Chapter 12

On Monday, February thirteenth, Malik and his brother, accompanied by Christina, Matilda, Wren and the three infants, boarded Malik’s business car, which was then coupled to the northbound K&ASR train to Fort Birney. Wren had been hired as housekeeper and assistant cook at the Malik hacienda. Maintenance housekeeping at the vacant Doña Anna hacienda was being seen to by Rosalie Fenn.

Joining the group in the private car were Morton Quincy and Long Hand, who had come by passenger coach from Dorado Springs. Quincy had taken the job of general manager for the Sonora Mining Corporation, Malik’s former role; Malik was now their legal counsel. For purposes of the business trip, Long Hand represented Chief Blue Maize and the elder council.

At Fort Birney, they boarded the K&ASR private coach, Lincoln Falls Loop, which Chen Ming-teh had dispatched for their comfort, along with the services of a cook, a man in his late forties, Wu Jianhong. After a two-and-a-half hour layover, the Lincoln Falls Loop was added to the consist of an eastbound Santa Fe passenger train, and they were bound for a five-night stay in Wichita. The babies were, as Christina remarked, “very portable,” and the rhythm of the rails seemed to lull them to sleep.

The purpose of the trip was to allow the involved Jackson and Sonora County businesses -- the Malik ranch, the Dry Valleys Mining Co-op, Sonora Mining, and the incipient Hacienda partnership -- an opportunity to discuss business with the K&ASR executive committee at their February i6th meeting. That meeting would have a number of topics, not the least of which would be the possibility of the railroad’s investment in the Hacienda, by joining as a partner.

At the same time, it represented a brief vacation for the Ranch Home people, as well as an opportunity to do some shopping.

On Wednesday, the Malik brothers and Long Hand stayed with the infants while the three ladies went shopping, from mid-morning to mid-afternoon. Morton Quincy had a lunch meeting with the K&ASR’s bulk freight manager. As soon as the women returned, they sent the brothers to a nearby haberdashery to be fitted for new suits, the establishment having beem recommended to Andy by Raul Castillo on the occasion of an earlier business trip. Quincy, who’d returned from his meeting by then, decided to get fitted for a couple new suits, too. Malik talked Long Hand into allowing him to buy Long Hand a suit, so he went along, as well.

They were joined for their evening meal by Castillo, who insisted on hosting the dinner. Castillo was accompanied by Rita Whetstone, a widowed schoolteacher. She had been introduced to Castillo by her brother, the manager of the railroad’s accounts receivable office.

Malik, as a board director and in-state legal counsel for the railroad, attended the morning session of the executive committee. The others would meet with the committee in the afternoon, following a luncheon hosted by Chen Ming-teh. While Malik attended the meeting, Andy and Quincy took Long Hand around town to see the sights and just experience a typical western town. Quincy commented, however, that, by western standards, Wichita would more properly be termed a small city. And for that, it was the most populous town in Kansas

Among other business in the committee’s morning session was a recommendation for the separation of the freight and passenger services on the Fort Birney trunk line, once the mines began to ship ore and coal. The recommendations from the relevant departments included a three-coach passenger train with a baggage-express car and pulled by one of the higher-speed ten-wheeler engines, with four pilot wheels and six drive wheels and known by the prosaic model name, Ten-Wheeler. The passenger train schedule would be tightened up, too, reducing the travel from terminus to terminus by nearly four hours, a reduction of roughly a third. At the same time, with the elimination of freight switching work, the passenger trains were expected to run on time, with rare exceptions. They approved the changes and set the start date for the new service as Monday, March twelfth, three-and-a-half weeks hence.

The one negative aspect of the new schedule, as far as Malik was concerned, was that day trips from Waypoint to Dorado Springs and back would no longer be possible. But such was progress.

In fact, with both the northbound and the southbound trains now starting from their respective terminals at the same time, seven in the morning, Waypoint found itself practically halfway in each schedule. That halfway point was actually placed at Utica Switch, the stop south of Waypoint, where the trains would now pass one another. That arrangement allowed each to stop at the new coaling station at the Kylie transfer yard, which had been established for both the standard gauge trunk and the narrow gauge mine spur. While not the center of the line by distance -- that spot was further south, between Micah Spring and Romulus -- it would now serve as the only en-route coaling station needed for the passenger service.

