Moonshine, Coal, and Hope

by Richard Allen Evans

  “Bad way? How’s he in a bad way? How ‘bout them fellers stuck in the ground? Ain’t they the ones in a bad way?” Bob asked.

  “Stay out of this Bob. You don’t work here no more,” Silas said.

  “Where’s Milner at?” Bob asked.

  “We need to worry about gettin’ done in there to them men,” Silas said.

  “He’s right Bob. Let’s try to help them first,” Paul said.

  Bob spat and nodded and the group wandered over closer to the shaft.

  “They need more timbers!” A miner yelled as men started carrying timbers to the shaft car.

  Everyone watched and waited as the car came back out and more timbers were loaded.

  Bob looked over at Leonard.

  “What was it you was gonna tell me earlier about one of the Milners?” He asked.

  Leonard nodded for them to walk away from the crowd. When they were out of ear shot of the nervous throng, he spoke.

  “Ever hear of Lee James Milner?” Leonard asked.

  “Heard of him. Ain’t he the deputy that killed some people over in Fuson County?” Bob asked.

  “Yep. Only now he’s a deputy in Evans County — or was until he got laughed off the job,” Leonard said.

  Bob eyed him curiously.

  “What do you mean?” He asked.

  “The way I heard it was ol’ Lee James run upon a still and the feller who owned the still beat him like a mangy dog, took his badge and gun, and sent him an’ the sheriff both back to Silver Point bare ass naked,” Leonard said with a chuckle.

  “You believe that?” Bob asked.

  “Well, it’s common knowledge him and the sheriff came into town naked. Plenty of people saw them and I heard a bunch of people say they seen Lee James bleedin’ all over the place. Said it looked like somebody cut the blood out of ‘im with a switch,” Leonard said.

  “What was the sheriff’s story?” Bob asked.

  “He said they got jumped by a gang of coloreds from Tennessee,” Leonard said. “After that, Lee James got some drawers and went back to Crystal Springs.”

  “Huh. Hadn’t heard ‘bout that. Anybody know who really did it?” Bob asked.

  “Just a rumor but some people are sayin’ it was Ed Elkins. Other folks say it really was a gang of coloreds from Tennessee on their way north lookin’ for factory work. Me, I don’t care. I’m just happy to see a Milner take a good ass whuppin’,” Leonard said.

  “They’re comin’ out,” a miner shouted. Bob and Leonard hurried back over to the mine opening.

  Seven exhausted men stepped off on the platform.

  “It’s no use,” said David Baggins, a miner Bob knew well. The mountain fell on them. Even if we could get to them, they’re all crushed,” he said.

  Several men cursed aloud while a small gathering of women screamed and wept.

  “Where’s the boss?” A miner called out and the man was soon joined by a chorus of men asking the same question.

  Silas attempted to calm the mob.

  “Now everybody just hold on. Ain’t gonna do nobody any good to have words with the boss,” he said.

  “Be a suck if you want Silas but we all wanna hear from him,” Leonard said angrily.

  “Thirty-three men just died here. The least he can do is come out and at least recognize it,” Paul said.

  “I need a pencil and some paper,” Bob said to Leonard, who turned to another miner.

  “Grab me that clip board in the car,” he said, pointing to the one near the opening.

  Bob took it and started questioning David Baggins and others from the crew that attempted the rescue. Many were almost too overwrought with grief to talk. He also asked Leonard and other miners about the lack of adequate timbers used.

  After about forty-five minutes, Joe Milner, son of the owner and superintendent of the mine emerged from his house in the camp. Surrounding him were four men armed with shotguns.

  “We hate that this happened but it’s a chance every one of you takes when he goes underground. You know it and I know it,” Joe said.

  “It didn’t have to happen!” One of the rescue crew yelled.

  “If you would have give us the timbers we needed they would be alive,” another miner yelled out.

  The armed men looked antsy as they eyed the angry mob.

  “We’ll look into what caused the collapse, don’t you worry about that. Now, you all need to scatter. You can’t help anybody here,” Joe said.

  “What about the men buried down there?” A miner called to a chorus of approval. Joe put up his hands for silence so that he could be heard.

