“As to your other point”—Hill’s raised voice quieted the crowd a bit—“with increased visitors because of the park, the railroad will be able to make the train available to Kalispell more often. Perhaps some of the tourists will even want to come here.”
The crowd burst into all sorts of responses.
“So it’s all about money!”
“You make plenty of money off of us, already!”
Judge Ashbury pounded on the podium once again. “Ladies and gentlemen, if you do not control yourselves, we will put an end to this meeting.”
The man who’d been speaking before stood on his chair.“Judge, there’s no possible way to get a national park up and running by the end of August, and so that won’t solve our problems at all. It will take years to get a national park set up, visitors to come here, and for our products to be needed. In the meantime, we will have to find a way to get our goods to market, as well as get product delivered here.”
“I sympathize and understand.” Judge Ashbury folded his hands on the podium. “I have no desire to be without train service in Kalispell. I’m on your side when it comes to wanting regular service to continue. However, I’ve never known a riot or free-for-all to result in any positive conclusion, so I’m asking everyone to take their turn speaking and do so only when addressed to come forward.”
Carter glanced around and locked eyes with Ellie. He grinned up at her.
Her cheeks flushed, which was a good sign. But then she quickly looked away.
The Judge finally got everyone who wanted to speak to line up on the side. Order once again resumed as he motioned the next man forward.
“Name’s Grant Wallace. I’ve been working with railroads all my adult life. This job’s all I know. I’ve lived in Kalispell since the Great Northern came here. I’ve spent years workin’ up to assistant foreman in the shops supply department. My brother is a section hand. We don’t wanna have to move from Kalispell to Stumptown and even if we did, I wouldn’t be able to get the same job I have now because someone else already has it. I’d have to settle fer a job with less pay and pay fer my move to boot. The railroad ain’t givin’ any thought at all to us loyal workers.”
Mr. Hill stared down at the man, red streaking his face. The room was silent as everyone waited for his response.
Grant shook his head. “Doesn’t the railroad have any responsibility for its people?”
“I’m not without feelings for the workers.” Hill cleared his throat. “However, the railroad can hardly afford to pay to move everyone north. There are plenty of men who will come west and take up jobs with the railroad, so if you don’t wish to move, no one is forcing you.”
Grant’s face darkened. “But I need my job. Seems to me that you and your pa haven’t even considered the workers, much less what losing the railroad is going to do to the good folks in this town. You haven’t thought about the people who’ll be hurt by this. You only think about the money you’ll save and make.”
“And the dangers.” Hill looked over those gathered. “Let’s not forget thedangers. We have thought of our workers and the people of this great town. We can’t have a railroad line that kills them off because of the dangerous route. This decision wasn’t made lightly. After all, it’s going to cost us a great deal of money to move an already established railroad.”
Grant shook his head. “Just seems to me if you really cared about more than the money, you’d be findin’ a way to keep Kalispell as the division line.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked back toward the doors.
A man close to Dad stormed to his feet. “Just last March, the Supreme Court ruled against the Northern Securities Company your pa co-owned with J.P. Morgan and Northern Pacific’s E. H. Harriman. They were named guilty of monopolizing railroads in the Northwest. No doubt this caused problems for all of you. I’m inclined to think thatyou and your pa have given little thought to the trouble you’re causing to the good people of Kalispell. I mean, why would you? In light of the magnitude of the court’s ruling, you’re just trying to make up for all the money you lost by breakin’ the law.”
The man stared down Hill and the crowd came to its feet. Words blasted from every corner of the opera house.
Someone threw a rock at the stage, and it narrowly missed Miss Briggs. Carter came out of his seat ready to rush the stage and protect her, but pandemonium broke loose. He and his father were pushed and shoved as the crowd went wild. Two men tackled the man who’d thrown the rock.
Carter’s gaze stayed locked on Ellie. Her face was pale, her fingers locked in her lap so tight her knuckles were white. Marvella wrapped an arm around Ellie’s shoulders, glaring at the man being taken from the room. Carter eased back into his seat and blew out a breath.
What was his town coming to that they thought it respectable to show their frustration by throwing rocks at innocent women?
A couple deputies rushed the stage, bully sticks drawn, prepared for more trouble. Judge Ashbury took front and center. Yanking a whistle off one of the men’s necks, he blew loud and long as he pounded on the podium.
“Everyone. Sit. Down.Now!”His glare penetrated the room like a warm knife through butter. “Unless you want to sit in jail for a night and then come see me in the courthouse in the morning and pay a hefty fine, I suggest you all act like the civilized citizens of Kalispell I hope you are. Otherwise, you can leave.”
The room hushed to complete silence. Then the Judge nodded at several men who stood sentry throughout the large room.
“I will have these men arrest anyone—and I do meananyone—who gets out of line from now on. Understood?”
Murmurs floated around the room.
“Good.” He adjusted his vest and took a deep breath. “Now we are going to have a civilized conversation about the railroad and the national park and how that can benefit our town and keep us here in our homes.”
The Judge motioned George Grinnell to come forward. The conservationist immediately went into what seemed a well-rehearsed speech about national parks in general. But no one could miss the nervous shake in his voice or the way he refused to look at the crowd for any length of time. Clearly the night’s proceedings were taking their toll on everyone. Still, Carter respected that the gentleman persevered. Focusing especially on Yellowstone National Park and Yosemite, Grinnell shared information about their creation and the benefit they’d been to the surrounding towns.
From everything he said, it sounded good for the area. But the area for the park was a good distance away from Kalispell. How would that be helpful to them?
