What Others Won't Do

By Robert Whitmore

In the Spring of 1849, an accountant's assistant in Chicago sign on for an adventure as a part owner of a farm in the western Kansas territory. The plan doesn't come together exactly as he imagined and he finds himself fleeing for his life toward the Rocky Mountains along the Santa Fe Trail. As he struggles to survive, he finds that the key is t

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robert Whitmore
• Release date: Jul 26, 2023
• ISBN: 9781088225523

Book preview

What Others Won’t Do

A Novel By

Robert Whitmore

Copyright 2023

January 1849

1

Melvin Kaminsky’s bookkeeping service occupied two rooms on the second floor of a wood framed building a few blocks north of the Chicago River. It seemed like people were moving into the city faster than they could build houses and shops. Melvin had come from somewhere in the New York area, but he never told me exactly where.

I, on the other hand, had come up from Southern Illinois. It seemed like a different country down there and the growth around my hometown of Vandalia had slowed to almost nothing once they voted to move the state capitol in the early thirties. My parents owned a tailor shop, but the demand for good clothes had moved to Springfield, too.

On the evening of my twenty-fourth birthday, my father told me they had pulled together all the cash they could spare and encouraged me to go north to find work. I considered the up and coming city of Saint Louis, but my mom had a cousin in Chicago that offered to give me a place to stay until I found work.

A month later, I answered an ad for a bookkeeping assistant. Melvin was an odd little guy who liked to tell jokes, although most of them weren’t as funny as he wanted to believe. The pay wasn’t great at the start, but I really needed to move out of my mom’s cousin’s house. A twenty-four year old needs space of their own and that was something I didn’t have there.

The next three years slipped by rather quickly. Melvin recognized my hard work learning his business and had been impressed with some ways I came up with to improve his profit margin. Each one of those ideas had come with a modest raise. I was living just above what most would call poverty, but I was content.

Hey, buddy, come in here! Melvin said, beckoning me to his office. I was in the middle of balancing the ledger of one of our bigger clients and really didn’t want to lose my train of thought. I tapped the pencil on my desk and looked at the rest of the column.

Can you give me five minutes?

No, I want to talk to you. It’ll only take a minute or two and then you can get your nose back in the books.

Fine, I said and sighed. Pushing back from the old wooden table that served as my desk, I stood and stretched. I glanced at the one little window I had in my room. The ice had formed a solid sheet across it as the neverending wind blew in off Lake Michigan.

Have a seat, my boy, he said and gestured to one of the chairs opposite him. His office had a slightly larger window, but it was coated with ice just like mine. What are you working on?

Trying to balance out December for Langston Livery. They can’t seem to get their heads around recording transactions daily, so they keep needing to make changes later when they realize they missed things.

That Langston is a bit of a horse’s ass.

Wow, I said. That’s awful.

Okay. How about this one, Melvin said. He sat up straight, cleared his throat, and smoothed out his jacket. A horse sits down at the theater to watch MacBeth. The woman next to him asks, ‘Are you a horse?’ The horse says, ‘Yes, I am.’ She says, ‘Why are you at the theater?’ ‘Because I really liked the book.’

Okay, I mean, that’s kinda funny. Not going to make me fall out of my chair laughing or anything, but it’s a start. What is it they say? Keep practicing and don’t quit your day job?

Well, that brings me to the reason I called you in here. I’ve decided that I like coming up with funny stories or even helping write shows, so I’m moving back to New York.

What? You’re closing up? I asked, feeling panicked.

Here’s the deal. Do you want the good news or the bad news first?

Can you tell me all of it at once?

That’s not as much fun, he said, but his smile disappeared rather quickly. Anyway, I’m selling the business to Mark Frank. He gave me a good sum for all of my clients.

So, I’ll be working for him?

I will continue paying you until the end of April to help transition the clients, but Frank said he doesn’t need another bookkeeper.

Then what do I do?

Look. You’ve been a solid worker for me for a few years now. I’ve decided that if you hang in with me until the end of April, I’ll give you a lump sum bonus when I get the last check from Frank.

