by Patrick Lee
The heroic battle of a Butte mother to save her home and protect her two girls from the wrath of a frenzied mob was related here Saturday by Mrs. D.P. Lowney of 2210 East Summit. Mrs. Lowney defended her home and children for two days before being overwhelmed by superior numbers and the fact that she was unable to obtain help from the county’s peace officers. Although Mrs. Lowney and her daughters, one fourteen, the other five, were terror-stricken by hoodlums, armed with axes, clubs and sledge hammers, she withstood a two-day siege by the riot-bound vandals, bent on destruction of her home.
Katya raced out to the curb and embraced her father as he fumbled to close the car door behind him. “Oh Daddy, thank God you’re here. Did you hear what’s goin’ on here in Butte with the riotin’and everything? Oh Daddy, I’m so scared it might happen here in McQueen. And—”
“Whoa there Katya! Whoa. Easy does it. Let’s go inside now.” He placed his powerful arm around her back and gently guided her toward the front door.
Mikhail drew a deep breath as he opened the screen door and allowed his daughter to walk in first. He visualized this moment for weeks now as he prepared to see his granddaughter Anna and his daughter. Once inside, he paused, smiled, and cried again as he looked at Anna sitting in his big rocking chair with the breathing mask on her face and the electrical cord plugged into the wall behind her. The iron lung was nowhere in sight. He worried that his legs wouldn’t hold the rest of his body upright.
Anna held out her arms and motioned for her grandfather to come to her. Her smile forged its way through the plastic mask covering her face. Her hair hung in two pigtails, and her favorite blanket covered the rest of her frail body.
Mikhail managed to get to his knees in front of her and held one hand behind his back with the Indian doll he bought in Hungry Horse before he left. He bent forward and Anna wrapped her arms around his neck. After the embrace she slid the mask up to her forehead, kissed him, and then in a breathy voice, she said, “Papa Mik, what’s that behind your back?”
He sat back on his heels and brought the Indian doll in front of him and handed it to Anna. “You mean this?”
“Oh yes, Papa, yes.” She hugged the doll to her face. “She’s pretty like me.”
Katya wiped the tears from her cheeks and moved closer and spoke to Anna, “Okay Anna, you need to put your mask back on. You can talk to Grandpa later, okay.”
“Okay, Mom.” She slid the mask down over her mouth and hugged the doll one more time. Katya and Mikhail stood arm in arm and smiled as Anna introduced the new doll to the crowd of other dolls and stuffed animals lying on the table next to her chair.
That evening after Anna went to sleep, Katya joined Mikhail at the kitchen table where he sat and read the last two days editions of the Montana Standard. He never looked up as she sat next to him with her cup of tea. “Daddy, what’s come over the strikers?”
Mikhail looked up from the newspaper and sipped from his coffee cup, “The strike’s gone on now for eight months. Don’t know who’s behind the mobs, but it ain’t the men on strike. The union’s got good men at the head.”
“But then who’d do this sort of thing. The pictures in the paper scare me, Daddy. And them two innocent boys getting shot for no good reason. The cops ain’t doin’ nothin’ about it. I— “
He took another drink of coffee and put his hand on her shoulder. He sighed and said, “Katya, when can you and Anna move up to Columbia Falls? There’s plenty of work and a good place to start over for all of us.”
She picked up an Oreo cookie from the dish and dunked it into her tea. She knew when a conversation ended with her father. He changed the subject and that was it. “Doctor says Anna might be strong enough to travel come September or October. She’s only been on the oxygen mask setup for a week. We still got to try the battery for a bit instead of the electricity. Once that gets worked out, we can start to move her around a little more. Doctor says it’s all new stuff and we got to go slow and work out the bugs.”
After he folded the newspaper, Mikhail stood up and stretched his huge body. “I’m shot. I worked a double shift yesterday. I need to hit the sack. We can talk more in the morning.”
Katya stood up and hugged her father and kissed his cheek. “I feel safe with you her, Daddy. Just like when I was little. Tomorrow we can talk about everything. David, Tomas. Everything, okay.” He nodded his head and walked down the hallway to the comfort of his bedroom.
