The Indian team completed the work on the Erie barracks in five days--well ahead of the time anyone had estimated for completing the work. “It’s over, Cap. Now we have to decide if we’re staying. If it’s all right with you, I’d like to check on Dad. If he’s okay, I want to stay on here for a while.” “I’m ready to work another month here. Maybe more. It’s been easy to live here since I knocked Sharkey down. They’d rather try to beat us on the table. By my count, Sla’cheen, we’re still ahead.” “We’ve got some good competition, but we’re still the team to beat, Cap. Better to be known as billiards champs than as the men to fight. I think they know about your boxing match, even though no one has said anything.” “Maybe it’s better that way.” “I’m going down the hall to Eldon’s office to see if he can phone camp for me. He wants a decision from us tonight, since all we have left to do is disassemble the scaffolding and do the other cleanup work.” “I’ve got this book one of the men loaned me that I want to read tonight. I’ll be here, Sla’cheen.” “Really ? What’ve you got?” “The Iron Trail. It’s about our very own railroad, except the author calls it the Salmon River and Northwestern Railway. Imagine that. We’re so far from anything else, who’d have thought someone would write a novel about our railroad? We’re not even close to Anchorage or Fairbanks or even Juneau.” “Let me see that. Rex Beach? Never heard of him. Hmm . . . it says ‘The raging elements--uncontrollable torrents and massive approaching glaciers--were not the only enemies in Alaska at the turn of the century . . .’ I’ll say. If they only knew. I may have to stick around camp just so I can read this book you borrowed. Got to go see the foreman.” The foreman’s office and adjoining living quarters were on the south end of the building on the same floor. “Johnny ! What can I do for you this evening ? Have you two decided if you want to stay on ?” “Could you get ahold of Dad for me ? I need to know his condition before I decide anything.” “Oh, yes. Certainly. I’ll call down to the office and get back with you. You’ll be in your room ?” “Yes. I’ve got to write a letter to Mom.” “Very fine. I’ll get back to you when I have him on the line.” Johnny returned to the room to find Cap concentrating on the novel. “There don’t seem to be any Indians in this, but I’m working through it anyway. Mostly it seems to take place around the great bridge at forty-nine mile.” “I’m waiting to hear back from Eldon. He’s phoning down to the office to see if someone can find Dad.”
He sat down on his lower bunk and began to write to Helen Nicolai. Dear Mom, Whoever is reading this, make sure it is brother Charles. This is family business. I know I haven’t written since we arrived at Kennecott. We thought we were leaving, but we have new work at Erie. You don’t want to know. Cap is doing fine. Tell his father Cap is okay. Dad is not doing well at all. I wrote you that he wanted to buy his own cabin. I think he should live with you in grandfather’s old place. He needs you to take care of him. I told him you would. We will bring him back with us when we come home. It should be soon now. Love, your son . . . There was a knock at the door. It was Eldon. “Johnny, I have Frank on the phone. He wants to talk to you.” Johnny hurried the brief distance down the hall to Eldon’s corner office. It contained two desks facing each other. On top of one of them were stacks of flattened engineering drawings of mine workings. The corner windows looked upon Root Glacier and Donohoe Peak, but it was too dark to see anything except the last light in an ever-darkening sky. “Frank, is that you? You have Dad there? Would you put him on ?” “Dad, good to hear your voice. You’re doing fine ? Are you sure ? I’m done with the job here, but . . . Oh, you know already. That’s fine with you ? Will you be okay for a little longer ? Take care of yourself, Dad. We’ll be down soon. I’ll call you again. I already wrote Mom we’re coming home soon.” “He says he’s okay, Mr. Johnson. Says he wants me to continue up here, if that’s what I want. I need to talk with Cap one more time, then I’ll let you know.”