Hopefully enough to cover a couple months of expenses. Finding a job is hard right now.

I’m going to make it equal to your annual salary.

I couldn’t respond, even though I tried. My mouth opened and closed a few times, but nothing came out.

Yes, you’re welcome, he said. The only caveat for you is that, assuming you find work at another bookkeeping firm, you cannot try to recruit any of my clients to your new employer.

I wouldn’t and that wouldn’t be ethical, anyway.

It happens, my boy, he said, reclining in his chair. Money does strange things to people.

Okay, I said, my brain spinning like a wheel on a wagon being pulled by a runaway team of horses. So, I have a job for three months and then I get the payoff.

Let’s call it severance pay or a bonus, but, yes, that’s the general idea.

Got it.

Now you better get back to the books, he said, leaning forward again. We need to have everything in tip top shape before Frank gets the files.

You got it. Thank you, Mr. Kaminsky.

No, he said, shaking his head. Thank you! Some of your ideas drove up the price, so it is only fair I should share with you. Now, scoot!

Yes, sir, I said, beaming about my impending windfall.

2

The painfully cold weather normally made my walk home awful, even though it was only three blocks. However, the news of my coming money made it tolerable. So much so that I went a block out of my way to stop at Pat’s Grocery.

Hey, how are you doing today? Pat asked when I stepped in out of the cold. It was a small shop, but plenty for a single guy like me.

Pretty good actually, I said. It was a very good day at work.

I don’t hear that too often!

I’m going to celebrate tonight. Got a good steak back there?

My boy, I’ve always got beef. The best in Chicago!

Well, it’s too cold to go out and compare, so I’ll take your word for it.

Funny guy, he said and pulled a large steak out of his case. He wrapped it up in a few expert motions and tied it with a piece of string. What else do you need?

How about a potato and some green beans?

Sure thing. Pick out what you want from the baskets there.

What do I owe you? I asked.

Tell you what, I’ll throw in two hard rolls and it’ll be an even dollar.

Deal, I said.

Have a good evening and congratulations for whatever it is that happened, he said and handed me the paper bag with my goods in it.

3

I kicked snow off my boots outside the front door of Crowe’s Boarding House where I had been staying since I moved into my own place. The small foyer had a piece of lumber along one wall with pegs driven into it and that’s where Mildred, the owner, instructed us to leave our coats. Our boots went in a row right underneath. It reminded me a bit of my school routine from when I was a kid.

Hey! Where have you been? I thought you were never going to get home, said Lyndon Carlson from the sitting room as soon as I opened the inner door.

I led a pretty solitary life, but Lyndon had been a boarder there for almost a year and we had become something akin to friends. We would occasionally sit at the house and talk about general nonsense or meet up for a beer.

Had to stop for a few groceries after work. What’s going on?

Let’s go to the kitchen, so you can put your stuff away, he said and got up.

All right, I said and walked on toward the kitchen, which was a shared space for the residents. We each had a cabinet and a limited section of the icebox as part of our monthly rent. I only brought enough for myself, though. I’m going to make dinner right now.

No worries, he said. I had some salted fish earlier.

Yuck.

Don’t judge me. What are you having?

Steak, potato, green beans, and some rolls.

Whoa, big spender.

Yep, I said. It was an excellent day.

An excellent day crunching numbers?

Sort of. I found out I’m losing my job at the end of April.

What? Then why are you blowing money on steak? What are you going to do for work?

I don’t know yet, but losing my job isn’t the good part, I said, taking a skillet from the shelf of utensils that Mrs. Crowe provided. Her only requirement was that we cleaned them and put them in their correct spot after each use. I put the skillet on top of the wood stove and tossed the steak in. Melvin is selling his business and he’s cutting me in on the sale.

He’s what?

He’s giving me a piece of the sale because he said I drove up the sales price with some things I came up with.

I wish I worked for Melvin.

No you don’t. You’d only have a job for three more months and you didn’t come up with any good ideas.

Thanks a bunch.

Anyway, he’s giving me a year’s salary if I stay working for him until he officially closes up, I said and started pumping some water into a basin to the left of the stove. I washed off the beans and potato before patting them dry.