The next morning Mikhail rose out of bed after a solid six hours of sleep and quietly slipped out the back door of the house. He tried not to disturb Katya or Anna as he walked across the alley and opened the gate to his neighbor’s yard. George Maletta sat on his porch and smiled as he recognized Mikhail enter his manicured yard. Mikhail lumbered toward the elderly man and quietly spoke, “Any coffee left, George?”
“I always got coffee for you. Come on up and sit down.” He slowly rose to his feet and opened the screen door to his kitchen and went inside. In a few minutes he returned and handed Mikhail a steaming cup of coffee. “When did ya get home, Mikhail?”
“Yesterday afternoon.”
George muffled a laugh and shook his head, “I see you still are a man of few words. How’s things up North?”
“Goin’ pretty good.” Mikhail took another large gulp of his coffee. “Tomas is doin’ good. So’s Nolan.”
“How about your son-in-law? Ya see him much?”
“No.”
George stood up, grabbed Mikhail’s empty coffee cup, and walked back into the kitchen. He picked up the notice he received from the Anaconda Company’s man about selling his property and walked back out to join Mikhail. “Take a look at this. The goddamn Company wants to buy up all the houses in Meaderville and McQueen for their goddamn open-pit mine. I told the guy to stick it up his copper collar ass.”
“When did this happen?”
“The skinny little prick walked door to door about two weeks ago and handed us this paper and wanted to make us an offer. All of McQueen is upset about it. They wanna start breakin’ ground west of Meaderville once the strike ends.”
Mikhail tugged at the skin on his neck as he welcomed the effect of the strong coffee, but coiled at the thought of McQueen actually giving way to an open-pit. “Any way to stop it?”
“Don’t know yet. We got people lookin’ into it. All of us met couple of times at the McQueen Club. Nobody wants to move. The Company plans on just burying the school and the church. Can you imagine that shit?”
Mikhail knew it was time to change the subject as his neighbor’s face grew redder and his hands started to shake, “My little Anna is getting better.”
George shook his head and forced a smile. “I know. I go over everyday and talk to her. Your daughter’s a beauty. Too good for that husband of hers.” He sipped on his coffee and composed himself with deep sighs through his nostrils. “Is he ever goin’ to come down and see the girl?”
“Next week, I think.” Mikhail continued to pull at his neck and wanted to change the subject again. “What’s goin’ on with the mobs wreckin’ the homes?”
“Jesus Christ, Mikhail, how many things we gonna talk about? You keep changin’ subjects on me. Shit, I don’t know! It’s time for the strike to get over. Somebody’s gonna get hurt. You stayin’ up in the Flathead?”
He hesitated after taking a drink of coffee, “Ya. I’m movin’ Katya and Anna soon as she’s well enough.”
The air blew out of his lungs at the news. “When?” “September or October.”
“Oh.” The old man pushed off the arm on the chair and groaned as he stood up. Mikhail watched as the elderly friend walked to the edge of his porch. He gazed toward his neighbor’s yard. Maletta paused before he spoke again, “It’ll be hard to lose your family, Mikhail. We been neighbors since you was a boy.”
Mikhail walked over and stood next to George, “It’ll be hard to leave you, George. You took over for my dad after he died. I—”
Without moving, he raised his voic
e and interrupted Mikhail, “That’s enough for now. I’m gonna go get some breakfast. I’ll see you later.”
As he limped back to his house, Mikhail scolded himself for being so abrupt with his dear friend. I should’ve broke it to him different. I don’t think sometimes. He walked into the house and heard the water running in the tub. Soon he’d need to talk to Katya about David. And now the Company is gonna destroy McQueen. Oh this is goin’ be a great Fourth of July alright.
Back in Hungry Horse, Tomas boarded the bus down from the Dam after he worked a double shift on the third of July. The ninety-two degree weather and the torturing work pace of tamping the concrete provided the workers with an exhausting day of work.
Tomas removed his sweat-soaked tee shirt and silver hardhat. He put on a dry shirt that he carried with him. He checked his pocketwatch—4:30. He looked over at his partner Shorty Davis and said, “The first thing I’m goin’ do is take a long shower and then a nap for an hour or so.
