Loriaux Edward Sturbois - Author of Mudsock

Loriaux Sturbois was well into his 90's when I stopped by his house asking for a bit of history help. I was busy collecting stories of my favorite Orestes folks recollecting some of their great stories for the booklet Chronicles. Although Loriaux was a cousin we had never officially met to my knowledge till this moment.

I rapped a couple times at his door in Dundee near the store that his family had operated for several years. I heard someone say "come in" and I did. I was reluctant but found him sitting in his favorite chair in the living room. He had a nice Kentucky rife hanging near his fireplace and right away I thought this will be a great fishing ground for stories of Orestes and Dundee and the Pipe Creek Valley. I was right.

Figured I should introduce myself and good friend Russell Paddock had told him I was out scouring around the county looking for some interesting Orestes and Dundee stories and that I might stop in.

He explained a few things about my family that I didn't know and soon I realized his mind was in fine shape and ready and primed for telling a story. I love to hear the words in their own voices. I had received quite a few stories to this point and was confident in asking for another Orestes tale from an expert.

As soon as I requested something interesting for the booklet, he caught his breath and said I'll be right back. I got to go in the other room a minute.

He walked with a walker and was gone maybe four or five minutes. He came back carrying a folder and he handed it to me. It was 100 pages of material neatly typed with double spaces. He told me how his writings had portrayed Orestes, Dundee and the Pipe Creek Valley back between about 1875 and 1900. The stories were true to life but the names had been changed to protect the families of men and ladies with questionable character. I was shocked. I was totally shocked and the story was very well written. Loriaux told me to take the information with me and use what I wanted to use.

I really had no idea but set out to read the stories. My mind kept placing the characters at familiar locations as I got a great picture in my mind. Several of the characters I was able to recognize from family or town tales. Others I could not but later researched them at the Anderson Library. One of those being Peggy Bowers a rough edged woman that did things her way and if a candidate wanted to be elected they had to get her unofficial approval.

The material was enough for a book and I really wasn't sure how I was going to use it, but I was.

I separated two stories and placed them in the booklet along with about 28 other great stories about the area.

Before the book was printed I returned the material to Loriaux and I suggested he publish his work. He quickly let me know that those that still remained around the area would recognize the folks in the book and would lynch him. I laughed and told him I really enjoyed the story and it would be great to share and save the history. He shrugged and I bid him farewell and thanked him for contributing to the booklet.

Chronicles was sold out quickly and many commented about Loriaux participating in the project.

Months went by and I kept thinking about Loriaux work. It really was bugging me that all the good reading was going to set in his cabinet and rot and when he died it would be lost forever.

I decided to visit him again and drove to Dundee. I rapped at the door again and I heard him again..."come in". Just as before, there he was sitting in his favorite chair with the Kentucky rifle poised behind him.

We started talking about this and that and after about 30 minutes I suggested again that he do something with the material but this time I offered to do all of the design, layout and publishing for him. All he had to do was tell me how many booklets he wanted for his family and I would provide them. It would cost him nothing.

He reinforced what he had said a year earlier, everyone would hang him from a tree. I just laughed again and expressed that it was an enjoyable story and that most folks would think the same. At this instant he did a 180 and asked if ten booklets would be too many. I told him if he would agree I would make 15 and it would cost him nothing.

Slowly he made his way to the back room and returned with the material. I placed it on the table and I asked what he wanted to add or change. He assured me his work was done so I asked his opinion on the name of the book. The stories had been told to him by his family, grandparents and parents and all had taken place in short distance. The name Mudsock was somehow fitting for Dundee and I suggested it as a name and he rightly agreed, and so it is.

Five or six months later we had the book in our hands as I delivered the 15 copies to him for his family. His old eyes shined with pride and so did his sons. Joseph was visiting him from down south, maybe Alabama.

Through the influence of Russell Paddock the book Mudsock is available at the libraries in Anderson, Alexandria and Elwood. Maybe even a copy is in the Frankton library. Russ and Loriaux were great friends and no telling what the two of them talked about when they were together but Russ always encouraged me with an ornery grin to go and talk with Loriaux. I knew Russ was quite a character and Loriaux must be too.

Loriaux is gone now but saving the 100 typed pages has been one of the most satisfying things I have helped do. If you have an interest in country living or ordinary life as it was most everywhere 75 years ago, I encourage you to read Mudsock.

Dave Dwiggins