The committee then considered the impact of the increasing traffic.

“Pickax Pete” Pottinger suggested that the heavier use provided an opportunity to try out one of the new automatic block signaling systems, which would govern the movement of trains. The Fort Birney trunk would be the first of the K&ASR lines to get one of the costly systems, which were more popular in the northeast, where there was heavier passenger traffic.

The narrow gauge lines -- the Long Valley Mine Spur and the Kylie Loop -- would not be included in the new automatic system. Anticipating only limited traffic on those lines, train movement would continue to be safely controlled by the customary timetables and train orders system.

Chen brought everyone up to date on those decisions toward the end of the luncheon. Christina, Matilda, Long Hand, and Quincy had joined Malik and the committee members in the K&ASR’s executive dining room, which was only used on special occasions. Usually, the executives and top level managers ate in the employee cafeteria, along with the rest of the headquarters staff. That dining hall, also referred to by the employees as a commissary or as ta canteen, featured buffet service and at-cost pricing. It was located on the garden level half-basement, with its high, above-grade windows.

After lunch, Chen called the committee back to the conference room.

On the way up to the conference room, Malik took Morton Quincy and Long Hand aside.

“Morton, Long Hand, you’ll likely hear some business plans today that are not generally known. I would appreciate it if you did not discuss them with anyone.”

“Of course, Emil,” Quincy replied, “don’t give it a second thought. Besides, I am enjoying my new role too much to do anything that might jeopardize it.”

Long Hand said, “I understand to not tell what I hear, Shadow, not even to Blue Maize.”

“Thanks, I figured you would understand.”

However, Chen Ming-teh’s first action, when the group sat down, overrode Malik’s concern.

Chen said, “There are two copies of a form at each of our places. It is a confidentiality agreement. It states that each of us agrees to keep confidential any business information heard during our meeting about which we had not been otherwise informed. I would ask everyone, committee members and visitors alike, to sign both copies. We will keep one of each copy here and you may take the others back to Arenoso with you. Please read it over, then sign it, and give one copy to Mister Castillo and the other copy to Mister Andy Malik.”

Malik said, “Good idea, Mister Chen. Thanks.”

Chen smiled at him and said, “It was Mister Castillo’s idea, so that the protection would go both ways”

Then Chen looked around the group. “That brings me to our second order of business: Please use everyone’s given names during our meeting. I think we have come to know each other well enough. My name is Ming. Please, now, go ahead and read those agreements.”

When all the agreements had been signed and collected, Chen said, “Emil, I believe you requested this meeting. What can we do for you?”

“Thanks, Ming. We appreciate the opportunity. Let me bring everyone up-to-date on some of the changes that have occurred over the last six weeks.” He went on to describe, briefly, the effects of the Dawes Act and their planned response, the change in Indian agent and the anticipated problems, Quincy’s new role, and the incorporation of the Sonoras as a livestock growers’ association and its purposes, and, finally, the purchase of the section that included the town of Dorado Springs.

Castillo asked, “You own Dorado Springs, Emil?”

“Exactly, Raul. Well, for the record, the Sonora Mining Corporation owns it, and Morton’s their general manager, now, nor does it include those with a claim of adverse possession, which would be most of the town’s homes and many government and commercial structures. But the state had it on the books, and we swooped in on it as soon as we noticed it.”

“I would like to hear more about that at another time.”

“Of course, Raul. Right now I want to bring to the table a particular matter for the committee to consider. We believe that it is an investment opportunity that could benefit the railroad in two ways.

“What we intend to do is to open a Sonora-staffed resort spa associated with the mineral hot spring there, at Dorado Springs. The resort buildings will be of adobe in the style of a hacienda. We will play up the Indian cultural motifs, likely with tipis and wickiups on the grounds, perhaps even as accommodations for the guests. Standards of service, including a dining room, will be modeled on the Old Courthouse Inn in Waypoint. Sonoras are already in training there.

