely carried away by it all. Ahead at the end of the first long stretch was Strelna. The water tank stood prominently on the right, but to left, a depression filled with blackened remains marked the spot where a two-story lodge once stood only weeks before. A few minutes later the train reached the Kuskulana crossing. The steel bridge, together with its wood trestle approaches, exceeded 700 feet. The depth of the gorge seemed even more pronounced from the locomotive cab. Just beyond the gorge were several long straight stretches which allowed the train to reach its full speed of over sixty miles per hour. Cap could see indications of a small mining operation hanging along the sheer face of a cliff wall on the eastern end of Crystalline Hill as the locomotive raced on by. Soon the red buildings of Chokosna Station were in sight. A mining supply road led into the hills from the depot. The train made a brief mail stop and then continued. Minutes later the train reached the long curved Gilahina trestle, where it was necessary to slow to about ten miles per hour as the rails followed the contour of the hill, then entered the tall bridge. Water barrels were placed on platforms every hundred feet in event of fire due to hot ashes from the train. The train followed yet another series of long, straight track sections into Crystal Lake. A water tower stood at the small trestle crossing the creek. Beyond was a sawmill operation on Crystal Lake. The train passed through without stopping, heading into a final long run of track as it approached the Lakina River trestle, which was near the beginning of Long Lake. The train stopped to pick up a load of vegetables from the farm. This consisted mostly of carrots bound for Kennecott. These were favored by the mules which provided tram power in the Bonanza Mine on some of the levels. Beyond the lake, the train entered higher country as it approached the west slope of Fireweed Mountain. The approach into McCarthy was sometimes considered the best part of this run, due to the view of Bonanza Ridge, Porphyry Mountain and the Kennicott Glacier and river.
As the train approached Shushanna Junction, the sandy bluffs running along the eastern bank of the Kennicott River came into view. Then the glacier and the long trestle crossing. Just beyond lay the very small town of McCarthy. Cap immediately noticed the two-story drug store marking the center of town and the silent Mother Lode power plant at the southern end near the creek. I wouldn’t trade being here for anything. Nothing could replace it, not even close, except maybe for our visit to Shee-ya when he told us the raven story. What a thrill to share this ride with my sla’cheen Cap. My dearest friend ever. Two very happy young men left engine No. 71 at the junction, carrying their bedrolls. Cap had also packed the usual camping gear, just to be on the safe side. He had the bulk of the load strapped on his back. As the two wandered into town, Cap noticed that the old place seemed quieter than it was on their last summer visit. Two of the businesses on the main street stood empty. No one was in sight. “Seems odd around here. I miss Kay-yew-nee. It’s not right without him here, too. I’m going in for a soda, Sla’cheen.” “You know where I’m headed, Cap. See you later.” Cap wandered into the large drug store to find the soda fountain. Outside Johnny had continued on in the direction of the Row, apparently not caring that Cap was no longer walking with him. The feelings both had when they departed the train had quickly changed as they entered the town. Cap found a store that appeared to be equipped to handle a much larger town than McCarthy. To the rear was a row of post office boxes. A padded row of stools at the counter seemed inviting. Cap sat down, then looked around again. No sign of life anywhere. The place was huge, but there was no one in the heavily-stocked store.
