butte chapter 2

7/31/2019 Butte Chapter 2

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MINING CITY MELODRAMAS, CHAPTER TWO:"A SCREW LOOSE" OR "COME BUUTE OR HIGH WATER"____________________________________

A melodramaby

Mark Tenniswood

Copyright 2002Mark A. TenniswoodMark10.info


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Scene 1 Letter

JIM(Enters, stands R of DC.)

Dear Aggie...

As usual, Mr. Pheloneous Bickford's mine has yet to strikegold or copper or quartz or any other precious ores. But wekeep digging, in high hopes that we'll all make ourgenerous and kindly employer rich one day.

(During the following, DE LE CROIX enters UL andexits UR, pulling a coat over his prison-stripedshirt as HE crosses. PHELONEOUS and JUDGE appearUL. During the following, PHELONEOUS gives theJUDGE an oversized five dollar bill. THEY shakehands and exit UL.)

Our foreman is back at work. Thanks to Mr. Bickford's pullwith a local judge, he got out of jail after a minor mishapwith the law. It's certainly a credit to Mr. Bickford'sgenerosity as well as a tribute to our judicial systemwhich hasn't forgotten the value of friendship.And as for Mr. Bickford's daughter Clara, I fear that I maybe seeing less of her than usual these days. She's justgotten herself a situation pouring coffee for the foreignscientists brought in by the Anaconda mining company.

Well, I'm off to the tunnels, Aggie. Give my love to Ma,Da, and the goat. Your loving brother...Jim.

(Exits UR)


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Scene 2 Laboratory

BEAMER(Enters UL, places a heavy book and some largedrawings on UR counter)

How ist die Kaffee coming along, Clara?

CLARA(Enters UR with cup, crosses to Dr. BEAMER)

Just finished, Dr. Beamer. Five creams and no sugar.

BEAMERAch, danke, Frulein.

CLARA(Perusing his drawings)

My goodness, that looks terribly complicated.

BEAMERWell, the best minds in Bavaria, Germany und Wales havebeen working on it, Clara.

CLARAWhat's it for, Dr. Beamer?

BEAMERIt is a new smelting process we are developing.

CLARASmelting?

BEAMERThat is the method we use to extract metals from preciousore.

CLARAFrom precious or what?

BEAMER

Never mind, Liebschen. Here, do you think you could filethis under "D"? I need to make a brief run to die Bank.

CLARAAll right, Doctor.

(BEAMER exits UR. CLARA files the document DL.PHELONEOUS enters UL.)


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PHELONEOUSAm I disturbing you, My Sweet?

CLARA

(Crossing C to admit her PHELONEOUS)Hello, Father. Not at all. Come in. Why did you use theback door?

PHELONEOUS(Sinisterly, crossing C)

I was waiting until the Bavarian left.

CLARAWhy?

PHELONEOUSI mean, I noticed that your employer just left. I'm sorryto have missed him. I wanted to discuss...that thing hedoes...with copper...should it ever be found in my mine.

CLARAYou've come to the right place. He knows all about smellingprecious or something. He'll be back within the hour,Father. Would you care to wait?

PHELONEOUSNo, no, my dear. I can only stay for a moment. As you know,

(to audience) I must tend to my miners from dawn until dusk.

CLARA(To audience)

I know. And it falls upon me to support our family.

PHELONEOUS(Taking CLARA'S arm)

We should...step away for a moment, don't you think?

CLARA

(Does not budge)Why, Father?

PHELONEOUSEr, to get some fresh air. Wouldn't some fresh air bedelightful?

CLARA


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I'm all right, Father. But feel free to roam about thesmelting plant if you'd like some fresh air.

PHELONEOUS.(Looks about for a moment, crosses U of counter)

Good heavens, what's that?

CLARA(Crossing L of counter)It's a cup of coffee, Father.

PHELONEOUSWhy, this is the most particularly exquisite cup of coffeeI have ever seen.

CLARAIt's just coffee, Father. I poured it myself.

PHELONEOUSYou must show me your technique.

CLARA(Confused but obliging)

Certainly, Father. The stove is just in the other room.

(CLARA escorts PHELONEOUS off UR. DE LE CROIXenters UL and crosses to the file cabinet. HEsearches for a moment and retrieves a set of

blueprints. HE exits UL, chuckling wickedly.PHELONEOUS peeks in from UR and looks about for amoment.)

PHELONEOUSAll clear. Come in, Clara.

