1880 Census – My Kind of Town
Update 38
Spring 1880
Previously on New SorGun: Sheriff MacLachlan was unsuccessful in his bid to capture the Warren boy and expose the Northern Pacific as complicit in the murder of Mr. Blankmore. Nicholas J. Delin, the Founder of Porthaven, believes that the railroad needed Blankmore’s land in order to complete the docks and harbor that would finally allow the Northern Pacific to compete with New SorGun for control of the shipping export trade.
The drama that was unfolding in the SorGun territory was weighing heavily on Fredric Stevens as and his crew of Census workers finished up the tally of Foxton.
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What would await Stevens in New SorGun? It had been 10 years since he last visited the commercial heart of the region. Much had happened since then, including the all-out assault by the railroad to control the wealth and development of the region. Despite the efforts of the railroad to erase New SorGun from the map, the little town has been able to survive, and even prosper, thanks in large part to the ingenuity of individuals like Eastman Finch and Anthony Myers. Stevens was especially looking forward to meeting the two gentlemen as he rode their railroad from Foxton to the dynamic town of New SorGun.
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The last stop before the town center rested on one of the main roads leading north, away from the harbor.
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The area east of New SorGun was still mostly home to farmers and loggers. As the timber was cleared, pastures for cattle, orchards and fields of crops slowly transformed the landscape.
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The train finally left the station and began puffing though the forests once again. Soon, the trees began to thin out and Stevens was able to catch a glance of the open water. Finally, the train passed over a small creek and the outermost houses in New SorGun came into view.
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The steam engine skirted the harbors edge, and the waves lapped up against the impressive seawalls. Stevens could see more houses dotting the landscape, as well as some larger structures. The train passed some corralled horses, and a few looked up with barely an interest in the chuffing locomotive.
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Suddenly the small houses gave way to larger 3 and four story tenements. As the train weaved into the center of town Stevens glanced out the window and caught site of the station. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was a sturdy little thing. The squeal of the breaks could be heard as the carriages slowed and with one final jerk the train had stopped in the center of New SorGun.
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Stevens and his crew hopped off and were greeted by some of the largest buildings they had seen since their work in the SorGun region had begun. Across the street from the station stood a large ornate residence fit for a king – or perhaps a rail baron. Next door stood the Fox Hotel, a massive building complete with elaborate landscaping and a beautiful statue to greet weary travelers.
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The Fox Hotel would make a fine base of operation, thought Stevens. Of course, the rest of the census crew was just as excited about staying in such a fine establishment. Miss Kitty Timworthy, the Hotel manager, greeted the travelers in the hotel lobby and assisted them in settling in.
“Welcome to our little town,” said Miss Kitty.
“Thank you, and what a fine town it has become,” replied Stevens.
“I’m sure you and your associates have business to attend to, so I’ll let you get to it. But please don’t hesitate to call on me if you need anything at all,” she said.
“Your hospitality is much appreciated, we will certainly be in touch,” Stevens replied.
While the rest of his team began planning how to tackle their job, Stevens took a stroll down Main St in order to reacquaint himself with the tiny town he remembered 10 years prior.
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That evening, Kitty arranged a meal for the new arrivals. Some of the town big wigs attended, and Stevens and his co-workers had a marvelous time. Stevens learned that Miss Kitty Timworthy still owned the saloon down by the Yarahi wharf, but she spent much of her time managing the Fox Hotel and entertaining important guests.
“I don’t know how you do everything with only 24 hours in a day,” said Stevens.
“A girl’s got to stay busy,” replied Kitty.
“It seems like this town is changing by the day, I can imagine keeping busy is not a difficult proposition,” remarked Stevens.
“It certainly is changing, almost too quickly…” sighed Kitty. “Less than a month ago, one of the last remaining houses from the original settlement was torn down to make way for the railroad.”
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“The railroad has certainly helped business around town, but New SorGun’s rise is not without costs,” she continued. “The workers are barely receiving a decent wage, and the hardships and hazards that they endure on the job are abominable.”
Stevens nodded while Miss Timworthy continued.
“Mr. Finch and I have our differences, as you may have guessed. However, I do not let it affect my professionalism. I want you to know that his name was on the list of invited guests tonight, so I cannot speak to his absence.”
“I would never question your professionalism, ma’am,” interrupted Stevens.
“Politics is one thing we can’t escape, even out here on the frontier,” groaned Kitty.
“Indeed,” laughed Stevens. “Death and politics are the only two certainties in this world.”