The men had been at work two weeks working in the new Erie incline shaft at the 300 level. Frank Buckner had already been reassigned to the Jumbo to continue his mineral evaluations along the new cross-cut tunnel. He was in barracks No. 2 when the phone call came. “Frank, this is Bill. I have bad news. Emil Gadanski is in the hospital. Gillespie does not expect him to survive. Not much time. Better notify his son immediately. You’ll need to escort him back to camp. Don’t call him, go there and bring him back. Yes, bring Cap too. Thanks, Frank.” |
06 February 2011
Chapter 31: "Departing the Camp," Pt 1
Chapter 30: "The Erie Job," Pt 2
“I’d say that he’s the real voice of the mine, Sla’cheen. That’s a dangerous man, there. Whatever we do, we need to stay clear of him.” “I think you’re right. He must be the real power around here.” “Where’s Bill? He left already? I thought he wanted to talk.” “He talked. He left.” “Oh. Well, here are the old original plans. As you can see, it was a very small barracks. It looks more suitable for a small family operation than that of Kennecott. The barrack has been enlarged to more than triple its original size. It measures about eighty feet by thirty-two. That’s the widest part on the kitchen end. As you can see, this is no longer a small building.” “This is more of a job than I had imagined. It doesn’t seem to be as large as these plans show it is.” “It’s a substantial building. I wanted you to understand just how big and important your job is here. Now let me show you from these drawings how I want you to proceed.” Eldon carefully laid out his plan for finishing the structure. After he finished the three men climbed up to the roof. The view up there was dramatic. The glacier and ice fall were shockingly close. The effect is dizzying. “I can readily see where some people would become very light-headed from this vantage point. Of course, neither Cap nor I have that problem.” “Well, I do. You can have this job. I’m out of here. See you downstairs.” The Indians took a moment to appreciate the spectacular view, then we went about their business. A sharp gust blew over the roof. It followed the sheer wall from the glacier, much like an ocean wave moving along a shallow sand bar rising out of the water. It sent both men spinning. Cap caught Johnny before he slipped and pulled him down flat. “So much for appreciating the sheer beauty of this place, Cap. This could easily turn into something more like sheer terror. Look at that enormous void in front of us. I don’t feel quite as confident in myself as I did before. What about you, Cap? Cap?” Cap lay on his side on the roof, facing Johnny in silence, looking toward the thousand feet of void. “I thought I’d lost you for a moment, Sla’cheen. You could have rolled off the roof onto the rocks. Not all the way down, I know. But it’s still two stories to those rocks. It could have hurt you badly.” “I’m fine, Cap. I don’t feel so fine. But I’m okay. We can’t let one little gust of wind unnerve us, can we? What do you think Morris and others like him would say if we gave up now? Think they’d ever let any Indians back in here? We’re stuck, Cap. We’re really committed now. You know that. Let’s get ourselves together and start the job.” After taking some time to regain their courage, they began to survey the job. There were large canvass sheets to remove. These were secured by nails and wood strips. “Why do you suppose they didn’t just run the tarpaper while they were up here, Cap? It would have been almost as easy. As it is, there’s a lot of tarp to remove without letting the large pieces turn into wind sails which could pull us off the roof and drop us into that chasm.” “I don’t want to hear any more about that, Sla’cheen.” “Why are you so unnerved, Cap. You’re the one who stopped me from rolling off this roof, remember? I’m fine. You take it easy. We’ll get past this. Looks like two or three days, if weather permits, to run the tar paper rolls and properly secure this roof. Then we’re off of it. “As for the walls, I’d say less than a week to complete that part, including disassembling the scaffolding. Cap, why don’t you go down and begin slinging the tar paper, lath sticks and nails so I can begin hoisting them up.” The sound of the dinner bell interrupted the work. “Should we head down now, Sla’cheen?” “I’ve had enough of this, Cap. Let’s save it for tomorrow. We have enough hoisted up there to give us a good start.” The two came off the single-story ladder to the center door of the main floor. It led directly into the dining area. The two entered the chow line. One of the larger men approached Cap and revealed his bias without leaving any doubt. “This is no place for you sissy siwash boys. They call me