Out, Damned Finch!
Update 28
1874
Spring had begun to peak her head out from under the blanket of winters snow.
But the citizens of New SorGun were in no mood to celebrate. The exodus that had begun the previous fall had slowed, but a feeling of despair covered the town like an early morning spring fog.
Steamer Bay, on the other hand, felt like a non-stop festival. New settlers were arriving each day, and with the arrival of spring the volume of immigrants was growing like the rising tide.
(click for full size)
Businesses began opening shops in order to take advantage of the growing demand for goods and services. Blacksmiths, doctors, architects, wagon makers, lawyers and many others were flooding into town to open shops and practice their trade.
The town’s first newspaper even published the first issue in late spring.
The Northern Pacific didn’t waste any time either – as soon as winter was on the wane, construction crews went to work laying track that would eventually connect with Kalama, WA – the location where the track being laid from the east would meet up, completing the great transcontinental Northern Pacific Railroad.
The only thing that could stand in the way of the railroad and its new ‘city’ was another town, miles to the south. The Railroad bosses knew that only one town could dominate the region, and for that reason New SorGun became enemy #1 of the Northern Pacific Railroad.
And the bosses didn’t waste any time. The railroad began selling timber rights along its projected rights-of-way to loggers at dirt cheap prices. This funneled logging money into the new town site and boosted the local economy.
Next, the railroad shrewdly began selling downtown lots in the new frontier town for $250 – a tenth the price of similar lots in New SorGun. Land auctions were a daily occurrence, and the demand for lots skyrocketed.
Eastman T. Finch, the well-known entrepreneur from New SorGun even got in on the act. He purchased a downtown lot and opened a branch of his famous Illahee in the rapidly growing town.
But something happened on the way to becoming THE regional centerpiece. A man was accidentally murdered in Finch’s Steamer Bay location. Occurrences like this happened with some frequency all across the western frontier – but the actions taken by the railroad bosses were quite extraordinary. They kicked Finch and his business out of town.
Eastman’s loyalty to his adopted town of New SorGun was as certain as the sunrise each day. On the day of his banishment, his hatred of Steamer Bay and the railroad was equally as certain. Suddenly, New SorGun had found its general, and not a moment too soon.
Finch’s counter attack against the Northern Pacific bosses was swift and decisive. After hearing about competitors opening up similar adult oriented establishments in Steamer Bay, Finch brought in the big guns. See… Where others saw the Northern Pacific as the white horse riding into the region with riches in tow, Finch saw them as nothing more than a paper tiger. And why shouldn’t he? The railroad was nothing more than small local rail line that would soon connect two tiny towns in the western wilderness.
It would be years, if not a decade or more before Northern Pacific completed the rail line from Minneapolis to the Pacific Ocean. And Eastman knew that even though the Union Pacific railroad terminated in Sacramento, the city of San Francisco didn’t exactly wither up and die. Quite the opposite, actually.
And as coincidence would have it, Finch’s big guns hailed from that bustling town. It was a glorious spring day in 1874. A logging schooner from San Francisco had just tied up at the end of Yarahi’s pier and down the gang plank walked a dozen striking damsels. Finch’s new ‘escorts’ were hardened professionals from the Barbary coast district of San Francisco.
Finch dug into his deep pockets and built a world class establishment where weary loggers, travelers and the lonely pioneer could enjoy refreshments of all kinds. With the help of Finch, New SorGun had just reinforced itself as THE entertainment and commercial capital of the region.
Finch’s actions ushered in a renewed sense of confidence around town. For the first time, residents could see that New SorGun’s best days were still ahead.
Replies to the last teaser:
Forthwall, dubaidude303, ggamgus, Fox, NMUSpidey, Efkin, RepublicMaster, Bazoka, EasternCarolinianStates:
Thank you so much for your comments!
Huston: Another ingenious winter photo. You really are a photoshop guru 
Thank you - there are plenty of CJers with amazing photoshop skills - I'm just trying to keep up 
Hampi: How now read all your updates and this city journal is great! I will follow it as long as you updates it! Keep up the good work.
Glad you are all caught up and it's good to see you back!
-
13
28 Comments
Recommended Comments
Sign In or register to comment...
To comment in reply, you must be a community member
Sign In
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In NowCreate an Account
Sign up to join our friendly community. It's easy!
Register a New Account