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The next morning Stevens woke up and opened his blinds. He let out a whistle, as the magnificent view of SorGun Bay filled his window. He was even more shocked by how much the New SorGun waterfront had grown. Ship masts poked skyward in every direction, and he could see dock workers hurriedly moving about.
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It was enough to make Stevens forget his late night and head down to the docks for a morning stroll. The sea air filled his nose as he walked along the harbor. The amount of activity was impressive – the creaking of cranes and cargo carts filled the air along with the constant squawking of seagulls.
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As he moved along the waterfront he noticed a well-dressed man giving instructions to a few workers. Steven looked closer and recognized the man as Mr. Eastman T. Finch.
Stevens walked up to the man, “Good morning, you may not recog…”
“Good morning Mr. Stevens,” interrupted Finch. “My memory has suffered 10 years of wear, but it has not faded enough to forget you, sir.”
The two gentlemen reminisced while the dock workers moved busily about.
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Eastman invited Stevens and his team to dinner that evening. Not one to pass up a free meal, Stevens accepted and the census guests were wined and dined at the Finch Mansion. It was quite clear to Frederic Stevens that Finch’s coal railroad had been an enormous success.
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“Indeed, in business timing is everything,” said Finch. “We were able to complete the railroad ahead of schedule and under budget – and in the two plus years that it has been in operation the demand for coal has never waned, quite the opposite in fact.”
“But you took quite a gamble on such an ambitious project,” said Stevens.
“My gambling days are behind me, my friend. I simply saw the writing on the wall. When I first moved out here, sailing ships and wagons ruled the day. But with every new day, I saw more and more steam ships in the harbor, factories being built around the power of steam, and let’s not forget the mighty steam engine traveling from coast to coast,” declared Finch.
Stevens nodded while his host continued. “No… the writing was on the wall – I just needed to find a way to fuel the revolution. Fortunately the Foxton coal vein was larger than anybody could have imagined.”
“Now, over 20% of all the coal on the pacific coast is passing through that harbor out there,” continued Finch, pointing out the window. “The Northern Pacific Railroad tried to bury this town, but we grabbed a shovel and dug ourselves out. Houses are being built by the day and the pastures have turned into neighborhoods. New SorGun is thriving once again.”
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“Well, you’ve certainly thrown a wrench into the Northern Pacific’s plans,” laughed Stevens.
“They’ll be back,” finch said with a gruff. “But we’ll be ready for them next time. Industry, ingenuity and good old fashioned hard work will save this town.”
Stevens was reminded of what Miss Kitty told him the other night about abused laborers.
With a strange prescience, Eastman Finch continued. “Some in town have other ideas,” he said with smile, “and why shouldn’t they… indeed, we are free to think independently in a democracy. But fair pay and worker rights will not save this town from being wiped off the map by the Northern Pacific.”
“I’ve been around too many of their kind to know that the railroad bosses will stop at nothing until they own every inch of this land,” concluded Finch.
Stevens took the opportunity to tell Eastman about his trip through Porthaven and the suspected involvement of the Northern Pacific in the murder of Mr. Blankmore.
Finch was glued to every word. “A fascinating story,” he replied once Stevens was through with his tale. “I do not doubt the railroad would stoop to such crimes, but I am shocked all the same.” added Finch. “I only wish others in town would realize the real danger we face, but instead they quibble amongst each other like school children.”
An awkward silence ensued.
“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to insult my fellow townsmen. I just become frustrated that they don’t see the big picture,” Finch sighed.
Over the next few days, as Stevens and his crew canvased the various areas of New SorGun, he thought about the challenges of building a town while balancing the needs of those who live in it. Walking though the muddy alleys of Indian Point, the reality of frontier poverty was plain as day.
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But whose responsibility was it to ensure for the welfare of the towns citizens? Should businesses be required to pay high wages even for the simplest of labors? Such practices could easily run the employer into bankruptcy. Should the town government step up and help? But how would it pay for the services? It was times like these that Stevens was glad he wasn’t at the helm, making the tough decisions. Conducting a census of each town was enough to keep him plenty busy. After a few weeks, Stevens and his co-workers had wrapped up work in New SorGun and he was finally able to check off one more town on his list.
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Replies to the last Teaser:
Forthwall, Kruness, Luiz P. Romanini, Beefittytwooz, ROFLyoshi, Charles Darwin:
Thanks for the support - I hope you enjoyed the latest update 
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