Changes

== The founding of the Gulch ==

== The founding of the Gulch ==

Midas Mulligan did not leave his bank penniless. He converted all his holdings into [[gold]] (how he obtained it, the novel never reveals), food, and livestock. He moved this to his landholdings in the Uncompaghre Valley, where he now planned to retire permanently. Mulligan cut off all means of access to the valley except for the northern road. He built a small house and a large stockpile of seed, livestock, and other provisions. As he later explained, he wanted "never again to look in the face of a looter."

Midas Mulligan did not leave his bank penniless. He converted all his holdings into [[gold]] (how he obtained it, the novel never reveals), food, and livestock. He moved this to his landholdings in the Uncompaghre Valley, where he now planned to retire permanently.

John Galt immediately proposed an effective means of camouflage, and Midas hired Galt to provide it. This was a screen of heat rays and reflectors designed to project a false image of a rock-strewn valley five miles distant, plus a smaller version designed to camouflage the northern road. (Midas blocked the winding Million Dollar Road to the south.) Galt also built a powerhouse to provide electric power for these screens, and for Midas' house and any other house that a man might care to build in the valley. John Galt took great pains to keep his invention secret: even though he never expected that anyone would ever set foot in the valley who was not a part of his strike (an expectation that would prove moot later on), he kept his invention, and the power installation, locked down. He erected a blockhouse of [[granite]], about half the size of a railroad freight car, and installed a special [[sound]] [[lock]] in the one and only door. This door would open only when someone repeated, slowly and with an inflection that would indicate understanding and wholehearted belief, the Oath of the Strike that John Galt had written. He carved this oath on the transom over the front door. It read thus:{{cquote|I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.}}

 

The likely scenario depends on John Galt recruiting more than just the first five recruits that he named to Dagny Taggart later. (See above.) Logically, Galt would contract with Mulligan to cut off the southern approach (the Million Dollar Highway), camouflage the northern road, camouflage the valley ''from the air'', and provide electric power, running water, and water treatment. Mulligan would pay Galt a lump sum, and Galt would hire the strikers he had thus far recruited to do the work.

 

John Galt's camouflage solution was a screen of heat rays and reflectors designed to project a false image of a rock-strewn valley five miles distant, plus a smaller version designed to hide the northern road. Galt also built a powerhouse to provide electric power for these screens, and for Midas' house and any other house that a man might care to build in the valley. He also built a water pump and reservoir system. John Galt took great pains to keep his electrostatic motor secret: even though he never expected that anyone would ever set foot in the valley who was not a part of his strike (an expectation that would prove moot later on), he kept his invention, and the power installation, locked down. He erected a blockhouse of [[granite]], about half the size of a railroad freight car, and installed a special [[sound]] [[lock]] in the one and only door. This door would open only when someone repeated, slowly and with an inflection that would indicate understanding and wholehearted belief, the Oath of the Strike that John Galt had written. He carved this oath on the transom over the front door. It read thus:{{cquote|I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.}}

In fact, in June of 2011, John Galt, [[Francisco d'Anconia]], [[Ragnar Danneskjöld]], [[Hugh Akston]], [[William Hastings]], and [[Richard Halley]] all built houses in the valley. They intended using those houses in annual visits every June. (William Hastings would use his house one more time, in 2012. He died shortly after he returned to his home on the outside.)

In fact, in June of 2011, John Galt, [[Francisco d'Anconia]], [[Ragnar Danneskjöld]], [[Hugh Akston]], [[William Hastings]], and [[Richard Halley]] all built houses in the valley. They intended using those houses in annual visits every June. (William Hastings would use his house one more time, in 2012. He died shortly after he returned to his home on the outside.)

Francisco d'Anconia prospected for [[copper]] in the mountains near the old Ouray Ice Park. He found it easily and drove the first excavation in 2011.

Francisco d'Anconia took care of the Million Dollar Highway. He had long sought to learn who had secretly bought the Uncompaghre River Valley and its Red Mountain Pass, under what he, Francisco, knew were assumed names. When John Galt told him that he not only knew who owned the valley, ''but had recruited him into the strike,'' Francisco almost quivered with excitement. He readily agreed to act as Galt's subcontractor for the project to seal the Red Mountain Pass, tear up the Million Dollar Highway, and restore the region to the "wilderness condition" that prevailed in Chief Ouray's day. (If anyone would have appreciated the delicious irony of giving hard-core environmentalists exactly what they ''said'' they wanted, it would be Francisco d'Anconia.) Francisco took a strictly nominal fee for this work, because he ''really'' wanted a leasehold in the Red Mountain Pass. Mulligan sold him this, and Francisco prospected for [[copper]] in the pass. He found it easily and drove the first excavation in 2011.

Any economy needs a bank, and Midas Mulligan could provide one. He re-established the Mulligan Bank as a bank that dealt exclusively in [[gold]] and [[silver]]. Ragnar Danneskjöld then announced his plan to bring the proceeds from the sale of seized government "relief cargoes" to the valley and distribute these in various accounts that he opened in the Mulligan Bank, in the names of the existing strikers and also in several names in a long list of prospects that John Galt and Francisco d'Anconia drew up and maintained. Ragnar proposed to refund all [[income tax]]es collected from these people since John Galt's initial defiant announcement to Gerald Starnes, Jr.

Any economy needs a bank, and Midas Mulligan could provide one. He re-established the Mulligan Bank as a bank that dealt exclusively in [[gold]] and [[silver]]. Ragnar Danneskjöld then announced his plan to bring the proceeds from the sale of seized government "relief cargoes" to the valley and distribute these in various accounts that he opened in the Mulligan Bank, in the names of the existing strikers and also in several names in a long list of prospects that John Galt and Francisco d'Anconia drew up and maintained. Ragnar proposed to refund all [[income tax]]es collected from these people since John Galt's initial defiant announcement to Gerald Starnes, Jr.