The place was not that old, but there was something about it that made it feel ancient. Like the place itself was alive. It was dead silent. Nothing. But there was an unmistakable presence, and it was not friendly. He began to feel like he couldn’t breathe in there. Cap stood back up and quietly walked out the door and into the sunlight, where he felt a sense of relief. Something wrong in that place. Never going in there again. |
Chapter 35: "Returning Crew Meets Tom," Pt 2
“Soon we’ll be returning up the line to Kennecott. We can’t have Kay-yew-nee try to follow us all the way up there. I’ll have to get Violet or her new friend Abbey Webley take care of him while we’re gone.” “Isn’t Abbey a dog musher?” “That’s what she calls herself, Charles. She’s taken several of Violet’s dogs and trained them for sledding. Seems to be good at it, too. Strange white woman. Good-looking, though. “Charles. I need you to do something for me.” Charles’s eyes widened as he looked at Cap, realizing that when Cap talked like this it usually meant work. Cap had been like another older brother--a bin’ ga. Cap was often the one to give work assignments to Charles when Johnny was not around. Not that Charles minded too much. He admired Cap almost to the point of hero-worship, much to the embarrassment of Cap. “Nothing difficult. I need you to take Kay-yew-nee over to Violet’s yard and keep him tied up for a few days. At least a week. If your sister won’t take him, I’m sure Abbey Webley will. “I don’t want the dog to try to follow us all the way to Kennecott.” Charles felt relieved. This was an easy assignment. He smiled at the thought. Charles smiled readily. He had a very pleasant and unassuming personality which was almost too eager to please. Like only a few others Cap had encountered, Charles did not seem to believe in evil people. He was confused by racism and bigotry. It just didn’t make any sense to him. “Sure, Cap. Leave it to me. What ar e you doing up there this time? Will you be working in the mines like before?” “No, Charlie, we’ll be repainting the mill. Maybe do some work on the nearby hospital as well. That’s it. Then we’re coming home for hunting season.” “You mean you and Johnny are painting that? I’ve seen the pictures. It’s the tallest building I know of in the valley. I’d sure like to be there to see it.” “That’s why they want us. We proved ourselves last year painting the tall, new power plant there, and we worked on top of Erie, which isn’t that tall, but it seems it since it’s on the edge of a thousand feet of drop-off. Not too many men will work at those heights. It doesn’t bother either skeel’eh or me. Besides, now we’re experienced.” “Wow. Like I said, I wish I could see it.” “I heard you. Let me think about it. You never know what may come up. Your mother needs you on the fishwheel, you know.” “I know, but I’d leave the fishwheel at Chitina anytime to go to Kennecott to help you soon’ga . I can carry my own load well. You know that. Find me a way. I’ll be there. I want to be a part of it. I want to be there while it’s still here. I know someday it won’t be.” “No one else thinks that, Charlie.” “It will be gone. Railroad and all. You’re the one who said it. I believe what you say, Cap. Cap smiled at Charles, then turned his attention back to the scenery. He thought about Charle’s words. If the other young Indians heard Charles talk like that, they’d make fun of him--or worse. They think it’s honorable to voice a hatred for everything white. They can’t see past the hatred. I love the independent spirit of Charlie. Innocent. Yes, that’s it. No hatred in him. Just a sense of wonder, like a child. The train passed over a small trestle as it turned away from its course which ran along the north ridge of the Chitina River valley. It was approaching the overlook above the Kotsina River valley. Once it reached the Kotsina, it would begin the final steep descent. The train slowed as it headed into the last turn before the steep hill. From the cupola Cap could see the rebuilt trestle in the far distance. It looked just like the one before it, which was just like the one before it, leaving no indication that the bridge had washed out only weeks before.
The engine crawled down the hill, finally reaching the steep east-end approach of the trestle, then slowing even more as it crossed over the madly rushing and swirling heavily silted river less than fifteen feet below. The narrow trestle shuddered. So did Cap. Many had died here, including that Irish crew in 1917 and the fireman aboard No. 74 when it crashed through the bridge the next year. Others had died on this spot before that and more would undoubtedly follow. This was the most notorious spot on the entire route. The river which raged below was unforgiving to all who underestimated her power. A very thrilled and light-headed Johnny stepped down from the cab of No. 21 once it pulled up to the station and then backed up to the repair barn. Cap and Charles uncoupled the caboose so the engine could back into the barn for the required repairs. The Siberian mutt sat on a large timber, absorbed by the activity of three of his favorite humans. Cap pulled one of the tall doors open. It was a large, empty space, except that the large, black iron hulk which was Old No. 100 quietly sat in the darkness of the next bay. Their work over, the three men walked toward Chittyna Village, which lay beyond the far end of the turn-around at Town Lake. Cap would stay at the cottage this evening, then head for Lower Tonsina to stay with his father for a few days. As the three began to pass the depot, they heard the unmistakable roar of the 1917 Indian motorcycle owned by Tom Weller, a bearded, rough-featured, heavily built man who always wore a cap and usually had a cigar in his mouth. Tom owned the Lower Tonsina Lodge. The Indian motorcycle circled around and screeched to a halt just in front of the three Indians. Tom stepped off the bike and pulled up his goggles above his ever-present cap. The man was known as a hard drinking womanizer, even though he had a very enticing, if somewhat strange, female companion named Alice to help him run his lodge and keep him company. Tom