CLARAAll clear from what? Father?

PHELONEOUS

Clear...from...your employer, my dear. He mustn't thinkyou're lollygagging about.

CLARAI thought you wanted to see the coffee.

PHELONEOUS


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Oh, you were right, my precious. It's just regular coffeeafter all. I must be going now. Toodle-oo.

(Exits UR.)

CLARA

What a peculiar visit.(Exits UL)


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Scene 3 Outside the Laboratory

(PHELONEOUS and DE LE CROIX enter UL and cross tofar DL)

PHELONEOUSDid you find the blueprints, Mr. de le Croaks?

DE LE CROIXDe le Croix. Oui, I did, Monsieur Bickford.

PHELONEOUSExcellent.

DE LE CROIXBut what do you want with the engine schematics to waterpumps.

PHELONEOUSThese aren't any ordinary water pumps, my sordid sycophant.These are the pumps that keep the mines free of waterseepage.

DE LE CROIXWell, now that you have them, monsieur, what are you to dowith them?

PHELONEOUS

Study them, and determine precisely how to dismantle eachand every one of the water pumps under Butte.

DE LE CROIXBut the ground waters would flood all the mines in a matterof very little time at all!

PHELONEOUSExactly. Soon the mines will be abandoned by all the coppermoguls. Then I can buy all the land for a farthing, repairthe pumps, mine the ore, and be the reigning copper king!

(THEY laugh diabolically and exit UL)


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Scene 4 Tunnels

(The US screen opens in the center to reveal alarge water pump. Across DS, held at ankle-levelperhaps by the actors who play DR. BEAMER and

WALTER, is a cloth which represents "water." JIMenters UR, stands DR.)

JIMDear Aggie...The strangest thing is happening in the mines.They are slowly filling up with water! My first thought wasto be after putting umbrellas up at the top of all the mineshafts, but it's not raining here in Butte. Montana's bigsky is as brown as ever.

(During the following, DE LE CROIX enterssilently UL.)

Yet the water keeps rising. I fear strange things areafoot, Aggie.

(DE LE CROIX uses a wrench to turn a single screwin a water pump UC, and exits stealthily UR.)

But on the lighter side, this means I can bring my petgoldfish to work with me. Sure and he'd love the freedom ofsplashing where he pleases in the long, open tunnels.

(Exits UR. The US screen closes.)


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Scene 5 Laboratory

(DR. BEAMER and CLARA enter UL and get to work atthe counter)

BEAMERClara, zees is delicious. What did you do to this Kaffee?

CLARAWe ran out of Bavarian cream, Doctor, so I gave you someIrish cream instead.

BEAMERWunderbar. Clara, you are a clever girl.

CLARAThank you, Doctor.

WALTER(Enters UL)

Doctor Beamer?

BEAMERJa?

CLARAWhy, hello, Walter.

WALTER(Crossing L of counter)

Good afternoon, Miss Clara. Doctor, there's an emergency inthe mine tunnels in Butte.

BEAMER(Crossing below the counter)

Was ist los?

WALTERAbout half of the water pumps have stropped operating.

BEAMEROh weh! Zees is terrible!

WALTERNo one can figure out what's wrong. They sent me to getyou, to diagnose the problem.


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BEAMERCertainly. Clara, get the schematics for the water pumps.

(CLARA crosses to the "cabinet" DL)We'll, get right to the bottom of this, mein Herr. How badis it?

WALTERSome of the lower mines are completely flooded. A lot ofthe pumps are still working, but if any more break down, Ican't see how the mines can stay in operation.

CLARAThey're not here, Doctor.

BEAMER(Crossing DL)

Of course they are, you silly girl. They are right here inthe Ach du lieber Himmel! Die schematics! They are gone!

WALTERBut Doctor

BEAMERI am sorry, Herr Walter. There is nothing I can do.

WALTER(To audience)

Then we're looking at the end of Butte, Montana.

(THEY exit UR)


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Scene 6 Tunnels

(BOB and JIM open the US screen, and the waterpump is revealed. DE LE CROIX enters UL, turns ascrew on a pump UC, and exits UR, laughing

cruelly. The screen closes.)


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Scene 7 Laboratory

(CLARA enters UL with a coffee pot. SHE crossesto the counter and pours into the cup. DR. BEAMERenters UL with a jar of brown, sandy water.)

BEAMER(At L of counter)

Ah, Kaffee, danke, Clara. (Takes a long drink)

CLARAYou've been drinking an awful lot of coffee lately, Dr.Beamer.