  “Y’all don’t need to be worryin’ about that right now. Leave that to the company. Just go on back to your homes. We got four other shafts to work,” he said a low murmur went through the crowd. “Now tomorrow is Christmas Day. We’ll get back to work Tuesday,” Joe said raising his voice over the crowd noise.

  “What about the families? What are you gonna do for the families?” Bob yelled out and the throng roared again.

  Joe looked perplexed. The crowd now bordered on a mob.

  “The company will take care of the families,” he said tersely.

  “How? What are you gonna do?” Bob asked.

  “Leave that to us. It’s not your concern,” Joe said as the crowd cried out again in disgust.

  “It’s the concern of every man that sets foot in one of your mines. What will you do for the families?” Bob asked, his blue eyes looking as though they were piercing into Joe’s very soul.

  The mine boss swallowed hard.

  “What’s your name?” Joe asked.

  “Bob Fulton,” he answered.

  “If you wanna keep workin’ here, you’ll mind your own business,” Joe said as several men guffawed, including Leonard.

  “I’m not worried about my job. And it is my business and the business of everybody here. What are you gonna do for the families?” Bob repeated as the crowd roared even louder.

  Joe’s lip curled into a snarl and his right hand clenched into a fist.

  “Don’t bother comin’ back here Tuesday,” he said.

  “Fine! Answer the question!” Bob shouted and got an even bigger cheer.

  Joe was even more perplexed.

  “We’ll handle it!” He said.

  “How?” Bob asked again.

  Now red faced, Joe trembled with anger.

  “Get him out of here! Now!” He raged to one of the armed men.

  As the shotgun—bearing man stepped toward Bob, a small crowd of miners carrying shovels and picks surrounded him. The bodyguard stopped cold and turned to look at Joe.

  “Answer the question!” Leonard yelled from the back of the crowd.

  “I’m tellin’ you all to leave now! Go home!” Joe roared. “Leave now or I’ll have all new crews in here Tuesday!”

  After about thirty seconds of stillness and silence, Bob spoke.

  “Let’s go boys. He gave us his answer!”

  The group dispersed, grumbling and muttering.

  Bob pulled the paper off and tossed the clipboard to the ground.

  “I need to find a phone — and fast,” he said to Leonard.

  “The train depot office is the closet one I know of, if they’re still open,” Leonard said.

  “I’ve gotta get to town,” Bob said.

  Leonard spotted an Elkins Dairy truck. He patted Bob on the arm.

  “That might be a ride right yonder,” he said.

  Bob ran over to the truck. The man and woman in the front seat next looked at him curiously.

  “Are y’all goin’ to Silver Point?” Bob asked.

  “That’s on the route the woman said. What do you need?” She asked.

  “My name’s Bob Fulton and I need a ride to the train depot office,” he said.

  The driver looked at him and nodded.

  “You John’s brother?” he asked.

  “Yes sir,” Bob said.

  “Hop in,” the woman said. “H
ill, get this man to town.”

  “You got it Mae,” he said as he pulled out before Bob could get seated.

  “I really appreciate it. If it wasn’t urgent, I wouldn’t ask,” Bob said.

  “You’re John Fulton’s brother. You don’t have to thank us for anything. My name’s Mae Elkins. Your brother saved my daddy’s life back in ‘19,” she said.

  “You’re Elmer’s daughter,” Bob said as she nodded. “And my name’s Hill Dunlap. Me and John went to France and back,” he said.

  “John speaks well of both of you,” Bob said.

  “He’s a fine feller,” Hill said.

  “I hear he got married,” Mae said.

  “Yeah, married a farm girl. Matter of fact, your cousin bought her family’s dairy farm a couple of years ago — Church Dairy in Crystal Springs,” Bob said. “And on top of that, I work there too.”

  “That was one of Ed’s best buys. Probably our best supplier,” Mae said.

  Bob nodded.

  “We try our best,” he said.

  “Pretty bad what happened back there to them miners,” Hill said.