frequently came into Chitina to gamble at the no-name billiards hall. It mattered little whether it was pool or cards or anything else, Tom loved to gamble. He usually won. Some believed he walked with a small devil on his shoulder to give him gambling advice. His luck was phenomenal. He was also known to be a sore loser. Sometimes his opponents would throw in the towel and let him win rather than face the consequences, especially if Tom had been drinking whiskey that day. “Hey you guys, glad to see you back from Strelna. Any of you up to a game at the old parlor?” The three of them looked at each other. They had told themselves they’d avoid going to the no-name billiards hall when they returned. So much for resolutions. “Sounds good to me,” Johnny said. “We haven’t got paid yet, but we’re good for it.” “That’s good enough for me,” Tom replied.”Let’s go!” Cap and Charles nodded in agreement, then headed for the no-name billiards parlor. The dog rushed ahead and pushed at the door, alerting old Smitty that Johnny was around. “How about a buck a game? Any takers?” Tom asked. “That’s awfully high-stakes, Tom, but you’re on,” Johnny responded, throwing a silver dollar down from out of his pocket. “Hey Smitty, got anything good back there?” Tom shouted. Smitty responded with a bottle of whiskey and a box of cigars. “Good man, Smitty. You guys want to split on this? You can’t expect me to do all the buying, you know.” “I’ll cover for the other three. I have some change. My brothers can just owe me for it,” Johnny replied, pulling out several more silver dollars. “Works for me. Hey, you guys, I’ve got a big party planned at the lodge this weekend. You know, one of those spring-into-summer kind of things. I’ve got my homemade wine I made just for the occasion. It’s based on rose hips Alice picked last fall. Wine’s my thing. Also got beer and whiskey. Alice will be cooking up the fish and I’m roasting a large pig. I’ve even found a band. Well, sort of a band. Anyway, big doings. You guys need to come on down. Tell everyone.” The four of them traded shots at billiards for several hours until all were beginning to miss easy shots as the effects of the whiskey began to catch up. Charlie was not used to so much alcohol. He passed out on the bench early. Tom was a hard drinker who rarely showed any effects. Johnny and Cap were beginning to feel like they were being set up. They finally decided it was time to quit. “Look, I got to get back to the old homestead anyway. Alice awaits, you know. Need a ride Cap? Hop on, I’ll have you there in no time. I just came out here for a break and some spices I better pick up before Alice kills me.” “I was going to stay in town overnight, but since you’ve offered, let’s go.” The Indian motorcycle roared off with Cap on the seat behind Tom. The bike ripped down the narrow Edgerton cut-off trail toward Tonsina, not quite twenty miles away, spewing a large cloud of fine dust. Cap was beginning to wonder if he would live to see his father, but Tom was a skilled motorcycle rider from way back, and he was very familiar with the trail. They ran through a deep cut passing three narrow lakes before the valley opened up, with a view of the Copper River to the right. Tom pointed to a cabin with a barn four miles out of Chitina. “That’s my business partner who lives there. We churn up a little hootch once in a while. He just moved up from Valdez. Bob Reed. Great guy. I’ll take you by some time. Not today. Got to get back to Alice. I’m feeling the need! Whoa!” The narrow trail followed a series of winding hills until it reached a popular picnic spot known as Liberty Falls. Then the trail entered one last steep and very winding descent to the bottom of the hill where log bridge led to Lower Tonsina Lodge. Cap felt dizzy when he finally stepped off the motorcycle in front of his father’s cabin just east of the bridge. Enough of that. What a machine. What a name. Indian. I like that. Wouldn’t mind having one of those. Maybe I’ll talk Tom into letting me drive it one day. “Thanks, Tom. Maybe I’ll stop by before heading back to Kennecott.” “Hey, you do that Cap. I’ll give you credit ‘til you get paid. No problem. You ought to try Alice’s cooking. Out of this world. Got to blast. She’s hot. I’m hot. I’m outta here.” Tom disappeared in a thick cloud of dust. The hills hovered high above Tonsina, completely dominating the small area with their stony massiveness. Up a distant hill just beyond the rustic log lodge on the far side of the river was the family grave yard. Cap looked in that direction. Somewhere up there his mother was probably watching him. He turned around and walked up the pathway toward the cabin.
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Chapter 35: "Returning Crew Meets Tom," Pt 1
It was time to return home. Some track work remained, but section foreman Jack Corey deemed all of the major repairs completed between Long Lake and the Copper River crossing. The three skeel-eh volunteered to be included in the first lay-off. They would jump a ride on the maintenance engine, consolidation no.21, when it returned to Chitina for routine oiling in the pit. Charles planned to help on his mother’s fishwheel, as he did every summer, while Cap and Johnny needed to prepare themselves for their return to Kennecott. Number 21 was to head off to Chitina towing only its caboose. Johnny talked engineer Albert Dalton into letting him ride up front in the locomotive cab. The engine was an American Locomotives Rhode Island 85 ton consolidation--a 2-8-0. That was the designation for an engine with eight drive wheels and two leading ones, with no trailing wheels under the cab and firebox. There were four of them in the system--20 through 23, built in 1907 with sequential serial numbers as part of an order of equipment originally destined for China. These were the most powerful engines on the roster until 1915 when the first Mikados arrived. Because of their special wheel arrangement, they were best suited to head the ore trains. The problem was that it normally required two of these engines hooked up in tandem--a process called “double-heading”--to pull a line of thirty-five loaded ore cars.
