Chapter 69: Building Apartment Homes
Donal really couldn’t understand what Davey was thinking.
From his point of view, Davey already had more than enough money. The $1,000 he sent each month to Sheriff Malloy in Valentine and Sheriff Hanley in Strawberry was nothing worth mentioning.
And the liquor he gifted them? Even less of a concern.
Each bottle of moonshine cost barely over twenty cents to make, and since they didn’t pay alcohol taxes, the profits were enormous. Giving away a few bottles here and there didn’t make a dent in their earnings.
So with all that money in hand, why would Davey bother taking out a bank loan? That meant paying interest for no good reason.
Even if he mortgaged the farm, the bank would only lend a few thousand dollars at best.
But he’d spent eight thousand to buy the farm in the first place—surely, that was a losing deal.
“Mr. Callander, I don’t understand why we’re doing this,” Donal said after a moment’s hesitation.
Davey, however, was in good spirits. With the moonshine business booming, his daily income kept climbing higher. In just a few days, it would likely surpass two thousand dollars a day.
“Donal, don’t limit your vision to the small town of Valentine. We can aim much higher.”
“The moonshine trade is our foundation, but its source is illegal. We need to find a way to make it legitimate.”
“Only then can our enterprise truly expand.”
“The bank will help us move faster, giving us more legitimate assets—at least on paper.”
Though Davey explained it plainly, Donal still didn’t quite get it.
He had a bit of street smarts and some of his own ideas, but he’d never had a proper education. His understanding of the world was limited—still shaped by the rough ways of the frontier rather than the logic of the civilized world.
It was a common limitation among westerners, born of the times they lived in.
“Maybe you’ll understand someday, Donal,” Davey said simply.
He didn’t press the issue further. Trying to change someone’s worldview was tedious work, and he had no interest in playing teacher.
The Valentine Bank manager had invited him to dinner—business couldn’t be discussed freely during office hours, after all.
In the meantime, Davey had plenty to occupy his mind, starting with improving the farm.
The small profits from crops meant nothing to him—a few hundred dollars a month wasn’t even half a day’s income now.
So, Davey decided to build more houses on the property.
Land in the United States was privately owned—sacred, inviolable, and unrestricted by time limits.
That meant Davey could do whatever he wanted on his own farm, protected fully by federal law.
At that time, the country’s land policies were still loose, leaving plenty of loopholes for Davey to use.
“I want to build ten houses on the farm,” he said. “We’ll need a lot of labor. Donal, head to town and post the job notice.”
“Anyone willing to work for me will be paid twenty-two cents an hour—the going rate—and I’ll throw in a bottle of moonshine per day, after work hours, as a personal bonus.”
“Each house will be two stories tall with six rooms. The rooms can be small, but they must follow the latest apartment-style layout.”
“Every room should have its own bath, toilet, walk-in closet, kitchen, and balcony. Ideally, there should also be a small extra room—something that could serve as a utility space or a child’s bedroom.”
“Oh, and you should check if there’s a designer in Valentine who can handle these plans.”
Davey outlined everything clearly while Donal jotted it all down in his notebook.
“Mr. Callander, are you planning to build a hotel?” Donal asked curiously.
Davey shook his head. “No. These will be homes for our best employees.”
“If someone proves exceptional, I’ll give them one of the houses—completely free—so they can live there with their wife and kids.”
“They’ll even get a small plot of land to grow potatoes or vegetables if they like.”
Davey was laying the groundwork for his own enterprise, and to do that, he needed loyal people. In the West, finding a place to live wasn’t easy, but he intended to take care of his top workers completely—removing their worries about the future.
Sixty apartment units were only the beginning. One day, he’d build even more—maybe even standalone cottages.
And for those who gained both a job and a home, how could they not give Davey their loyalty in return?
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