Shorty Davis answered “Hit the sack early tonight, Kid. We got the same kind of day tomorrow, but we get time and a half cause’ it’s the Fourth.”
“Oh, okay Shorty.” He then remembered David told him that they were running the Canyon starting at six. As the bus neared the bottom of the Dam Road, he cleared his throat and said, “Shorty. What does running the Canyon mean?”
Shorty looked back from the window, “It means you start up at the West Glacier Bar and you have a drink in every beer joint between there and the Blue Moon. How come ya ask about that?”
“Well my brother-in-law David told me I’m runnin’ the canyon with him tonight.”
“What’s your old man think bout’ that?”
Tomas straightened his lean body up and cleared his throat again, “He’s in Butte for a couple of days. He probably won’t like it.”
“I don’t like it either, Kid. Some men have got themselves hurt workin’ when they’re hung over. You best stay clear of him and the bars.”
“Ya, you’re probably right Shorty. I’ll tell David I ain’t goin’.” He scratched his stubble beard and puffed on his Camel,
“Just be ready to go at 8:00 tomorrow mornin’, Kid. I don’t work with drunks or anybody who might get me hurt. Ya follow?”
“Yes, sir, I follow.”
The bus stopped in front of the quonset hut and the men slowly climbed down the stairs of the bus. Tomas started to walk away, but Shorty called him back, “Kid, if ya need any help in tellin’ your brother-in-law, let me know. I’ll put it in words he can understand. Follow?”
He smiled and replied, “I’ll be fine, Shorty. Thanks, see ya in the mornin’.”
After a long shower, Tomas stood in his room drying his hair when the door opened and David rushed into his room. “Let’s go Tommy Boy. Drop your cock, and grab your socks. We’re goin’ drinkin’.”
He slipped on his underwear and set the wet towel on his bed. “I ain’t goin’, David. I got to work tomorrow. And I—”
“We all gotta work tomorrow for Christ’s sake. But tonight we’re drinkin’. Hurry up!”
In order to take his mind off the grueling work, Tomas spent a lot of time imagining how to please David and get his dad and Nolan to start over with David. “Oh what the heck, I won’t get another chance like this when my dad’s gone. I’m doin’ man’s work and need time with the guys. Well, I can go for a while, David. But not too long, I have to—”
David tossed the clean tee shirt from the back of the chair and hit Tomas in the face, “Right. I’ll have ya back here by 7:30. Let’s hit it!”
Once inside of the truck, Tomas shook his head and smiled as he snapped the church key on the can of ice cold Great Falls Select. “I just opened a can of beer for the first time in my life. I can’t believe it.”
John Nolan tucked in his white tee shirt and zippered up his pants. He put his arm around the girl Mabel picked out for him that night. They walked out together and stopped at the door to the outside, “You’re a fine girl. Maybe I’ll be back tomorrow and we can shoot off some more Fourth of July fireworks together.”
The skimpy clad girl laughed and swatted him on the butt. “I’ll be here waitin’ just for—” She stopped talking as the expression on Nolan’s face changed. He glared at the two men staggering out of their black truck. She sensed trouble and hurried across the parking lot to Mabel’s house.
Tomas weaved back and forth and David totted him along arm in arm. “You’re gonna get your first piece of ass right now, Tommy Boy.”
Nolan stepped in front of David. “Well, if it ain’t Nolan the little prick. Out of our way, this boy is gettin’ his ashes hauled. I already arranged it with Mabel.”
Nolan pulled Tomas away from the clutch of David. “He’s coming with me asshole! You and me’ll settle this later. And if you ever pull a stunt like this again with this kid, I’ll kill you, you son of-a-bitch.”
“I’ll be here little man. Anytime, anywhere.”
“Oh, I’m, I’m gettin’ sick.” Tomas turned and staggered behind the truck and vomited.
Mabel limped as she and her bouncer walked over to David and Nolan. “Boys. You can settle your beef someplace else. It ain’t happenin’ here. Hit the road.”
Nolan walked toward Mabel and Tomas. “I’ll take care of him, Mabel. Here’s three bucks for the girl you lined up for him.” He guided Tomas across the road and down the path to the barracks. They stopped one more time as Tomas threw up again.