Sharkey, because I eat crumbs like you for breakfast. Why don’t you go back to your igloo or teepee where you belong?” Sharkey knocked Cap off his feet. Johnny grabbed Cap, before he landed. Cap recovered his balance and immediately knocked the much larger man to his knees. Johnny looked around quickly to see if he would have to help Cap fight his way out of this. Everyone else stood still, completely stunned. The man jumped uncertainly to his feet, only to find himself once again on the floor. This time he was down on his back. Then came the booming words from Eldon. “Sharkey, you jackass. Hey, guys, these Indians are my men. I hired them. You mess with them, you’ll answer to me. Pick yourself up, Sharkey, and get off my site. I won’t put up with this kind of behavior from anyone. The rest of you men, back off. If any of you have a problem with these two men, you have a real problem with me. Sharkey, you’re fired. Get out of here. I’ll call for a wagon to pick you up. Head down that tram line and start walking back to main camp. Anyone else want to challenge me?” The room was completely silent, as it had been since Cap effortlessly brought Sharkey down twice. Johnny relaxed slightly, hoping that this was going to be the end of it. The other men returned to the food line. One of them walked up to Cap. “Look, I don’t know you or what you’re about. Most of us are not like Sharkey. Don’t think we’re all like that jerk.” Another man came up and reached out to shake Cap’s hand. “I don’t know you either, but you sure can take care of yourself. Let me shake your hand. I’m Avery, glad to meet you. You’re that boxer, aren’t you?” Cap silently nodded, shook Avery’s hand, picked up his tray and joined Johnny in the food line. “I wish I had a chance at him.” “Well, you didn’t Johnny. That one was mine. I guess it was just my turn this time. Maybe next time it will be yours. ” Avery sat next to them. He introduced himself to Johnny. “So where are you guys from?” Cap did not want to talk. Johnny answered. “Cap and I are from Chitina. We’re closely related and have worked together a long time. We resent being told where we’re not welcome since we don’t recall any of our people inviting any of you people up here. We will both be happy if none of you show such disrespect for us again. “One other thing. We’re not here to make friends with anyone. We’re here to work. That’s it. Thank you for telling us that you’re somehow different from Sharkey, but that is something which remains to be seen. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’d like to eat alone. We always eat alone.”
After dinner, the two found themselves assigned to their own room. “These men are not with us, Sla’cheen. “I know. I suspect that many of these men are only dimly aware that they’ve trampled all over Indian ground. Yet they would continue to treat us like we don’t belong here.” “You’re right, Johnny. We’re not here to make friends.” “You made the point for both of us, Cap.” “No Sla’cheen, you just did.” “I didn’t want to listen to that guy Avery, or answer his stupid questions.” “What do you think now about working in the mines after our job is finished here, Cap.” “None of this changes how I see things. If you want to stay, I’ll back you up. If you want to go, then it’s time to go. You know that. I’d like to get back to Chitina, but even more than that, I want to let those white men know they can’t run us off. I want them to understand we’re as good or better than any of them. That’s why we’re here, Sla’cheen. How many times have we gone over this?” “We need to go over this every time, just to be sure of ourselves, Cap. I don’t want it to look like we’re backing down, either. If you’re willing to stay on, I’d like to give it a try. “One thing Eldon proved is that he will back us up. That is, as long as that guy Jim Morris doesn’t find out. Since we’re this far along, I’d like to stay longer. We’ll never have this chance again. There’s still time to think about it. It looks like it’ll take about a week or more to finish laying that heavy tarpaper.” “Don’t trust Eldon, or Frank, or anyone else. You should know better by now, Sla’cheen. It’s a good thing no one wanted to back Sharkey. We were badly outnumbered, by about two-dozen to two, I’d say.” “I was about ready to wade into it with you, regardless. I think we could have given them a good run for their money.” “I know that. But this is getting a little old. I feel like I’m always at war out here, even when everyone seems to be friendly. I just can’t quite trust them. They don’t understand us or even care. Maybe that’s the worst part. Sometimes it’s like we’re not even there.” “We’re the first and only ones here, Cap They don’t know how to take us. We knew that