  “Yeah. It was. That’s why I need to get to town. I know a newspaper editor in Crystal Springs that’s dyin’ to get something on how the Milner family is treatin’ miners and the need for miners to unionize,” Bob held up his scrawled notes. “I’ve got the story here and what the Milners are gonna do for the families of the dead miners.”

  “What are they gonna do?” Mae asked.

  “Nothin’. Not a thing except maybe give’em a few extra days to clear out of the camp houses. Bastards,” Bob said.

  “You got that right. Every one of them Milners need their asses nailed to a wall,” Hill said.

  “Or chained to a tree,” Mae deadpanned.

  Hill simply nodded and tried to hide a smile. Bob didn’t pursue the comment.

  “I used to work in that mine. I know how they treat miners. It ain’t gonna get no better until the miners have rights protected by the law,” Bob said.

  “You really think this newspaper feller can help?” Mae asked.

  “Yeah, I do. He’ll try anyway,” Bob said.

  “You probably already know this, but the Milners won’t forget about you if your name is tied to any of this,” Hill warned.

  “Well, it is — or it likely will be. My name will go on the story. Besides, I already told Joe Milner my name,” Bob said.

  “You be careful. They’ll want revenge,” Mae said.

  Bob’s eyes burned.

  “So do I,” he said.

  The truck stopped in front of the depot and Bob ran inside. A couple of minutes later he placed call to the Crystal Springs Democrat. Bob patiently explained what happened and read his notes over the phone to Ray.

  “You got a scoop kid. A big one. I’ll type this up and send to the wire services. This will go across the state. It might hit the big city papers in New York and Chicago before it’s said and done,” Ray said.

  “Think it’ll help the union movement?” Bob asked.

  “This will be Exhibit A in favor of organizing. If you don’t mind sticking around there a day or two more, I want a follow up. See if you can talk to any of the families and see exactly what the Milners are gonna do for them. And find out if the Milners are still cutting back on costs — get a reaction from miners about what they plan to do as far going back underground,” Ray said almost giddy.

  “You want to see how interested they are in organizin’?” Bob asked.

  “Yes I do. And be careful kid. This will cost the Milners some money and they won’t forget,” Ray said.

  “So I’m told,” Bob said.

  ***

  Ed sat in the parlor of his new house at Freeman Hollow. The rocking chair by the fireplace felt good on such a cold Christmas Eve night.

  Mae helped Lucy finish decorating the freshly cut Christmas tree with strings of popcorn as Hill sat in a rocking chair across from Ed. Each man sipped on a special holiday toddy made from Canadian rum courtesy of Joe Kennedy.

  “So Bob Fulton’s workin’ for a newspaper. Huh. Good for him. Beats the hell out of dyin’ in a mine,” Ed said.

  “I never met him until he hitched a ride. Reminds me a lot of John though. Don’t seem like he’s scared of the Milners,” Hill said.

  “Sounds a lot like John,” Ed said as he took a sip.

  “Girls you really need to try this rum. It’s a nice change.”

  Hill licked his lips.

  “It ain’t bad at all,” Ed said.

  Lucy just smiled.

  “You know I don’t care for drinkin’,” she said.

  “Not even for Christmas?” Ed asked.

  “Especially for Christmas,” she said.

  “I’ll try me a drink in a minute,” Mae said.

  “Try one of these,” Ed said as he handed a cigar to Hill. “Al sent a box of these. Said they’re made in Cuba.”

  Hill bit the end off and lit it.

  “Mmmm. This is good. You ain’t smokin’?” He asked.

  “You know I don’t smoke — but I appreciate the gift,” Ed said.

  “Mind if I take one for later?” Hill asked.

  “Take all you want,” Ed said.

  “I can’t help but think about all those families and what an awful Christmas this is for them,” Lucy said as sat down on the floral pattern navy sofa.

  “And it’s even worse knowin’ that the Milner family ain’t gonna help them,” Mae said.

  “They’ll help them alright. They’ll help right out of their houses and put’em on the road,” Lucy said, the memory of her own eviction still painful.

  Ed took a sip of his rum and pondered for a few seconds.

  “You doin’ anything in the mornin’?” He asked Hill.

