“Cement!” Annie crowed.
“Right you are! A whole lot of cement, both the new fangled Portland cement and the good old fashioned limestone cement.”
“And you invested in both companies? Blochman and Cerf, and Davis and Cowell, as I recommended?”
“Yes, ma’am. I did. I wasn’t going to at first. But, with the tidy profit I made selling the flax and unloading that silver stock when it hit $25 a share, I had enough to buy a stake in both. And you were right; they were looking for investors. David and Cowell needed quick cash to buy another ship—their business had grown so much. And Blochman and Cerf needed some capital as well. Cerf told me that since no one made Portland cement on the west coast, and they had promised the last of their inventory to complete the California Cable Car line up Nob Hill, they needed to import more so they would be ready in case the City Hall extension went forward. Turns out you were right about that, as well.”
Just a week after Annie advised Voss to get a bid ready to provide furniture for City Hall, the City Hall Commission announced that they had funded the next stage and that all bids had to be submitted March 1, only two weeks later. She asked, “Did you get a bid in for the furniture for the finished section?”
“Certainly did, and the announcement caught my chief competitor napping. Smeckleson didn’t have his figures together and way over priced his bid.”
“Oh, Mr. Voss. You got the contract!”
“Yep, going to be busy as can be at the factory this spring and summer. And, just as you predicted, Blochmann and Cerf were awarded the contract for the foundation work for the new section. With this new seawall and all, you can be sure I will see a good return on my investments for both companies. Cement. Who would have ever thought, after a lifetime casting my lot with wood, I would make money on cement.”
Annie and Madam Sibyl’s first client grinned broadly at each other, in perfect harmony.
The End
*****
About the Author
M. Louisa Locke, a retired professor of U.S. and Women’s history, has embarked on a new career with her best-selling Victorian San Francisco Mystery series, which is based on Dr. Locke's doctoral research on late 19th century working women. Maids of Misfortune, the first in this series, features domestic service, and Uneasy Spirits, the sequel, explores women and 19th Spiritualism. Her third book, Bloody Lessons, focuses on teachers working in the San Francisco public schools in 1880. She has also written four short stories that are based on characters from the novels, and they can be found in this collection, Victorian San Francisco Stories. Her next book in the series, Deadly Proof, about women in the San Francisco printing industry, will be available early in 2015.
Go to http://mlouisalocke.com/ for more about M. Louisa Locke and her work, including information about the historical research behind these books.
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Madam Sibyl's First Client: A Victorian San Francisco Story Page 4