BEAMER(Finishes drink and wipes his mouth)

Ja, this trouble with die water pumps, it has distracted meterribly.

CLARABut the coffee will make you tense.

BEAMERNein, your Kaffee relaxes me somehow. Is this another newrecipe?

CLARAWe didn't have much Irish cream, so I switched to crme de

menthe.

BEAMERClever Frulein.

(Crossing DL)Pour me another cup, would you, bitte?

CLARA(Pouring)

What do you have there, Doctor Beamer?

BEAMERI have taken a sample of the water das ist seeping into dietunnels.

CLARA(Crosses CS)

Whatever for?


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BEAMER(Takes a moment to drain the cup, becomesslightly unsteady on his feet)

At first, I was thinking to analyze it and determinewhether there was anything in the water itself that would

cause the pumps to shut down.

CLARAI see.

BEAMER(Holds jar up to light)

But I examined it closely, with die sunlight behind it, undsee here!

CLARAWhy, the water is rife with impurities.

BEAMER(Crossing to U of counter to his coffee, hisspeech a bit slurred)

Consider die source, however. This water was taken from themines where many tons of precious minerals are found eachday. This water is rich in minerals! Therefore, it can beconcluded that it is uber-heilsam...very, very healthful.

(Quite slurred now)Schenk mir noch einen Kaffee ein, bitte.

[Pour me another coffee, please]

CLARADoctor?

BEAMERKaffee! Schnell!

(SHE crosses to L of counter and pours)This water is a gold mine!

CLARA(Of course)

Well, it's from a gold mine!

BEAMERI could bottle this water and sell it out east, to New YorkCity. I could charge ridiculously high prices und be rich!

(Poses triumphantly for a moment. Hiccoughs.)Entschuldigung, Frulein. I must in die back room amarketing scheme machen.


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(Stumbles out of the room UR, taking the cup andthe coffee pot)

CLARA(Crosses US of counter, holds the jar to the

light)Oh, dear. This water doesn't look very pure to me. I dohope that there's no sand mixed in with all these healthfulminerals. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt if I were to take acloser look. Let's see...

(Retrieves an enormous book, reads)"How to test for water impurities." I should take this tothe lab.

(Exits UL with jar and book)


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Scene 8 Tunnels

(The actors who play PHELONEOUS and DE LE CROIXstretch the undulating "water" cloth across thestage a mid-calf level. JIM enters UR with a

bucket. WALTER and BOB enter UL.)

BOBJim! Over here!

JIMStrike anything yet, Bob? Walter?

BOBOnly water, Jim.

WALTERThere's just one pump still working. It's keeping the waterdown for now, but just barely.

BOBAll the mining bosses have called the workers to thesurface.

JIMPoor Mr. Bickford. All these years of running this mine,not producing a single copper nugget, and now he's floodedout of business. Faith, I wish there was something I could

do.

WALTERI tell you, the bosses are at their wits' end. Thescientists are saying that the entire Summit Valley couldbe flooded.

JIMSaints preserve us! If this keeps up, Butte won't be goodfor anything but a wildlife habitat for geese.

(BOB cries out in alarm)

WALTERBob, what's wrong?

BOBThere's something alive down there!


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JIMOh, that's just Fluffy. I'm after teaching him to heel.

BOBYou got a goldfish named Fluffy?

JIMHere, let me get him up before he gets trod on.

(Scoops up some "water" with the bucket)

WALTERWell, come on, Jim, we're on our way to the surface. Don'twant to miss the jimmy.

BOB(Starting toward UL with WALTER)

Looks like we're all out of a job.

JIM(Considering his bucket of water)

Hold on there just a minute. Sure and the pumps aren'tworking, but what if we were the pumps?

WALTERWhat are you talking about, Jim?

JIMWe'll take the water out of the mines, bucket-by-bucket,

lads, and simply pour it out atop the mountain. If weorganize all the men, we could keep the water down longenough to give the scientists a chance to figure out how torepair the water pumps, and then it will be business asusual. We could save the mines and our jobs

BOBJim, you're a genius!

WALTERThe mines are saved!

JIMLet's get to it, lads!

(WALTER and BOB exit UL)

(R of DC)Dear Aggie...We've been working diligently day and night,making sure the tunnels are dry enough for mining


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operations. Sure and I'm proud to count myself among thesespirited miners in Butte, Montana. Before long, I'm surethe water pumps will be fixed good as new, but for now, itwarms my heart to see these lads creating a man-poweredwaterfall right on top of the Continental Divide.


