The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1909-09-16


by interests seeking coast outlet
Three reports made in this way gave
varying estimates OF the expense Of
putting aline up the valley, but the TIRES
coincided In this. that the cost would
be prohibitlye. Engineers OF reputa
ton had in this respect agreed, bui
Glover. who looked after such worn
for Bucks, remained unconvnced, ana
before McCloud was put into the op
Grating department on the Short Lias
he was hsked by Glover to run a pre-
liminary up Crawling Stone valley
Before the date OF bis report the cor
cluslons reached by other engineers
had stood unchallenged.
The valley was not unknown ie
McCloud. His first year In the moua
tains. In which. fitted as thoroughly
as he could nt himself for his profess
sion. he had come west and found him
self unable 90 get work. had been
spent hunting. fishing. and wandering
often cold and often hungry. In the
upper Crawling Stone country. The
valley in itself Offers 10 a construc
ZIONIST no insuperable obstacles: the
difficulty is presented In the canyon
where the river bursts through the
Elbow mountains. South OF this can
yon. McCloud. one day on a hunting
trip. found himself with two Indians
pocketed In the rough country. and
was planning how TO escape passing .
night away from camp when his com
pantons led him past n vertical wall
Of rock 1000 feet high. split into Q
narrow defle down which they rode
as It broadened out. for miles. They
emerged upon an open country that
led without break into the valley OF
the Crawling Stone below the canyon
Afterward, when he had become a rail
road man. Mceloud. sitting at a camp
FIRE with Glover and Morris Blood
heard them discussing the coveted and
impossible line up the valley. He had
been taken into the circle OF constIuo
;lonlsts and was told OF the earlier re
ports against the line. He thought he
knew something about the Elbow
mountains. and disputed the findings.
Offering In two days ride 10 take the
men before him TO the pass called by
the Indians the Box. and TO take them
through H. Glover called Il n find. and
a big one. and though more immediate
matters in the strategy OF territorial
control then came before him, the pre-
liminary was ordered and McCloud'a
findings were approved. McCloud him
self was soon afterward cngrossed IL
the problems OF operating the noun
tain division: but the dream OF hii
life was to build the Crawling Stone
line with a maximum grade OF eight
tenths through the Box.
The prettiest stretch OF Crawling
Stone valley lies within 20 miles OF
Medicine Bend. There II lies widest
and has the pick OF water and grass
between Medicine Bend and the Mis-
sion mountains Cattlemen went into
the Crawling Stone country before the
Indians had wholly left II. The first
house In the valley was the Stone
ranch, built by Richard Dunning. and
II still stands overlooking the town OF
Cunning at the junction Of the French
man creek and the Crawling Stone
The Frenchman Is fed by unfailinf
springs. and when by summer sun ant
wind every smaller stream In the mid.
die basin has been licked dry, the
Frenchman runs cold and swift be
tween its russell hills. Richard Dun
ming. being on the border OF the In
dian country, built for his ranch,
house a rambling stone fortress. He
had chosen, II afterward proved. the
choice spot in the valley, and ha
stocked II with cattle when yearllnp
could be picked up In Medicine Bend
at ten dollars head. He got together
a great body OF valley land when Il
could be had for the asking. are be-
came the rich man OF the Long Range.
The Cummings were Kontuckians.
Richard was bridge engineer and
builder. and under Brodle built some
of the FIRST bridges on the mountain
division, notably the great wooden
bridge at Smoky creek Richard
brought out his nephew. Lance Dun,
ming. He taught Lance bridge.bulld.
Ing. and Murray Sinclair. who began
as a cowboy on the Stone ranch.
learned bodybuilding from Richard
Dunning. The Cummings both came
west, though at different times, as
young men and unmarried, and as far
as western women were concerned.
might always have remained so. But
a Kentucky cousin. Betty. one OF tho
Fairfield Cummings. related to Richard
within the sixth or eighth degree.
came to the mountains for her health.
Betty's mother had brought Richard
up as a boy. and Betty. when he left
Fairfield, was baby. But Dick--as
they knew him ut homeland the
mother wrote back and forth, ard he
persuaded her to send Betty out for a
trip, promising he would send her
back in a year a well woman.