Uncle George

In late October Charlie Talbott called George and said, “When you have a minute come see me. I think I have something for

you.”

George dropped in the next day. Charlie ushered him into the office and closed the door. “I learned that one of the blue

ribbon companies you have private stock in is going public and will be offering shares next week. I can’t buy any shares

because it would consider inside trading, which is illegal. But, you could through a secondary source. I thought you might talk

to Clarence Goodale and ask if he will act on your behalf. If you cut him in on the profits I’m sure he’ll go along.”

“Charlie, you’re suggesting I do something dishonest,” George replied, with a grin. “I’ll do it and pay you a finder’s fee as I did

before.”

Rather than handle such a transaction by telephone George drove to Missoula and spoke to Clarence Goodale in person.

When George explained what he wanted Clarence to do Clarence replied, “I knew we could work together.”

George instructed Clarence to buy as many shares as he could, up to 1000 shares, even if it was necessary to pledge some

of his other holdings as collateral. When he returned to Libby he signed over ten shares of premium stock to Charlie. An

accompanying note read, “For services rendered and to be rendered.”

Again, George spent the Christmas holidays with Simon and his family. Remembering the admonishment from the previous

year he restrained himself in the gifts he bought for Charlotte.

From Richland, rather than returning home to Libby, he flew to Las Vegas by way of Seattle. At that time, in early 1949, Las

Vegas was a small city at the very beginning of its development into an entertainment and gambling center. After a week of

breaking even at the gambling tables and being entertained nightly by glamorous show girls he returned to Libby.

Early that Spring Elizabeth resigned her job as teller at the bank to accept the position as town librarian. Up to that time there

had been no library and no librarian; the town had depended on a bookmobile that came from Kalispell once a week to

service the small towns of northwestern Montana. With the post-war growth and the baby boom that ensued the town leaders

felt a library had become necessary..

For temporary quarters the town took over Cal Vernor’s old store, with the expectations that money could be raised for a new

library some time in the future. As Cal still lived in his old apartment over the store a separate entrance was constructed for

access to the apartment. George rounded up volunteers to build shelves for the few books that the county made available.

He asked the store employees to put in an hour or two a day and, even though it was supposed to be volunteer work, paid

them out of his own pocket. With his presence at the market not often necessary George put in many hours of his own on the

project.

Elizabeth soon realized that the few books the library owned would not be adequate when the post-war children reached

school age. When she discussed this with George he suggested they start a campaign to raise money for books and he

would ask the local business owners to match whatever funds were raised. George was appointed campaign chairman.

As an adjunct to the fund raising George solicited books from book stores and publishers who had offices in Montana and

neighboring states. By June enough money had been raised and enough books obtained to get the library off to a good

start.

Late that summer Cal Vernor decided it was time to retire. He and George interviewed several candidates to take over as

manager and decided their best solution was to promote their assistant manager. Frank Cipriano, a 32 year old veteran of

World War II, had worked at the new market from the time it opened and had come to know the business well. Although not a

Libby native he had lived in Libby for three years and was well known and well liked.

The market, in the meantime, continued to do a steady business. George was determined that the profits would be used only

for the improvement of services and equipment. After 20% was set aside for Cal, 50 % was used for salary and fringe

benefits and the other 30% the improvements.

George and Elizabeth continued their relationship. Neither one was interested in marriage; they were both content with a

night together once or twice a week. George frequently went off to other areas, including Las Vegas, for a wild night on the

town and encounters with other available women.

* * *

During the next two years George settled into his life in Libby, having decided he would probably spend the rest of his life

there. He celebrated his 50th birthday in February, 1951 by being awarded an outstanding citizen award by the newly formed

Libby Business Owners’ Association. He was appointed that same month as a trustee of the library with the understanding

he would spearhead a campaign to have a new library built.

Also, during those years he got more tips from Charlie Talbott that enabled him to invest in other stocks, again using

Clarence Goodale as his agent. As a result George had built a sizeable stock portfolio which, in turn, brought in money that

was used for other business ventures. He bought out a failing used car business in Libby and transformed it to a Ford

agency to sell new Fords. The owner of the local garage was hired to run the service department. With his King Midas touch

George succeeded where others might have failed.

The ranch, meanwhile, was in limbo. With winter occupancy still out of the question until George found a way to get his road

plowed he visited the ranch only two or three times a summer. Usually when he did he spent most of his time clearing out

nests of field mice and spiders. Once he found a den of rattlesnakes. Needless to say, Elizabeth would not go near the

place.