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Scene 9 Laboratory

(CLARA enters UR with the jar, stands behindcounter. JIM crosses to her L.)

CLARAMr. Jim, I hardly expected to see you here in the researchlaboratory.

JIMAye, it's not usual that miners find their way here. And ashame it is, too, because your flowering face comes closeto making a man feel that he knows what heaven is. ButClara, you seem dispirited. What can be the matter?

CLARAI have been considering the ill effects of my employer'splan to sell water to the eastern states. But that doesn'tmatter at the moment. What brings you here?

JIMI wanted to tell you I'll not be able to meet with you inColumbia Gardens this evening.

CLARAI shall miss your company, surely. What has happened tomake you alter your appointment?

JIMI'm after having to work a night shift, trudging water upthe mountain.

CLARAWhy ever would you expend your energies in such an endeavor?

JIM'Tis to empty the mines of water lass. We hoist it up bybucketfuls and pour it onto the Divide.

CLARAOh, no!

JIMWhat's the matter?

CLARA


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It is the very reason I was downhearted. The water from themines is tainted with harsh chemicals.

JIMIs it true?

CLARAIt is!

JIMBut I've been wading through the water all day long.

CLARAAnd look at the hem of your trousers!

JIM(Crosses C)

Sure and they're as withered and decayed as my great-auntBertha.

CLARA(Meets JIM C)

I have been studying it all day long. The water is highlyacidic and tainted with toxic minerals.

JIMThere's nothing to fear, lass. We're removing it all,dumping countless gallons safely on the mountaintop every

hour.

CLARA(Crosses to the L of JIM, seeing the future inthe distance)

And the contaminated water is trickling down theContinental Divide into Clark Fork and the headwaters ofthe Columbia River, where Mr. Lewis and Mr. Clark traveled.If we pour contaminants on the mountain, we're in danger ofpoisoning the water of the entire U.S.A.

JIMThen the draining will have to stop immediately. You knowwhat that means, don't you?

CLARAYou'll be able to meet me in Columbia Gardens this evening.

JIM


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That's right. But it may be for the last time. After theone remaining water pump stops operating, Butte's miningbusiness will have to be abandoned after all. The nationwill be saved, but the city will turn into a watery ghosttown.

CLARAOh, Jim!

(THEY embrace)I shall miss you so.

JIM(A sudden realization)

I've got to save Fluffy!(Exits UL)

CLARAIf only the blueprints for the water pump hadn't beenmislaid. Perhaps if someone went into the mines andsketched a new plan for the pump, Dr. Beamer and hisscientist friends could start work on fixing the brokenones!

(Crosses U of counter, writes a note)Dear Dr. Beamer...I've gone down into the mines. I'll beback after lunchtime. P.S. I borrowed a pencil. I hope youdon't mind. Clara.

(Exits UR)


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Scene 10 Pheloneous' Office / Home

(PHELONEOUS enters UL, stands R of DL table)

PHELONEOUS

By now, my French-Canadian toady should be approaching thelast of the water pumps, and Butte will be mine within theweek!

(Begins to laugh maniacally. There is a knock atthe door)

Blast! I hate getting interrupted in the middle of a goodlaugh!

(Sits)Enter!

(MINERS enter UR and cross to C, standing L to R:BOB, JIM, and WALTER)

JIM(Extends a hand)

Mr. Bickford, sir?

PHELONEOUS(Ignoring JIM'S hand)

Ah, it's my workforce.

WALTERGood afternoon, Mr. Bickford.

PHELONEOUSYou've all come to resign, haven't you. Well, you can't!

BOBNo, sir, we haven't come here to quit.

JIMWe're here to see if there's anything we can do to help.

WALTER

We've had a whole bunch of ideas that might save the mines.We wanted to run them by you.

PHELONEOUSDon't be ridiculous. There's nothing that can save themines now.

JIM


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Well, we were thinking, sir, that if you issued swimsuitsand snorkels to all the miners, they could keep workingunderwater.

WALTER

And the ore would weigh less under water. We'd use lessenergy to hoist it.

PHELONEOUS(Rises, crosses SR)

Haven't you heard? That water has been found to be highlyacidic. If we had miners paddling about, submerged in that,it would destroy the swimsuits within the day. We'd have tosupply swimsuits daily. Why, it would be cost-prohibitive!