I flipped the steak and dropped the beans in with it. Next, I sliced the potato in with them. It smelled amazing.

So, you’re just going to live off that for a while?

I don’t know yet. I only found out an hour ago, I said while using a fork to stir the sides around in the steak’s juices. I’ll definitely be selective in whatever I do next. I might even leave Chicago.

Leave Chicago? Why would you do that?

I’m not from here. You know that.

Sure, but Chicago is going to be where all the best things are in the next decade or two.

Yeah, maybe, but have you looked outside today? I’d rather not deal with this for the rest of my life.

It’s just a little cold.

I continued stirring without giving a response. Then, I grabbed a plate and served up my food. I took a glass and filled it with water from the pump. The fork I had been cooking with would be fine for eating with, but I picked through the knives on the shelf to make sure I had one with a good blade.

That smells good, he said.

Sure does, I said and cut into the steak. It was perfectly rare. I took a bite.

You’re just going to sit there and eat right in front of me?

Yes, I said and took another bite. What were you so eager to tell me about when I got home?

Honestly, I don’t know if I should tell you, since you didn’t even bring me a steak.

Okay, I said and skewered a few beans.

Give me two slices of potato and I’ll tell you.

Fine, I said and turned my plate so he could snag the promised food.

This is going to sound too good to be true, but I promise it’s real. The timing is perfect, too.

Go on.

Okay! Here’s the deal, he said. I’ve got an old classmate, Ward Campbell, who we call Campy. Anyway, he’s looking for a couple more partners in a business venture in Kansas.

Kansas? That’s an awful long way from here.

Sure, but you just said you wanted to go somewhere warmer and I know you’ve said you need an adventure to kill the dullness of your job.

I was hoping for an adventure that didn’t mean I’d have to move and this is work not fun.

Come on, now, he said, throwing his hands in the air. You should at least go meet him.

And you said he’s looking for partners. That’s got to be expensive.

You’re about to have some pretty good money.

Sure, but you didn’t know that when you were going to tell me about it.

Look, I know you have to have something saved up. You work in finance!

I balance books for an accountant. That’s not exactly working in finance.

All the same to me, Lyndon said, eyeing some green beans. He’ll be at the pub tonight.

You already set this up?

He was going to be there anyway. He’s meeting another guy, too. Not sure how many people he wants to bring on. You should check it out.

Yes, I understand you think I should.

Did you have other plans for tonight? Worst case scenario is that you have a couple beers and come home.

Fine, but I’m going to finish my dinner first. Are you going?

Nah, I’ve got a hot date with Annalyn Roberts tonight.

But you stopped to talk to me first?

Look, I’m trying to help you out. This is your big chance, he said and stole a green bean. I’m leaving, but go talk to Campy. I’ll check in on you tomorrow.

Thanks. I’ll go see him in a bit.

He’ll have an old newsboy’s cap on. It’s his thing, I guess.

Have fun tonight, Lyn.

I certainly want to! he said with a mischievous look. He stood, popped the green bean in his mouth, and walked out into the hall toward his room.

I continued enjoying my dinner, but was distracted with thoughts of meeting Ward Campbell. My goal had been to move on to a bigger accounting firm and then maybe a partnership someday, so I was worried about the risk in this opportunity. Still, I decided to go meet him. There was no harm in talking and the importance of making an informed decision was something my parents had always impressed upon me.

4

Gracey’s was the place where Lyndon and I met for beers a couple times a week. That’s where I would meet Ward. It was nothing fancy, but the owner and bartender, Mark, ran a good joint. He offered a wave when I walked in.

Hey, how’s it going? he asked. Beer?

That’ll work, I said and stepped up to the bar. How’s Laura?

Oh, she’s doing fine. Thanks.

I’m meeting a guy named Ward Campell. Lyndon said he’ll be wearing an old newsboy's cap.

Yeah, he’s back in the corner with some other guy I’ve never seen before. Business deal?

Maybe. Might be the offer of a lifetime, I’ve heard.

Well, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, he said.

I put a dime on the bar and said, "That should cover two and