Their Bit

by Corbert Windage

windows. Indeed, all classes ran north/south on the east side. Only admin, the library and the cafeteria occupied the windowless western half. When asked, the Headmaster explained that the students had windows in their classrooms that looked out on the beautiful countryside. No classes were on the west side because of the potential distraction, particularly for the local younger children who, toward the end of the school day, became more preoccupied with looking for their ride home than with paying attention to last minute schoolwork. "It's a matter of maximum utilization of class time." George had once said in an interview. While this statement enhanced his reputation as a far-seeing educator in some circles, closer to home he was dismissed as a tight waded, overly patriotic stuff shirt. But George Morgan was far more than penny-pinching academic paper shuffler.

  Medium height and build, George Mayking Morgan was the product of a family that claimed Confederate General John Hunt Morgan as a direct line ancestor. According to family lore, the Morgan clan moved from their native Kentucky after Appomattox simply because the patriarch Obadiah Morgan wouldn't accept the inevitable changes that defeat brought. An idealized ante- bellum longing coupled with a martial spirit was inculcated into each successive generation of the family. That, plus an almost ingrained distrust of the oversight of civil authorities

  It was this spirit that drove George to a career in the military where he specialized in the near-forgotten art of static defense. His fellow officers, thoroughly imbued with the philosophy of mobile warfare, shared many a private joke at his expense. Each in turn, like the ill-fated lieutenant colonel in Georgia, learned to rue the war game exercise that place George Morgan on the other side. Not that he was ever given overall command of offensive forces; his talents for blunting attacks and devastating opposing forces time-tables quickly placed him in demand by commanders who drew short straw defensive operations. Respect and the moniker 'Morass Morgan' quickly followed. His success translated into the Army reevaluating its defensive doctrine and with promotion to full colonel, chairing the revitalized department on static defense at the Carlisle War College.

  Retirement brought him and Bea home to oversee the family's business ventures consolidated under the name Morgan Enterprises. But his five years at Carlyle had awakened a desire to reach young minds and instill old values. However, he quickly discovered the same like-minded obstinacy to his traditional viewpoints that he had decades earlier weathered from his fellow officers. The school board he had joined was in his mind just another intransigent General Staff. This one lead by the town mayor and local banking mogul Herman King, who, after having lost an opportunity to land the account of Morgan Enterprises by the timely intervention of George returning from the military, had waged an undeclared war against any venture Morgan sought to propose regardless of its practicality. In this King had been quite successful.

  King was a small town politician whose head-to- head verbal dogfights with George Morgan during school board meetings was the stuff of local legend. It was King's intransigence that had lead to Morgan's resignation and the subsequent founding of Harrison. The Mayor could also lay claim for the state and federal investigations that descended on the institution. Here King's reach exceeded his grasp.

  For years the Morgan family name had controlled the timber interest in the Betten hills. Indeed, a great deal of the town's life- blood got its start from the infusion of this natural resource with Morgan capital. Generations of Morgan ax men had left the hills at quitting time and spent their pay in Schonefield. As a result, the lean town slowly began to put on the semblance of muscle. A Morgan endorsement became a much sought after prize as both local and state candidates made the trek to the family home Bella Vista. Although rich and powerful, the family always eschewed overt or covert control over the political candidates who sought their support. They weight issues and the candidate's stances on each then made their decision. Regardless of the outcome the family nearly always threw their support behind the winner.

  George's younger brother Michael had run the family business in his absence. With big brother back, Michael was more than glad to step down. True to the family tradition he had endorsed and stayed aloof of political machinations. The timber industry was just beginning to head into another one of its cyclic downswings and with George back Michael was ready to pack-up his family and move on. On the other hand, George was not content to idly sit in the comfortable confines of Bella Vista and ride out a bear lumber market. He had plans that called for active involvement in local affairs. What many in Schonefield called the "Benevolent Benefactor of Betten Hills" and the greatest fear of local politicians was about to come to fruition – A Morgan was coming to town and planning to "sit a spell." And very few believed the word that brother George circulated of just wanting to be one of the boys. While the town could survive without Morgan money, they had progressed that far at least, no one could deny the massive debt owed to the family. If George called in markers, some so old that the agreeing parties were a long time a-moldering, what could the town do but acquiesce.

  George quickly realized that his intention of utilizing the velvet glove sans iron fist was simply not believed. Most were of the opinion that it was unavoidable that the Morgan gene pool would eventually produce a tyrant. They had had an incredible stroke of luck to this point; but all knew (or so his enemies claimed) that even the best gene pool wasn't immune from the allure of power. George and Bea established residency within the city limits leaving Bella Vista to Michael and his family. While some townspeople could certainly be counted on as "Morgan men," Herman King, whose family had benefited from Morgan largess in down times, preyed on the concern that ran like an electrical current below the surface, propelling it along with speculation and innuendo. As the scion of the town's oldest and only banking family, he and generations of his family handled Morgan money, but always in the secondary capacity of cashing ax men checks, establishing ax men accounts and financing ax men hopes, wishes and dreams.

  They could never land the account they had dreamed about for decades, could never talk a Morgan patriarch into intrusting any portion of the family fortune to a King institution. On the contrary, twice during the Depression Herman's great grandfather had gone, hat in hand, to Bella Vista in order to save his fledgling bank. Both loans had been repaid, with interest, and the Schonefield Savings and Loan survived; but the open courting of a Morgan account died. Herman had carefully broached the subject while cultivating a friendship with Michael who had expressed interest to the point of agreeing to read the company's prospectus and attend a bare bones stock- holders meeting that touted record annual profits. The up-shot of which impressed Michael enough that he informed Herman that he thought it was high time a portion of the family's money should move from Denver closer to home.

  Then George and Bea came home and Michael abdicated controlling interest to his older brother. Herman King's family dream went to hell in a hand basket.

  What had started out as brotherly discussions quickly degenerated to the brink of civil war. To Michael everything was bassackwards. Initially George took control graciously enough even insisting that Michael and his family remain in the big house. Bea and George would mark the new era between the Morgans and the town by moving there. But on the subject of relocating the family wealth George was unmovable. He equated the King's business acumen on par with blind squirrels finding nuts. Armed with information their father had sent him during his years in the service, he showed Michael that what appeared to be a shrewd pattern of investments was in fact a rat's maze of dummy corporations where both clean and dirty money met and produced profits of questionable origins. Morgan Enterprise's investments plugged into fonts of power and influence generations of Kings could only fantasize about. In the end, Michael had conceded the validity of George's argument, but the strain of what could have happened had George not returned when he did was too much.

  "A mild cardio infraction," was the diagnosis when Michael nearly took a header into his meatloaf and mashed potatoes
dinner. "In all likelihood brought on by too much stress," the doctors at Schonefield Medical Clinic (built in large part by generous donations of Morgan money) proclaimed. Before the month was out Michael, wife Betty and infant daughter Rebecca were Derry, Wisconsin bound. Michael agreeing to take control of family business ventures there in the form of defense contracts for pre- fabricated building materials. An attractive bonus was that Derry was Betty's hometown. The brothers parted amicably enough, but wounded pride sometimes never fully heals. Such was the case here. George got over his anger and forgave Michael. Michael forgave his brother (as evidenced by sending his only child to Harrison) but he could never quite forgive himself. George's eleventh-hour intervention along with the subsequent events about to happen would haunt him for the rest of his life.

  On the other hand Herman King would never forgive anyone with the last name Morgan. He viewed George's return and Michael's voluntary withdraw as head of Morgan Enterprises with wonder. One never willingly gave up power; to Herman it was an alien concept. He