JIMYou sure have given this a lot of thought, Mr. Bickford.

WALTER(After a pause)

Well, that's all the ideas we had. If we come up withanything else, we'll let you know.

BOBNow that you mention it, there is one other idea.

PHELONEOUSAnd what is that?

BOBWell, if we do have to sacrifice Butte to save the nation,it will be the largest pool of contaminated water in theworld. Think of the tourism it'll attract! We could all bemade men.

JIMWell, we'll be seeing you, Mr. Bickford.

WALTER

(Simultaneously with above)Looks like it's time to be going now.

(JIM and WALTER escort BOB to UR exit)

JIMA giant contaminated pool.


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WALTERWho'd ever come to see that?

(THEY are gone)

PHELONEOUS

Idiots. (Exits UL)


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Scene 11 Tunnels

(The actors who play BOB and WALTER stretch the"water" cloth across the stage at knee-level. Thescreen opens, and CLARA is revealed UC, finishing

her rendering of the water pump.)

CLARALet's see...now the socket gar-nominator is connected tothe electro-conductive thermo-regulator by the ovalsprocket.

DE LE CROIX(Enters UL, unseen by CLARA)

What is this? An intruder! I shall hide myself here.

CLARAAnd the transfiburinging monoducitor connects through thereducerator into the gobfobulating mortifier which loopsonto the napturbular skettleboss held in by the proke. Thatshould do it!

(Rolls up paper and exits UR, splashing)

DE LE CROIX(Wades to UC)

Now to dismantle the last of the water pumps.(Loosens a screw with his wrench. The "water"begins to rise slowly.)

Ho-ho-ho! Now there is no chance to save the mines!(Struggles)

Mon Dieu! My collar is caught on the water pump! Help!Help! I cannot escape! I am French!

(The screen closes, obscuring DE LE CROIX)


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Scene 12 Laboratory

(JIM enters)

JIM

(Enters UR, crosses to CS)Clara? Clara?

BEAMER(Enters UL, carrying a crate marked "ZpecialYummy Vater". He is quite drunk.)

She is at lunch.(Places the crate on counter, takes a quick drinkof coffee)

JIMI've come to say good-bye. Mr. Bickford says there's no wayto save Butte.

DR. BEAMERSuch a shame.

(Exits UL)

(JIM finds CLARA'S letter on DL table. HE mouthsthe words as we hear CLARA'S voice.)

CLARA(Off)

Dear Dr. Beamer...I've gone down into the mines. I'll beback after lunchtime. P.S. I borrowed a pencil. I hope youdon't mind. Clara.

(DR. BEAMER enters UL with a second crate)

JIMClara, down in those dangerous mines all by herself? I mustsave her!

(JIM speeds off UR. DR. BEAMER sets his crate

with the first.)

BEAMERHave a nice day!

CLARA(Enters UL with her schematics)

Good afternoon, Dr. Beamer.


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BEAMERClara! Did you have a good lunch?

CLARA

I made up some more drawings for the water pumps, Doctor.

BEAMERGut, gut. Just file it, Frulein. Und pour me some Kaffee.

CLARA(Depositing the drawings in the DL "cabinet")

What do you have there, Doctor?

BEAMERI have begun packaging the bottled water for shipment,Frulein Clara. Butte may be drowning, but mein future issecure.

CLARAOh, no, Doctor. You mustn't send those bottles to New YorkCity.

BEAMER(Crossing below counter)

My dear sweet innocent...stopping shipment will not saveyour city.

CLARABut the water is tainted. It is impure, toxic, malignant,lethal, and deadly. It is most un-healthful!

BEAMERHo-ho, you make a lighthearted joke about die water. Ho-ho.

(Raises jar)Look at all these healthful minerals!

CLARADoctor, no!

BEAMER(Drinks)

Zee? Now I am gesund!(Beats chest for emphasis. Experiences a seizureand falls to the floor in a semi-conscious state.)

Ach! Clara, hilfe! Hilfe...


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CLARA(Dashing about uncertainly)

I'll help you, Doctor. Oh!(Takes jar of water and splashes it onto DR.BEAMER'S face)

BEAMER(Rises, crying out in pain)

It burns! It burns!(Exits UR, followed by CLARA)


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Scene 13 Tunnels

(The screen opens again to DE LE CROIX, stillcaught on the water pump. The "water," stillcontrolled by BOB and WALTER, is now up to his

neck.)