  “Thought about maybe goin’ rabbit huntin’ but that’s about it,” he said.

  “Rabbit huntin’ can wait. Get in touch with some of the boys. We’re gonna deliver some milk, butter, and eggs free of charge to the families of the dead miners. And I want them families stocked up real good,” Ed said.

  “I’ll help,” Mae volunteered.

  “So will I,” Lucy said.

  “Good. I want you to send somebody up Maple Creek and pick up Bob Fulton. I want folks to know who’s helpin’ the miners and who ain’t,” Ed said.

  “Well they already know about the Milners,” Hill said.

  “And now they gonna know about our family. The Elkins name is gonna mean somethin’ more than moonshine,” Ed said.

  “And you’re gonna make it mean somethin’ by givin’ away milk and eggs?” Mae asked.

  “No, this is just the start,” Ed said.

  The next day, Ed personally knocked on the door of each house of a grieving family, offered his condolences, and helped deliver milk, butter, and eggs to each house. Somewhere he had even managed to obtain hard candy, which he also distributed to the children. A few lucky miners even got a fat Cuban cigar.

  Bob tagged along. He took notes and even helped unload supplies from the trucks. He noticed the looks of gratitude in the eyes of the widows. Bob also noticed that when no one was looking, Ed slipped each widow a ten-dollar bill and whispered apologies that it wasn’t more.

  When the last house was visited, Bob pulled him aside.

  “How much money did you give away today?” He asked.

  Ed smiled softly.

  “I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t mention that Bob. Nobody but you an’ me an’ the fence post needs to know about that,” he said.

  Bob nodded.

  “Your money. You can do what you want to with it an’ I won’t say dog to nobody,” he said.

  “Good. These folks are gonna have a hard enough time. People find out...they might feel a little less sorry for’em. What we did here brightens up today but they need help down the road,” Ed said.

  “You have an idea in mind for that?” Bob asked.

  “I do. I got a banker friend up north. He’s off
ered to show me how to set up a bank. I figure that will do more good for all the people of Evans County than a few days’ worth of food for a handful of widow women,” Ed said.

  “That’s bound make some people mad,” Bob said.

  “Yeah, but looks who’s talkin’,” Ed said.

  Bob laughed.

  “I reckon you’re right,” he said.

  “Been meanin’ to ask, how’s John doin’?” Ed asked.

  “Pretty good. He’s stayin’ busy and I guess that’s a good thing with a baby on the way,” Bob said.

  “Yeah, I imagine so. I need to get over to Crystal Springs to see him,” Ed said.

  “Would it be too much trouble to hop a ride to town so I can call this in to the paper?” Bob asked as he held up his notes.

  “Come on by the house. I got a phone you can use and you can get some coffee. I’ll have one of the boys take you back to Maple Creek when you’re done,” Ed said as Bob nodded.

  ***

  “Would you look at that? There’s Bob’s name on the front page of the Lexington newspaper,” Rachel said, impressed by the byline.

  John grunted.

  “I imagine people all over the state’s seen his name — includin’ the worst parts of the Milner family,” he said.

  “They wouldn’t do anything to Bob. All he did was tell the truth about what he saw and heard on Christmas Eve. He was right to ask what the Milners are gonna do for all them families,” she said.

  “He might’ve been right but the Milners won’t forget — not ever. There’s not much beyond their reach. And they believe in havin’ things their way,” John said.

  “It’s not just Bob you’re worried about,” Rachel said.

  “No, it’s not,” he admitted.

  She stood from the table and not without a little difficulty. John stood to help her and she leaned in and embraced him.

  “You’re the strongest man I’ve ever known. Bob’s doin’ the right thing and you know it. You can’t worry about what might happen. How many times have you told me that Dr. Fulton?” Rachel asked.

  He kissed her.

  “Sometimes I wish you wasn’t so blamed smart,” John said.

  ***

  Ray sat behind his desk and was nearly giddy as he held up copies of Lexington and Louisville newspapers.

  “Great work kid! Great work!” He said.

  “Things folks said, they said ‘em. I just told you what they said,” Bob said quietly as he sat in a wooden chair in front of Ray’s desk.