when we left the railroad for the mines.” Johnny slept only with great difficulty that night. He was finding the situation greatly disturbing. It would be only too easy to call it quits. In the bunk across the small room he could hear Cap sleeping as though nothing upsetting had happened. Cap’s ability to handle almost anything always amazes me. I am blessed. Here I am with the one person who is always there with his quiet friendship. We don’t say much between us, but we know how to talk to each other silently. Cap keeps me sane in this strange world. But now I have to wonder why I’m here, always putting my sla’cheen at risk for me. I must be out of my mind. I wonder if Rose will be there for me like Cap has always been. I’ll find out soon enough. No matter what happens, our time up here is definitely limited. I know Cap is just about fed up with it. I don’t want to push him too far. I want to see Rose and stay with her and make her part of my life. But when I really think about it, I don’t know one thing she had said or did which tells me she really feels the same way about me. Maybe I’m just chasing rainbows. Then Johnny began reflecting on an earlier part of his life. He thought of Maggie, a stunning girl from the village of Eyak. She had tried for so long to live with him in Chittyna, even though he had acted much too brash, fooling around while pretending that their relationship was exclusive. He had a daughter by her who carried the same name as her mother, but Maggie tired of living among his people. The Chittyna village Natives never really accepted Maggie. She finally had enough of Johnny’s wandering ways as well as the hostility of his people. She gave up and moved back to her mother’s home in Eyak, taking Johnny’s daughter with her. Grandfather told me that I would lose Maggie and my daughter if I did’nt take care of them properly. I guess I got what I deserved. All this thinking is getting me nowhere and keeping me awake. Maybe that’s why I’m really here in this remote place away from home. Could it be I’m not here so much to prove a point as to run from myself? Am I really running from my own foolishness? Now I have Cap involved. He trusts me completely. I don’t deserve that kind of loyalty. I don’t want to hurt him as well. I know he has stuck with me when he’d rather just pack up and leave. Maybe it really is time to leave. Cap startled Johnny by suddenly sitting up in his bed. Johnny thought he was sleeping. It was too dark in the room to see anything but the dark form of Cap as he spoke. His black outline and even his strong, low voice eerily reminded Johnny of Schee-ya Nicolai. “Sla’cheen, I can hear you thinking too loudly. Stop it. Don’t worry. Go to sleep. Everything will be all right. I’m still here. Nicolai told us as long as we’re together, we’ll be strong and safe. They can’t beat us as long as they’re we are one. Just like they can’t beat our people as long as they are one. I’m your sla’cheen. I won’t let you down.”
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Chapter 30: "The Erie Job"
“Look up the slope, Johnny. It’s way up there.” “You’re right, Cap. The snow looks like it’s still a long way up there. I don’t see any of it down here.” “It was blowing all over the place this morning. Couldn’t see a darn thing over at Jumbo.” “Whoa ! Didn’t hear you come up behind us. You gave me a start !” “Name’s Morris. Bill Morris. I watched you guys come up the tram. Heard you were coming. Wanted to meet you for myself.” “Bill Morris? I’m Johnny Gadanski. This is my cousin, Cap Goodlataw.” “How’d you hear of us?” “Let’s just say that your reputation precedes you. I’m sure you two want to eat something before getting started. Let me show you in.” “The older man took the lead down the narrow, covered walkway to the north entrance. “We enter here. This door leads directly into the recreation area.” The three men entered a room which was dominated by a billiards table. “To the right is the stairway up to the barracks rooms while the hallway straight ahead leads into the mess hall. Come on in.” The room was well-lit due to the large number of windows facing the glacier. It contained four tables. A man of about the same age as Morris was seated alone in the mess hall looking over some engineering drawings. As they entered the room he looked at the three and stood up. “Bill. Didn’t know you were in the area. I see you’ve brought me my new crew.” “Ran into them on the walkway, Eldon. Figured I’d show ‘em in.” “I’ve been expecting you two. Welcome to Erie--the smallest and, I hope, friendliest camp of the Kennecott group. My name is Eldon Johnson, and I’m both camp manager and mine foreman here. The man who led you in is our general mine manager, Bill Morris.”
