I'll Tell You No Lies
Events of 1898
Feb 28: Mr. Loughman tells the investigators: “I am being called away on a matter of some importance. An old family friend needs my help – for the townsfolk. The Winter is going to be especially cold this year. Do you have everything you need? I’ll need to be going in the next couple weeks, and won’t be back for some time.”
March 17: Mr. Loughman leaves town, temporarily closing shop.
May 12: Dr. Orkliff returns from Vienna. He is gathering records and supplies, and will be settling affairs that have arisen during his absence. He states he must return before November, and so will be leaving again sometime in mid October.
June 20: Portchester Open School House officially opens: Miss Stephanie Colton, Teacher.
August 16: Douglas learns from family friends that a discreet investor has been purchasing large quantities of Cattle commodities. The purchases are all through the Chicago Board of Trade through various proxy buyers that have all been linked to a single buyer who operates via telegraph and is known only by the initials F. G.. Douglas’ friends and family have begun covertly buying in, but if Douglas wants in he must act quickly because the excessive purchasing is already driving up prices beyond any reasonable expectations of profitability (outside of some sort of catastrophe).
Oct 14: Dr. Orkliff leaves for Vienna.
Nov 15: Elmer comes home to find an old copy of an essay lying neatly on his bed. The title is The Indian Question, written by Susette La Flesche in 1880. After doing some research, he discovers that Susette was a relative of the Omaha chief Big Elk, and spoke for the rights of Native Americans before a Congressional committee in 1880. Afterwards, she wrote this essay which has been adopted by the Algonquian Indians of the N.E. U.S. as a declaration of the atrocities they have faced from Europeans, as a people. Her Indian name is Inshata Theumba, Bright Eyes, and her siblings were Iron Eyes, the last chief of the Omaha; Susan LaFlesche Picotte, the first Native American woman physician; Rosalie LaFlesche Player, the financial manager for the Omaha nation; and Marguerite LaFlesche Picotte, a teacher on the Yankton Sioux reservation in South Dakota. Unfortunately, he still has no idea how the essay ended up on his bed.
Note: Algonquian refers to dozens of tribes with related languages, such as: Blackfoot, Cheyennes, Chippewa, Delaware/Lenape, Mohegan, Nanticokes, Oneida, Poospatuck, Powhatan, and Shawnee.
Nov 16: Douglas receives a letter from William H. Graham thanking him for his support earlier this year. It reads: …to be continued…
Nov 24: Annie receives a postcard from Mother Hulda with several postmarks: Freiburg, Germany; Bremen, Germany; Southampton Docks, England; South Street Seaport New York; Bridgeport Ct. Postage paid 20c; postage due 4c. The envelope is simply addressed from “Mother Hulda; Freiburg, Germany” and to “Annie Adler; c/o Adler & Lincaster Investigations and Consultations; 35 Baker Lane; Fairfield, CT; America”. It reads: …to be continued…
Nov 26: Unexpected and tragic blizzard hits New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.