DE LE CROIXHelp! Help!

JIM(Swims in from UL, wearing a snorkel)

Clara? Where are you?

DE LE CROIXHelp! Help me!

JIMWhat's going on here?

DE LE CROIXMonsieur! You must give me your assistance!

JIM(Climbing to the top of the water pump)

Climb up here, Mr. de le Crucks.

DE LE CROIX

De le Croix! But that doesn't matter right now.

JIMI'll give you a hand up.

DE LE CROIXI cannot, monsieur. My collar is caught in the machine, andI cannot reach it.

JIMWell, faith, what can I do? I kinda hate to see you die

like this.

DE LE CROIXYou must turn on the water pump and drain the tunnel.

JIM


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Saints preserve us, the best scientists in the worldhaven't figured out how to repair this water pump, Mr. dele Crucks.

DE LE CROIX

De le Croix.

JIMHow am I supposed to do it?

DE LE CROIXTake this wrench. Tighten the bolt right there in thecenter of the machine, Monsieur Flanagan.

JIMThis one here?

DE LE CROIXThat is the one. Now, quickly!

JIMAll right.

(Reaches to do so, but pauses)Hey, how are you after knowing so much about all of this?

DE LE CROIXEr...I am a mechanical genius. Now, hurry!

JIMSo, why didn't you tell any one how to fix these pumps?

DE LE CROIXI, er, came down here to fix them myself.

JIMWell, you waited an awful long time to get started, didn'tyou?

DE LE CROIX

The bolt, you Irish imbecile! The bolt!

JIMIt just doesn't add up to me, Mr. de le Crucks. How couldyou know how to fix the machines when the top men in thefield

DE LE CROIX


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Because I was the one who broke them, you ninny! And it isde le Croix!

JIMAh. ... Well, that makes sense then.

(Turns the screw, and the "water" lowers quicklyto the floor.)How about that, you were right! Fixed it right as rain, itdid.

DE LE CROIXYou saved my life, mon amie. Now, release me, and we canleave this place.

JIM(Climbing down to face DE LE CROIX)

Sure and I will. As soon as I fetch the police.

DE LE CROIXOh, sacre bleu!

(The screen closes, hiding DE LE CROIX)


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Scene 14 Letter

JIM(Crosses to R of DC)

Dear Aggie...The nation was saved, and so was Butte, and

the mining business is back in full swing. Mr. de le Cruckswas arrested and put behind bars for sabotage, attemptedgenocide, and trespassing.

But it's not a happy ending for everyone. The scientist whoClara was working for was rushed to a medical facility inSalt Lake City. Clara tells me he'll recover, and that thehospital there insists that the water he drank must havehad a high alcoholic content. It's a good thing that's notgenerally known among the miners here, good Irish lads,most of 'em. He'll be going back to Bavaria soon, whichmeans that sweet Clara is out of a job once again.

Well, that's it from Butte, Montana, Aggie. Give my love toMa, Da and the goat. Your loving brother...Jim.


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Orphan Girl Theatre

Shannon PreteMicaela NewmanSandra Mellott

Landon HansenCory SchneiderMickey Guida

at least 5 shows a year on the Orphan Girl stageplus the large-scale fall musical in the Mother Lode Theatresummer theatre campand special projects like these melodramas

Last summer the Mainstreet Uptown Butte Associationapproached the Orphan Girl Theatre about creating somethingto promote tourism. The students of last summers theatrecamp worked with me to create a series of fictionalmelodramas that draw inspiration from a lot of the morecolorful events in Buttes history.

This weekend, these melodramas open at the World Museum ofMining where theyll play most every weekend through theend of August.

Now, I should fill you in a little about melodramas. Inthis show weve got a wide range of characters. There is,of course, the brave hero, an Irish immigrant making his

living mining the tunnels of Butte. Come on out here, hero.Now, when you see him, youll be tempted to cheer for him,which is the right thing to do.

Theres also a fair damsel in this piece. Now when you seeher, we ask the gentlemen in the audience not to pull herdown for a dance. No, the proper thing to do is to letforth a heartfelt ooh-ahh.

And there are also dastardly villains in the play. When yousee someone you just cant seem to take a shine to, resist

the urge to throw your cutlery at him. But feel free to booand hiss him all you like.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Rotary Club, the Orphan GirlTheatre presents for you chapter two of the ButteMelodramas: A Screw Loose or Come Butte or High Water

butte chapter 2

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