“You didn’t tell us who you were. You’re not one of the mine workers, then?” “Oh no. I work directly under the engineers. But I came up through the ranks like most everyone here, including Eldon. “I’m Johnny Gadanski and this is Cap Goodlataw.” “Yes, I’ve heard plenty about you two.” “That’s what Mr. Morris said.” “Yes. Well, the head carpenter is gone. There hasn’t been one here since July, so you are the entire crew. All that remains to be done here involves adding the tar paper to the exterior walls and roof. We just have a tarp over the roof. We need that replaced first. Due to the heavy gusts up here, you’ll want to exercise some care up there. Check for winds first before going up the ladder. Long ways down, you know. Once the roof’s done you’ll be rolling tar paper over the new walls all the way around. I’m told you can handle that yourselves.” “You mean there’s no foreman to oversee us?” “Just me, Johnny. It’s simple enough work. Most men dont’ want to work up there, though.” “We’ve done this kind of work before. Nothing to it. Just point us in the right direction and we’ll have the job done and be on our way out of here. ” “Very well, I’ll leave it to you, then. The scaffolds are still out there in place where the last crew left them. When you’ve finished the work, you’ll need to disassemble them and leave the lumber in the large storage shed. You’ll notice that we’re not building this structure to be anything more than a temporary barrack.” “Sounds fine to us, but can we at least eat first before getting started?” “Oh, yes, Cap, sorry to make you wait. I believe the cook has already set aside some lunch for you. I’ll go back into the kitchen and check. Dinner is only a couple hours away, however.” “Thanks, we’re ready to eat now. It’s been a long day without lunch. We’re used to eating on a late schedule, anyway, right Sla’cheen?” “We always ate after everyone else at Green Butte. They were okay over there, but we prefer to stick to ourselves. We’ll respect them if they respect us.” The cook set out the two meals for the Indians while the four men sipped coffee at the table. Eldon gave a brief background of Erie Mine as they ate. “We opened this mine in 1916, running a very limited tonnage of ore through the tram and hauling it over that rough wagon road to the mill. We found that arrangement very unsatisfactory after three years of small production. It was only the opening of the 12,000 foot haulage tunnel to the Jumbo incline shaft which will finally make this a real mine.” Bill Morris continued the explanation. “Until now the Erie’s been more of a prospect hole. The difference between a prospect and a mine is that a mine produces. Now we’re finally beginning to develop this end because we can move large amounts of ore down our new haulage tunnel to the Jumbo incline where we can hoist it to the surface. In the process of drilling out the cross-cut tunnel, we developed four new ore bodies on the main level. The cross-cut is also the main level for Erie, though it’s the 1,500 foot level of Jumbo. “Quite a difference in elevation, isn’t it? Jumbo upper camp is 1,500 feet higher than this camp. It’s sitting in the white stuff over there. Snowed heavily last night.