“We are building a two-story structure, with twelve two-room suites on the upper floor and six single bedrooms on the lower floor, the lower floor to be shared with the reception lobby, dining room, kitchen, and utility areas. Reading and game rooms, and, of course, the courtyard, will also occupy the first level. Interior furnishings and decor will be Spanish colonial. Future expansion could be readily accomplished, as adobe makes for a very malleable structure.

“We have incorporated as a partnership under the name, The Hacienda and Spa at Dorado Springs. One purpose of the partnership is to create, along with the other Sonora-controlled business groups, a variety of corporate structures in case those businesses might be challenged in court. Not to shirk the issue, we would see the railroad’s partnership as an additional bulwark against unfair or extra-legal treatment of those businesses by courts or other government entities.

“We believe the railroad would profit from both its shareholding of the resort as well as from increased ridership. The Union Pacific and the Great Northern are already using tourist promotion to increase their passenger count.

“That about sums it up.”

Castillo asked, “What percentage?”

Malik replied, “Depending on terms, that’s open to negotiation.”

Malik glanced at Long Hand, who seemed alert and interested. Andy, who was seated next to the Sonora deputy, had been assigned the task of explaining things to Long Hand, as necessary. So far, there had been only a few brief exchanges between the two.

“Would you give the railroad the majority share?” Castillo pressed.

“Only with certain guarantees.”

“Such as?”

“Two thirds majority for matters of substance, to be defined.”

“Anything else?”

“Yes. None of your dirty tricks, Raul.”

Castillo was about to bluster when he saw the grin on Malik’s face. Instead, he said, “I’ll not need any tricks if you are to be the attorney reviewing my amendments, Emil.”

“Touche, Raul. But let me pursue the topic you’ve introduced.

“In our Sonora business organizations, we have attempted to preserve the Sonoras’ real control of the decision-making, while trying to conceal it behind a white facade. To that end, we have, in each instance, filled the offices of chairman and secretary with white men. In other words, the officers of record, those authorized to sign documents and contracts, are white men. I might add, though, that they are white men trusted by the Sonora and they hold the offices with the approval of their elders council. It is the Sonoras’ elders council who make up the balance, and majority, of each board of directors.”

Malik paused and glanced around the table, then he began to speak, again.

“However, this resort is a somewhat different proposition. For one thing, it will not occupy what is, currently, reservation land. For another, a tourist resort is not a typical Sonora pursuit, nor of intrinsic interest to them.” Malik noted that Long Hand whispered something to Andy and that his brother responded in kind.

“On the other hand, the idea for the resort was proposed by a Sonora, Moccasin Woman, and she suggested it as a means of making whites more familiar with, and accepting of, the Sonora.”

Chen was nodding his head and Raul was penciling notes on a sheet of paper.

Malik said, “So, while the resort will be operated to make a profit, its primary function is as a means of bringing the public’s attention to the Sonora as people, as human beings with their own culture, and not as savage, hostile warriors and vicious squaws.”

Malik looked at the railroad executives, from one to the next. “We want to preserve that familiarization function in whatever sort of corporate partnership is formed.”

Then he looked at Chen. “The K and ASR is being invited specifically because it carries more political weight than the Sonora or the few white investors and directors who are involved. It is projected that the railroad’s interest in one Sonora business will lead to its interest in the integrity and preservation of other Sonora pursuits, such as the allotment plan or the livestock association, or even the mining corporation.

“That’s the whole of it, gentlemen. All my cards are now on the table.” Malik leaned back in his chair, in a gesture of relinquishing the floor.

“Well,” Chen said, rubbing his hands together, “this certainly adds considerable interest to our Fort Birney Division.”

Yeats was nodding. “I’ll say. I’ll make a motion that we enter into a fifty-one percent partnership with the Hacienda and Spa at Dorado Springs.”

Pottinger said, “Second.”

Chen said, “Discussion?”

Castillo asked, “How much?”

Malik replied, “Twenty-two thousand nine hundred sixty-five dollars.”

“That’s for fifty-one percent?”

“Yes, Raul. Most of the partnership costs are for equipment, furnishings, and supplies, start-up costs, and initial operating costs.”

Chen said, “We own a vacant town in New Mexico that still has quite a selection of furnishings and kitchen equipment.” He looked at the other executive committee members. “But I think we can only afford a forty-nine percent share.”