The Turnbo Manuscripts

by Silas Claiborne Turnbo
1844-1925


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SPOILING HIS BOOTS
By S. C. Turnbo

Many of the old time settlers were fun loving and was always playing pranks off on their friends or any other person that they could persuade to believe what they said. Sam Magness who lived on the right bank of White River in Marion County Arkansas bought a pair of boots from Henry Bratton who sold goods at what is now called the Dick Martin Spring in Ozark County, Mo. In a few days after Magness bought the boot he employed Ben Clark to work for him. Clark took a fancy to the boots and wanted to buy them and pay for them in work. Boots were scarce articles then and it was but a few that could hardly tell what a boot was made for. As Magness did not need the boots very bad he told Clark he could have them. One day Clark who lived at the mouth of Big Creek took them home to wear them at some future time. One day Cage Hogan come to Mr. Clark and the latter showed Hogan his boots. While the latter was looking at them he says "Ben there is no use of these legs being attached to your boots. Cut them off and make your mother a pair of shoes out of them and you wear the feet part". and Ben says "Mr. Hogan that is true or you would not have told me so and you can cut the legs off if you want to". And Hogan took his knife out of his pocket and cut the legs off close down at the spur piece which ruined them and got on his horse and rode off and told almost every one he met weeks afterward how silly Ben Clark was to let him spoil his boots.

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