“Now we’re driving an incline tunnel on this end to follow the contact zone where we ordinarily find the ore. It’s a thirty-degree incline, like the ones at Jumbo and Bonanza. So far we’ve made it to the 300 level of Erie. There’s definitely some rich ore down there. This is why we had to enlarge this Erie barracks to a size which can support a mine force of about thirty men. Douglass wants to turn this into a full-fledged mining operation now that the larger ones are almost played out.” Eldon took up the narrative. “Our schedule was altered by the big fire. We only reopened a few days ago. This mine has no priority because it is considered only of secondary value, but you can see for yourselves that we are nearly done with the facility. We have finished laying the track down the new crosscut, so we’re ready to deliver ore once we start developing some of the veins we’ve located. A new battery-powered locomotive is set to run the two miles over to the Jumbo where the ore can be trammed to the surface and then sent down the Jumbo aerial tram to the mill for processing. “Actually, I can use more miners than I’ve got on hand. If you want to make yourselves available after finishing your carpenter work here, I can sure use you. I’m told you did stope drilling at Green Butte.” Cap’s ordinarily expressionless face showed considerable surprise. Johnny’s jaw dropped open. “Well, sir, actually we were planning on leaving when the power plant job was done. This offer of yours is a complete surprise. We’d already been told yesterday that we were being laid off. Then someone extended our time at Kennecott long enough to finish this last piece of unfinished barracks work. “Now you’ve presented us with an offer for work which we tried to get when we first arrived here, but we’ve already made plans for returning home to Chitina. We’ll give your offer some thought. Thanks for asking us.” “Do you usually speak for both of you, Johnny?” Cap responded to the question. “We’ve been a team since our railroad days back in 1916, working off and on first for the railroad, then as guides and back to working maintenance on the railroad before going on to Green Butte. We finally arrived here in mid-August because Kennecott needed more help to build their new power plant. We worked as a team from the beginning. We came as a team and we’ll leave as one. It’s worked out well for us this way. Johnny usually speaks for both of us.” “That’s fine with me, as long as you agree, Cap. I want you two to seriously consider my offer. We’re critically short of labor up here.” Cap asked the question which had never been honestly answered. “Isn’t there a policy against hiring Indians for the mines?” “Don’t know about that. No one ever told me anything about a no-Indian policy, but it doesn’t concern me. I just want to get the job done here. If you’re willing, I want you here. That’s my attitude. I don’t care much what the main office or anyone else thinks as long as I meet their production expectations.” Bill Morris sat listening to Eldon’s reply. He nodded in silent agreement and then watched in amusement at the apparent surprise of the two Indians. The two Indians finished eating in silence. “Since it’s still early, we’ll head on outside now and survey the scaffolding and see about getting our work underway. Are those the new-addition drawings you have there?” “Yes, as a matter of fact. It’s all here--the main floor, second floor where the bunk rooms are located and the basement, which houses the heat plant. You can compare this 1924 drawing with the original 1916 plan I have upstairs if you like. In fact, I’ll show you. Have some more coffee and I’ll be right back with that older drawing.” While he was away, Bill continued to sit at the table, sipping coffee. “So you head all of the mines?” “That’s right, son. I’m considered part of management. Now I have something to tell both of you. Listen carefully. “I know about the fight. That was fine. I understand why it happened. It better not happen here. The superintendent gave you a chance, but I won’t. Watch yourselves up here. I’m not as nice as Douglass or Buckner or any of those engineers. I have to go now.” The large man stood up, turned and left without looking back.
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Chapter 29: Frank Argues the Point
Bill Douglass leaned back in his oak chair as he considered the argument presented by Frank Buckner. Frank sat on another oak chair across from the wide desk. Behind Bill the window looked down on track grade. There was a north-facing window which looked up the steep hill upon which the mill sat. The south-facing window looked toward lower National Creek. It was mid-afternoon. The sun had displaced the early coolness and the frosty ground had thawed. Bill had earlier returned from a rare visit to the west barrack where he had evaluated the condition of Emil Gadanski. “You’re right, Frank, Emil is very ill. No doubt about that. We need to send him home to Chitina. That’s the home he claims. He says he wants to buy a cabin there with the bonus I offered him. He’s just waiting for the two Indians to return from their short job at