It soon became obvious that it would be far more efficient to simply buy newer, more powerful engines. By 1915 the new Mikado had proven to be a good candidate for this type of operation. The Mikado was the name for an engine with the 2-8-2 wheel arrangement. The first engines with this wheel arrangement were built by Baldwin Locomotive Works for a Japanese railroad company. The ALCO-Brooks model weighed 95 tons and was equipped with super heaters which made more efficient use of the steam it generated. The first three of these arrived in 1915 and 1916 just in time for an anticipated jump in copper production. In that year ore production took a leap from 81,104 tons requiring 90 trains of thirty cars each for the year to 177,916 tons of ore that would require 198 trains pulling the same load. The vastly increased mine output meant the train consists would now require thirty-five loaded flat cars instead of thirty, just to keep up with the demand. Two more of the Mikados were added in 1917. With the arrival of the Mikados, the CRNW Railway began running two distinct trains on the same track. The Mainline, or Cordova Local, ran from the Alaska Steamship wharf to Chitina. The Chitina Local was the temporary Bonanza branch line to Kennecott. The company built the mining branch line to less strict engineering standards than the mainline, using lighter rail and tighter curves with heavier grades, but overtime the distinction between the branch line and the mainline was lost. The use of the concurrent trains doubled the capacity of the line. The trains would meet in Chitina, switching name designations and continuing on down the line. The arrangement began in 1916 and continued for the remaining twenty-two years of railroad operation. It enabled daily service throughout the system as long as conditions permitted. In 1936 the boiler on no. 71 blew up while the engine was at the service bay in Chitina, killing the fireman and seriously burning the engineer. The engine was hauled back to Cordova and permanently sidelined there, leaving the other four to carry the load. The fifth Mikado was no longer essential due to the diminished requirements of mine production. As the four consolidations were no longer needed for mainline service, they were commonly to be found running the work trains, including the rotary snow plow consists. Since all the moguls were now used as switch engines and pushers stationed at Cordova, Chitina and Shushanna Junction, usually the CRNW used one of the consolidations for small passenger train consists.
The 20-series Rhode Islands were impressive engines with drive wheels that were fifty-six inches tall. The cab was high above the tracks, with a commanding view. Above the long boiler were two large sand domes as well as the huge steam dome. They were stately and majestic machines, indeed. Finally Johnny had the ride he had dreamed of since he was ten. he had the engineer’s view from the cab of one of the great Rhode Island engines. He assisted the fireman, but was more interested in just watching the a view he could only imagine until now, as the locomotive worked its way through the lower Chitina River valley. The mountains to the south and west, like much of the region were dramatic, the effect enhanced by the relative closeness. It was an experience beyond anything he could imagine. The effect of seeing all this mountain scenery from the control deck of the eighty-five ton engine rumbling with its obviously powerful pistons over the widely-spaced steel rails while the wind whipped by his face as the engine advanced rapidly down the gentle slope past Strelna Lake left Johnny beside himself with not a care in the world. Just behind in the caboose, Cap was sharing the cupola with Charles. Matt had prepared some of his famous coffee which both young men were sipping. “Your older brother’s having the time of his life up there, Charles. He’ll be up the clouds long after we arrive in Chitina.” “It’s what he’s always dreamed, Cap. He never could stop talking about the iron horse machines when he was a kid.” “He still hasn’t stopped. He says less, but never stops admiring them. They seem to take him out there somewhere no one can see.” Down below Kay-yew-nee was studying the conductor. The boys had left the dog behind at Chitina, but the Siberian mutt had worked his way up the tracks, finding Johnny and Cap two days later. He was not about to be left out. Cap was considering this problem of having the dog follow them all the way up the line to Kennecott, where he would no doubt be shot.
