The Huttig news., 1909-07-17
 CHAPTER V.
The Crawling Stone,

The Crawling Stone,
 The valley of Crawling Stone river marked for mere than a decade the dead line between the overland route of the white man aud the last country of the Sioux It was long after the building of the first line before even an engineers reconnaissance was made in the Crawling Stone country. Then, within ten years. three surveys were made, two on the north side of the river and one on the south side. by interests seekiI coast outlet Three reports made in this way gave varying estimates of the expense Of putting alineup the valley, but the three coincided in this, that the cost would b., prchibitive. Engineers of reputa- tlon nad ID this respect agreed, out Glover, who looked after such work for Bucks. remained unconvineed. and before MeCloud was put into the op- erating department on the Short Line he was asked by Glover 10 run pre- liminafy up Crawling Stone valley. Before the date of his report the con elusions reached by other engineers had stood unchallenred
 The valley was not unknown to 1 McGloud His first year in the noun. tains. in which. fitted as thoroughly as he could fit himself for his pfofes sion, he had come west and found him self unable to get work. had beer snent hunting. fishing. and wandering often cold and often hungry in tn
 uraer Crawling Stone country. Tn
 valley in itself offers to a construs l rionist no insuperable obstacles. tn difficulty is presented in the canyon where the river bursts through tht Elbow mountains, South of this can yon. McCloud one day en hunting trip. found himself with two Indians 1 pocketed in the rough country, and was planning how to escape passing 9 night away from camp when his com panions led him past a vertical wall of rock 1000 foet high. split into q narrow defile down which they rode. as it brca4ened out, for miles They emerged upon an open country that led without q break into the valley ef the Crawling Stone below the canyon Afterward, when he had become rail road man. McCloud, tting at camp fire with Glover and Morris Blood heard them discussing he coveted and impossible line up the valley. He had been taken into the circle of eonstruc- tionists and was teld ot the earlier re ports against he line He thought he knew something about the Elbow mountains, and disputed the findings offering in two days ride to take the men before him 10 the pass called bH the Indians the Box, and to take them through it. Glover called fl find, and a big one, and though more imme diate matters in the strategy of territorial control then cams before him. the pre- liminary was ordered and McCloud's findings were approved McCloud him self was soon afterward engrossed in the problems of operating the moun tain division: but the dream of his life was to build the Crawling Stone line with maximum grade of eight tenths through the Box
 The prettiest stretch of Crawline Stone valley lies within 20 miles of Medicine Bend There it 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 it. The first i house in the valley was the Stone ranch, built by Richard Cunning, and it still stands overlooking the town of Cunning at the junction of the French man creek and the Crawling Stone The Frenchman is fed by unfailing springs, and when by summer sun and wind every smaller stream in the mid dle basin has been licked dry. the Frenohman runs cold and swift be- tween it's russet 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, it afterward proved, the choice spot in the valley, and he stocked it with cattle when yeaTiings could be picked up in Medicine Bend at ten dollars head He got together a great body of valley land when 1t could be had for the asking, and be- came the rich man of the Long Range.
 The Cummings were Kentuckians. Richard was a bridge engineer and builder. and under Brodie built some of the first bridges on the mountain division. notably the great wooden bridge at Smoky creek. Richard