* * *

In the Spring of 1952 George put a committee together to plan the new library. Clifford Akins, a retired architect who had

recently settled in Libby, was prevailed upon by George to temporarily come out of retirement and draw the plans. Charlie

Talbott was given the task of fund raising while George and Elizabeth searched out a suitable location.

Their search brought them to an empty lot four acres in size located close to the new market. In talking to the owner they

were told he might be interested in selling the entire lot, if the price was right, but would not break it up and sell it piece by

piece. George went back to Charlie and his bank records to check the assessed and market value of the property. He also

had Charlie check the financial status of the property owner and discovered the man was deeply in debt.

Knowing this George returned to the man and made him an offer far below its market value. George had to use all his wiles

to convince the man he needed to sell to pay off his debts.

In the meantime, Charlie had accumulated pledges from local businesses and local residents which totaled almost enough to

buy the property. On the condition of anonymity George offered to match this out of his funds. Charlie, knowing that the offer

represented only a small fraction of George’s wealth, accepted. The money available with this bequest was enough to build

the library and completely furnish it with state of the art equipment.

Construction was begun in late July and completed in mid-October. When the ribbon cutting ceremony took place George

was asked to do the honors.

In the 1950s the population growth leveled off and Libby became a stable community. George prospered in his businesses,

and with income from his other investments was the wealthiest man in town.

* * *

In November of 1954 Simon died suddenly. George was devastated at losing the last remaining member of his family. He

returned to Libby after the funeral depressed, and for several months isolated himself from all his friends and acquaintances.

Not even Elizabeth, with her usual cheerful disposition, could bring him out of his funk.

In March of the following year George revisited Christine and Charlotte, concerned that they might still be grieving more than

necessary. When he discovered they had accepted the loss and were going on with their lives it helped him accept the loss

also.

By then Charlotte was almost 18 and in her senior year of high school. As he had done with Simon, George informed

Charlotte he wished to pay her college expenses and hoped she would attend college. Charlotte graduated near the top of

her class and immediately enrolled at Oregon State University.

During the next five years George kept in touch with Christine and followed Charlotte’s progress through college. Except for

Charlotte’s college graduation in 1959 and her wedding a year later, to Philip Drake, he didn’t visit them.

In 1961, when Philip accepted a teaching position at Montana State University, he and Charlotte moved to Missoula. The

following year their only child, Cindy, was born. George tried to renew his acquaintance with Charlotte so he could get to

know Cindy as he had known Charlotte as a young child but he never felt comfortable on the few occasions he visited them.

He had to be satisfied with the few photographs either Charlotte or Christine, mainly Christine, sent him once or twice a year.

When Philip changed teaching jobs in 1970 and they returned to Corvallis and Oregon State University George lost all

contact with them.

By that time George’s romance with Elizabeth had cooled and in 1965 Elizabeth moved to Seattle, where she had lived

before World War II. At this point George began to drink heavily and to spend more time at the ranch than in town, preferring

to be alone when he drank.

Life during the 1970s was a series of ups and downs for George. First, he lost most of his investments when a company he

was heavily invested in went belly up and he was forced to sell his stocks at 10% of their value. To insure himself an

adequate income for the rest of his life he sold both the market and the auto agency. As he had done when he bought out

Cal Vernor he made an arrangement with the buyers to receive a percentage of their profits.

He retired to the ranch in the early 70s and, except for an occasional foray into town to play poker or stoke up at his favorite

bar, stayed away from Libby.

George learned from Christine that Charlotte’s husband had died in 1973 and that she remarried in 1974.

One evening in 1972, while at his favorite bar in Libby, he befriended two young men and invited them to his ranch. They

continued their drinking spree at the ranch and as they became better acquainted the two men informed George they were

planning to rob a bank in Billings. Instead of trying to dissuade them George encouraged them and even made suggestions

to help them succeed. When they were successful they returned to the ranch and George persuaded them to leave the

money with him until things ‘cooled off.’ This they agreed to do and then disappeared from sight, presumably, George

thought, to make other attempts elsewhere.

George was honest with them; he put their swag in a steamer trunk and hid the trunk in his bedroom, waiting for their return.

Years later, when they had not returned to claim their loot, the trunk also became a repository for all of George’s personal

papers. Included in those personal papers was a letter George wrote inventing a story about the source of the money and

denying that it came from a bank robbery.

Following George’s death in 1996, at the ripe old age of 95, Charlotte’s daughter, Cindy, inherited the ranch. This

inheritance became one of the central themes in the story OF BRIDGES TO BURN.

END OF STORY