Erie.” “I’d like to see his son Johnny and his friend Cap have a chance to work in our mines first. After all, I think that’s why they came here. They’ve certainly shown an interest in the work.” “What? That’s the mines. It’s the heart of who we are. I never agreed to anything like that.” “Those two men have proven themselves in a way I’ve rarely seen, though I have to admit that I’ve not been an engineer all that long. You have to grant, sir, that they showed great initiative by going to work at John Barrett’s Green Butte mine. They also displayed tenacity in sticking with it until I sent the letter offering both of them employment here. We know that they can do mine work just as we know that they work jobs few others want because of the raw physical dangers involved--especially when it comes to heights. If they were white, you’d want them to stay on. It’s not exactly like we have an excess of manpower here.” “I see your point. You have to appreciate that the company has always discouraged the practice of hiring Indians for the mines themselves because they don’t want these Natives to see just how rich our copper reserves really are. After all, we still hear about the bad deal Nicolai got back in 1899--even after all these years.” “But not from Nicolai.” “No, not from Nicolai. I asked Birch about it. He seemed to know the chief well. He told me Nicolai never brought the matter up.” “Who has, then?” “No one directly. But we have heard rumors that the new chief is not too happy about the old deal.” “You mean Goodlataw?” “That’s him.” “But, sir, it’s only rumor, right? No one has contacted the company directly?” "That’s true, but look who we have here now. Cap is Goodlataw’s son. Both young men are grandsons of Nicolai. I don’t like it.” “Well, Mr. Douglass, neither man has complained to me about our mining activities here. I have spoken with both of them on this very matter. Johnny told me that as far as Nicolai was concerned, the copper was not his nor anyone’s to give away. “The chief evidently extracted some other concessions from Birch because of his concern about the railroad. One of them is some arrangement for free passage and another involves the hiring of Native work crews, which I understand they do routinely. The railroad even hired on a Chitina Indian as a cook on the “Kennecott” observation car. “Yes. That would be Tom Bell. He does credit to himself serving the public well on our railroad. He seems to take considerable pride working for us.”
“That’s what I’m trying to say. These men are like Tom. They’re here because they take pride in what they do. My point is that I don’t think the Indians see us as robbers of their treasures. Not these two, anyway. Neither of them voiced any such sentiment, though they seemed to resent our pomposity for presuming that we can tell the Indians where they can and cannot go on their own lands.” “I have to concede that our official policy toward the Native people is arrogant, but I’d never tell any of them that, and you better not, either.” “It is arrogant, Mr. Douglass. It’s not just us, either. Johnny was complaining that the territorial government has tried to regulate their hunting and fishing activities. I’m sure that must appear to be the very height of high-handedness to them all.” “As for our rich copper, it’s not like they haven’t noticed. The Indians live right along the tracks where trainload after trainload of our bagged ore has passed for the last thirteen years. How could any of them possibly miss what we are doing here?” “I think that’s what finally got Chief Goodlataw’s attention, Frank. I’m quite sure he’s not happy with us. I’m also convinced that his son Cap is very much in agreement with his father.” “Sir, we’ve worked for years with a hostile work force who’d like nothing better than to unionize. You’ve been very successful in keeping the unions out of here. What’s the difference? The Indians don’t have to agree with us to work here. Many of the others certainly don’t. The foremen have shown me several socialist worker posters they’ve confiscated. We’ve proved we’re big enough to handle it. We take care of everyone here, and they keep returning. Even in our bad labor years the company seems to make money. I say it’s time to get over this official paranoia and give these Indians the same footing as all the others. We brought all those others in. The Indians have always lived here. It’s only right.” “Well, Frank, we don’t want to be known as arrogant and presumptuous do we? I know I certainly don’t. This is a big step. If I wasn’t in such good standing with the company, I don’t think I’d do this. But, I’ll take my chances with the company. After all, this remote camp of ours has done well for the company from the beginning. We’ve made them ungodly amounts of money. I’m sure they appreciate our efforts.” “So you agree with me?” “I’m starting to agree. Maybe it’s time to drop this archaic frontier circle-the-wagons mentality and do the right thing by these people. If only in this small way.” “I’m very pleased to hear those words coming from you, sir. I don’t believe you’ll regret it. Even if you do, it’s still the right thing.”