“Goddamn you. I told you to stay away from him. The best part of him ran down his mother’s leg.”
“Tomas wiped his mouth with his forearm and mumbled, “I know. I know. I didn’t listen. I love you John. You are the—”
“Just shut up. Did you eat anything?”
“Just some beer nuts.”
“I’m goin’ to have to kill that worthless—”
Tomas stopped and waved his hand, “It was my fault. Not David’s. Don’t do anything to—”
“I told you to shut up.” They got to the stairs of the barracks and started up. Tomas lost his balance, and in slow motion rolled over the railing onto the gravel. Nolan looked down at him and said, “It’s a good thing it’s early. You gotta get up and go. I’m waking you up at 5:00 and you’re gonna have the coldest shower and toughest walk of your life.”
The two men stumbled into Tomas’ room. Nolan flipped the young man onto the bed. He passed out before Nolan turned out the light.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
It was the Fourth of July and the mercantile would be hopping with business. This was the biggest business day of the year for Polebridge and for her mother. Hannah woke up and slowly pushed back the blankets with a full body stretch. She felt the blood rush to her toes and fingertips giving her that welcomed warm feeling. As she made two fists to gently rub the sleep from her eyes like a contented feline, she thanked her lucky stars that she always had a list of activities to tick off mentally in the morning. She couldn’t imagine what it felt like to get up with a blank slate on her brain. The only thought better than knowing that the day was waiting for her was sipping those first drops of very hot coffee. That, too, was a gift.
Hannah dressed in the semi-darkness; it was 5:30 and her mother had been up for an hour. The kitchen was warm from the baking of the bread and pastries. Her mother greeted her with a cup of coffee. “Mornin’ Sunshine. It’s about time you rolled out. Probably thinkin’ about that big boy from Butte.”
“How did you know that?” She hugged her flour-covered mother on her way out the door. “I’ll be back in about twenty minutes and you can put me to work. That’s right after I devour some of that bread coolin’ on the counter.”
As she walked to the bridge over the North Fork of the Flathead River, Hannah laughed as she did have a nasty dream about Mikhail. “It’s been awhile since I’ve done that.” She sipped her coffee and continued with her thoughts. “Hmmm. I wonder what he dreamt about last night. I might have to ask him sometime.”
She
stood on the bridge and looked north toward Canada. The river still ran high and the water reached the reeds on the shoreline. She looked over at the Ranger’s station and smelled the wood smoke coming from the chimney of the log house. The Ranger manned the north entrance to Glacier National Park and was up getting ready for the busy day ahead. He stepped out onto the porch and emptied a basin full of wash water. He waved to Hannah before going back inside to eat his waiting breakfast.
The Fourth of July in Polebridge featured a parade that went from the Mercantile down the half-mile to the North Fork Road and back. Locals wore patriotic costumes, rode horses, and walked in the parade. The tourists visiting Glacier National Park crowded in front of the Mercantile and the Northern Lights Saloon next door. The volleyball and horseshoe games continued all day long. Most of the tourists had their own beer, but the Northern Lights sold out all of their extra supply before dark every year.
Once Hannah returned from her walk, she stopped by the outhouse, left the door open, sat down, and gazed out over the field in front of the river. “I never get tired of the scenery around here. Maybe if things work out, I’d bring Mikhail and his son up here sometime to see this with me.” She giggled as she thought that it probably wouldn’t be from the inside of this outhouse.
Before and during breakfast on July Fourth, Mikhail daydreamed about his father telling him the history of McQueen. He vividly recalled his father’s voice as he looked out the front porch toward the East Ridge. Many times in school Mikhail wished that he could have recalled historical facts like he did about those of McQueen. Mikhail told the same stories many times to Tomas and Katya when they were younger.
In 1891, a small community began life on Sunflower Hill named for the yellow flower that covered the hill. This newly formed community was named McQueen after the McQueen placer mining claim. In 1901 McQueen had grown to approximately fifteen homes. People moved to McQueen from primarily two locations, mining camps from around the United States and from fast growing Meaderville, its neighbor to the west.