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07 February 2011
Chapter 34: "Strelna Work Crew Sets Up," Pt 3
"I know, climb the pole and splice in so you can have a connection." "You’ve got it, Cap. We’ll need every man we’ve got to pull that engine back into line. It went off right where we lost our first Pullman years ago. They made the curve too steep. This time the ground must have sunk just enough to let the leading wheels drop over the edge. We’re stuck good until we pull that thing back into place." "Can we get it back on track, Matt?" "I think so, but I’m sending for the engine at McCarthy and more crew men just in case. It can pick up the others at Strelna." "How long ?" "Oh, probably all day." Engine No. 102 pulled in with the regular McCarthy crew and the Strelna Native crew four hours later. It pulled a flat car with extra rails and a frog and switch, plus three box cars carrying most of the remaining railroad workforce on the line between Chitina and McCarthy. It took three more hours to pull engine no. 22 back into place. "Obviously, the rest of the line must be good, so we’ll follow No. 102 into Strelna. It can turn around at the gravel pit wye there and return home." "That’s good, Matt. So we’re finally on the way to Strelna?" "Just don’t forget that the next several weeks could be like this, Johnny. If the line keeps sinking, which it probably will, we may be facing even more derailments." "Great life, isn’t it," Charles responded. "How’s your head, kid?" "I’ll survive. We’re all hard-heads around here, anyway." Cap was among the first to spot the smoke somewhere in the distance. He watched for the flames through the trees. It was not long before the top of the raging fire could be seen. It was a large one. As the train hit the straight stretch that passed by Strelna , the form of Dwyer’s Inn came into view, heavily involved in flames. There was a small gathering of people trying to save the structure with a hose from the nearby water tower, but the effort was clearly futile. The crews from the three work trains jumped out to help, but there was little to be done. The large two-story log building would burn to the ground. A historic piece of old Alaska was going up in flames. "If we had only been here last night, maybe we could have saved it, Tanas." "Maybe Mr. Stevenson. Or maybe it was meant to happen this way. Once that train derailed, we took all the extra men up the line with us, including the ones they could have used to fight this fire. Now it’s too late." We’ve arrived just in time to witness the white man’s lodge disappear before us." "White man’s lodge, Cap?"
of the men whose money built your railroad and that mine, Mr. Stevenson. Now it’s going up in smoke. It will be only the first of many." Cap’s prediction froze the conductor in his steps.
As if to answer his thoughts, Cap continued. "You take our land and hunt it until nothing remains and then expect us to be grateful that you bring us white man food. You take our language and give us yours and tell us we must be like you, then you give us only work the white men won’t take and tell us we can’t go here and we can’t go there. You expect us to want to save places like this after all that disrespect?" He walked away from the conductor, joining the other Natives closer to the wall of fire. "It’s too hot to get anywhere near it, Cap. Look at the shape of the building dissolve before us." "This doesn’t look good for our fall guiding business, Cap. That rich-man’s place was where our sheep-hunting customers gathered." "Nicolai wouldn’t have minded, Sla’cheen. You know what he thought of those big game trophy hunters. Maybe this was Kay-yee-gay ‘s doing." "The spirit of Nicolai ? That wouldn’t surprise me, Cap. He resented anyone hunting our land except us. He always said they were rich, so they could bring in their own meat. Uncle Tanas stepped up behind them to add to the conversation. "I know you boys made money off of them. That was good. Billum would have done the same. But always remember that our great tyone hated trophy hunters. Many times he said that hunting for just the horns is what killed off our Indian brothers’ way of life. He feared the hunters almost as much as the railroad which brought them in." "But Uncle, you’ve worked for the railroad company for years. You’re a regular , just like Tom or Uncle Andrew. The railroad’s your life." "I know. I’m proud of my work, but it still bothers me sometimes. Yet even your own grandfather told us we can’t turn back." "He said that we must make the railroad our own, uncle. It’s the only way." "We have to stop talking and start fighting this losing battle. Let’s look like we mean to save what we all know is lost." "Okay, we can look like we want to save it, " replied Cap. Tanas tried to gather his scattered crew, most of whom stood by watching the blaze in complete fascination. They seemed to enjoy the spectacle. "Let’s grab a hose and help bring that fire down," Tanas yelled out. "In the end this could work out well for those of us who are still here, Cap. Maybe not us, but Uncle Eskilida’s people. They live right here. If enough white men leave, our people can come back and hunt as before." Cap grabbed Johnny’s shoulder and pointed upward. In the distance were the Saghani-Ggaay--four large black ravens circling high overhead. "They’re here. Why always four, Cap ?" "They appeared only after Nicolai’s curse. When the end comes, there will be a multitude of them. Until then, there will always be two pairs. It is the way of the Kay-yee-gay who resides with us in this valley."
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