End of the Line

Chapter Eight. Family Meeting.

Chapter Eight

Family Meeting 

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Pop, an astute self-educated man, realised that difficult times lay ahead for the local iron industry. Improved sea transportation had made foreign ores, especially those from Bilbao, far cheaper than those extracted from the Furness fells. Furnaces that were utilising the new Gilchrist Thomas process also increasingly used non-local ores. This was understandable. The quality of the Furness haematite was decreasing and it was becoming increasingly difficult to mine. Miners had to dig deeper and deeper, and flooding was becoming a major problem. The closing of the local mine was inevitable. Now in his fifties, Pop knew the probability of finding employment in the near future was almost nil.  

Annie was twelve years younger than he, but her once erect frame was already crumbling. There was no way that alone they could tend for the fragile eight year old Betty, who suffered from a rare bone condition leading to frequent fractures, and the five year old Bill who was prone to violent asthma attacks. Luckily, Mary had come to their rescue, giving up her school teaching so that she could tend to the children and George still sent them a pound or two in his monthly letter. However, this would not suffice if he remained unemployed, and it was highly unlikely that he could depend on those two reprobates Belle and Dan for support. 

The mine closed ostensibly for the annual two-week holiday at the end of July in 1919. It never reopened. Pop Benson spent the month of August desperately looking for work of any description, but without success. The few jobs that became available preferentially went to younger workers or veterans returning from the war. 

Eventually in desperation, he responded to an advertisement in the Daily Mail. It was an ad placed by the government of the Dominion of Canada. With Annie's consent, he took a large part of their savings and made his way by train to the Canadian Pacific offices situated in Liverpool. There he met with immigration officials It was soon evident that they had little interest in a fifty-two year old unskilled labourer with an ailing wife and two sick infants. However if four healthy young adults were included, then there was a remarkable opportunity. 

Pop wrote letters asking Belle, Dan, and George to come home for a family meeting the last weekend in September. He sent Dan's letter to the Racehorse Inn, based on rumours that he was working there. Dan arrived much earlier than expected, arriving the way he had left, with only the clothes on his back. He claimed that he was only passing through on his way to take up a new position. Belle, who also arrived early, looked as if she was going to take up permanent residence. Prior to her arrival, Furness Railway delivered a huge metal trunk containing all her worldly possessions. She followed a day later, travelling by train from Cartmel.  

Pop was puzzled, but at the same time relieved, by their subsequent subdued behaviour. Neither Belle nor Dan showed any inclination to leave the house. Bill Evans could no longer be much of an attraction, and Dan's reputed love of drink must be a fiction. Both willingly agreed to the makeshift sleeping arrangements, Belle sharing a bed with Mary in the children's room, and Dan dossing down every night in front of the kitchen fire. But where was George? 

Pop's anxiety grew with each passing day. Saturday arrived. Unable to contain his worry and desperate to escape the clamour at home he decided to take a rare walk. As he passed the entrance to the Vulcan Hotel, his hoped for saviour emerged, dressed every inch like a country gentleman. 

"Where the hell have you been? Your letter said Friday at the latest." 

"Nice to see you too, Pop. How about a handshake at least?" 

"Sorry son. I was beginning to think you might not come," replied Pop, giving his son an unaccustomed hug. "What kept you?" 

"It's a long story."