“Frank, I have to admit, that you standing in front of me with this compelling argument of yours makes me almost feel ashamed of myself because you are undeniably right. I can’t presume to change our company. But out here, I am the company, especially now that manager Neiding no longer lives here. I have to give you the credit for never backing down on what you believe is right.” “Actually, sir, I’d rather you did not give me any credit. I’d just as soon let it appear to those two that they’re working in the mines for the right reason, because they’re reliable and good at what they do. Cap does’t want to be what he calls a ‘cigar store Indian.’ I think he means he’s no token.” “You’re right, Frank. It’s probably better that neither of our names come up. We particularly don’t want the others to think we’re treating them in any special way.” “ Actually, sir, we’re not. We’re finally treating them in the same way as any man would expect is his due. I recommend we act as though that company policy of no-Indian hire never existed.” “Very smart of you, Frank. Less to explain that way. Very well. I’ll phone Eldon at Erie camp and give him the go-ahead to hire the two Indians as miners. I know he needs the help, anyway. We’re still short-handed. I’ve already offered jobs to all the temporary workers.” “I didn’t know that. You didn’t extend the offer to the Indians, obviousy.” “I did not. Most of those temporaries turned down the mine work, anyway.” Bill rang the combination of bells which signaled Erie. “I’m trying his office at the Erie first, Frank. He’s either there or somewhere in the new tunnel, I’d think. “Eldon ! Glad I caught you. Yes this is Bill. Listen. I have two young men I’m sending up your way to finish the work on the barrack. They’re the Natives we had on the job at the power plant. Yes, the Natives, that’s right. “The fight? Don’t know about any fight. You know about any fight, Frank? No, we don’t know about any fight down here, Eldon.” “They did good work for us. Very good work. That’s why I’m sending them on up. “Foreman? Don’t need one to finish that job. You oversee the roof work directly. Those two don’t seem to need much direction. Show them what you need done, and let them have at it. Johnny usually takes charge. Yes, they seem to run themselves quite well. “But that’s not why I called, Eldon. I want you to go one step further and offer them work in the mines when they’re done with the barrack job. “Yes, they both worked at Green Butte just before coming here. I checked with Barrett. He spoke well of them. Said he’d take them back anytime. They only quit that job when we offered them work here on the big power plant project. “One thing. Don’t tell them about this call. Make it your idea. You just tell them we’re short on miners. They may not take the job because they have other commitments, but I want you to offer it to them anyway. “No, actually, it was Frank Buckner’s idea. He talked me into it. And he is right. I wish I could take the credit. No. Don’t mention either one of us. Keep us out of it. Make it your idea.” “Okay, Eldon, you’re doing fine work up there. Keep it up. We’ve got a busy schedule to meet. This will probably help. Thanks a lot, Eldon. See you at Jumbo later this week.” “No, Eldon, I’m not hanging you out to dry. I’ll back you up. You know that. Any union activity going on I should know about? None? Good. Yes, I’ll be up at the usual time. See you over there, Eldon. Bye.” The superintendent put down the phone. “Well, you heard it. They’re on. We’re committed. If there’s a screw-up, it becomes Eldon’s fault, not ours.” “You’d let Eldon take the blame if something went wrong?” “Why not? I’d keep him on, anyway. That’s my call. He’s covered. We’re covered. It works for me. And it was your idea, Frank. Don’t you forget that. Consider your good judgment on the line.” “I’m willing to accept that. Leaving you out of it, I mean, if it came down to that, sir. Even if they didn’t work out, we did the right thing. “Did Birch ever suggest we consider hiring them?” “No. Never. He never brought it up. E.T. would never approve in any case. You should know that. This is just us out here.” “If Birch was really Nicolai’s friend, he would approve of this, sir.” “Young man, you need to understand how big business works. Considerations such as friendships and other personal feelings should never get in the way of business. Not at the level of a world-wide corporation like ours. That’s reality. Get used to it. Don’t ever assume what Birch would approve of, either. He’s always been a businessman ahead of everything else. He believes in alliances, not friendships. Don’t get soft on us here.” “You’re saying I’m too idealistic, sir?” “I didn’t say that, son, but don’t let your professional judgment become clouded by your youthful idealism. I’m not even sure I’m following my own advice to you by doing what I just did, but I’m giving you this one anyway. “There remains one other problem, Frank” “Sir?” “What are we to do about Emil?”
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