“I hope Walter Louis doesn’t think that I purposely shut down Sugar Creek,” Dorchester said as they rode.
“Who is Walter Louis?”
“He owns a small farm just south of Northumbria, and he is totally dependent upon water from Sugar Creek. In fact, he has been very good about coming over to help my men keep the creek cleared of debris.”
After a ride of about five miles, they reached a thick-growing patch of woods. Just on the other side of the woods they saw a large dam.
“What in the world?” Dorchester gasped. “When, and how, did that get here?”
“It’s no beaver dam, that’s for sure,” Hawke said.
“Look at the size of it, Father. It had to take some time to build it.” Pamela turned to Willie. “Why didn’t we know about this before now?”
“Ma’am, we ain’t run no stock on this here section of range since last summer,” Willie replied. “We was about to move some beeves over when one of the men noticed that the creek had run dry.”
“Is that dam on your property?” Hawke asked.
“No, it isn’t,” Dorchester admitted. “My property line ends there, with the edge of that copse.”
“Who does own the property?
“It belongs to a man named Anthony Miller,” Dorchester said.
“Perhaps we should talk to Miller,” Hawke suggested.
Dorchester shook his head. “That’s not possible, I’m afraid,” he said. “Miller is an absentee owner who lives in New York. In fact, that’s what makes this whole thing so odd. This land isn’t being used. We’ve exchanged a few letters as to whether or not I would be interested in leasing some grassland from him.”
“Perhaps he’s trying to sweeten the pot by adding water to the deal,” Hawke suggested.
Dorchester shook his head. “No,” he said. “I don’t think so. I’ve only met Miller one time, and he was a very nice person. I can’t see him doing something like this.”
“Well, someone did,” Hawke said. “Why don’t we ride over and find out who.”
Just beyond the patch of woods was a sign.
KEEP OUT
PROPERTY OF
SWEETWATER RAILROAD COMPANY
“Sweetwater Railroad Company?” Dorchester said. “Why, I’ve never heard of such an organization.”
“What do we do now?” Pamela asked.
“We keep going,” Dorchester replied. “Whether this land is owned by Mr. Miller or by some railroad that I’ve never heard of, they are guilty of stealing our water, and I intend to get to the bottom of it.”
The four crossed the property line, then rode up to the dam and dismounted. They were surprised when a man dressed in a business suit suddenly showed up.
“Well, it looks as if we managed to attract attention from someone,” Dorchester said.
Three other men came out to join the man wearing the suit. One man was carrying a rifle, a second had a shotgun, and the third, unarmed, wore new jeans and a clean shirt. Hawke recognized the man carrying the shotgun as Luke Rawlings, who had come into the saloon yelling that he had discovered gold.
“You people are trespassing,” the man in the business suit said.
“Who the devil are you?” Dorchester asked.
“I know who he is, Father,” Pamela said. “His name is Addison Ford. He is Administrative Assistant to Secretary of Interior Columbus Delano.”
Ford looked more closely at Pamela, then at Hawke.
“It’s you!” he said in a disgruntled voice. “I recognize you two. You are the people from the train, the ones who forced us to move to another car.”
“Yes,” Pamela said.
Ford smiled. “Well, well, now isn’t this a bit of sweet irony? You ran us out of the rail car, now I am running you off this property.”
“Are you responsible for this dam?” Dorchester asked.
“I authorized it, yes,” Ford said.
“And I designed it,” the unarmed man in jeans said proudly. “My name is Jason White. I’m a civil engineer.” White stepped forward and stuck his hand out, but Dorchester made no movement to take it.
“You are trespassing on property belonging to the Sweetwater Railroad Company,” Ford said.
“Yes, I saw the sign. But I’ve never heard of the Sweetwater Railroad,” Dorchester replied. “What is it?”
“The Sweetwater Railroad is a railroad that will be built from Green River to South Pass.”
“My daughter said you were with the Department of Interior.”
“That is right.”
“Then I don’t understand. What does the Department of Interior have to do with the Sweetwater Railroad? Since when did the U. S. government get in the business of building railroads?”
“The government isn’t building it. It is being built by a private company. We are merely providing the incentive.”
“The incentive?”
“According to the Railroad Land Grant Act of 1862, any approved railroad company is entitled to a four hundred foot right of way, plus ten square miles of property for every one mile of route.”
“You mean the government gives land to people who build railroads?” Dorchester asked in surprise.
“How do you think the transcontinental railroad was built? Without the land incentive, it would never have been completed.”
“Yes, well, I can’t believe Miller sold his land to the government without first checking with me. He knew that I would have bought it if he had put it up for sale. And he knew that I would give him a fair price for it.”
“I’m afraid Miller had no say in the matter,” Ford said smugly.
“What do you mean he had no say in the matter?”
“We acquired his land by eminent domain.”
“In other words, the government stole Mr. Miller’s land,” Dorchester said.
“It’s not stolen. The land was acquired by a writ of eminent domain, with provisions, of course, for the landowners to apply for reimbursement.”
“To apply? You mean they aren’t automatically compensated?”
“No. But as I have explained to everyone whose land we have acquired, there are provisions in place for them to apply for, and receive, compensation. That is, if they meet the guidelines.”
“Oh? And what is the government paying for prime land?”
“A dollar an acre,” Ford replied.
“That is robbery.”
“No, that is democracy in action,” Addison Ford insisted.
“All right, so you have government authority to steal Miller’s land,” Dorchester said. He pointed to the dam. “Why in heavens name did you dam up Sugar Creek?”
“I’m sure you know how steam engines operate,” Ford replied patronizingly. “They require water to generate steam. If the railroad is to succeed, it will have to have a ready and plentiful source of water.”
“Why, you bloody rascal, you have not only stolen land, you have squeezed dry every drop of water from Sugar Creek! I have other sources of water, but those property owners below me are totally dependent upon Sugar Creek. What will happen to them?”
“I’m afraid that is really none of my concern,” Ford said. “I am acting on government orders. If you have a problem with it, take it up with the United States Land Management officer.”
“And who might that be?” Dorchester asked.
“Why, that would be Mr. White,” Ford said, pointing to his son-in-law and laughing out loud.
“You haven’t heard the last of this, you bloody bastard,” Dorchester said, wagging his finger in Ford’s face. “I don’t roll over that easily.”
“Gentlemen, I do believe I’m being threatened,” Ford said.
The two armed men reacted to Ford’s comment. The one with a rifle operated the lever, while the one who was holding the double-barreled shotgun came back on the hammers of both barrels.