The Turnbo Manuscripts
by Silas Claiborne Turnbo
1844-1925
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By S. C. Turnbo
"Away back in the pioneer days of what is now Cedar Creek Township in Marion County, Ark.," says Mr. Peter Keesee, "Alex Duggins who was an uncle of Cage Duggins who died on Big Creek in Ozark County, Mo. in the month of April 1872 lived on White River at the mouth of Big Creek. On one occasion he went down to the mouth of Big North Fork to purchase supplies from Major Wolf who kept a trading store there. While buying coffee, sugar and salt Mr. Wolf the proprietor offered to sell Mr. Duggins a large mirror. Looking glasses were so rarely seen on White River at that early date that many people had never heard of such an article much less seen one. When Mr. Duggins bought the glass and had brought it home he hung it up to the wall of the house near the door way and the family took it turn about in reflecting their images in the glass until they grew weary of it. One Sunday two young ladies who had never been blessed in viewing a mirror paid Mr. Duggins and his family a visit. It was something wonderful to them. They would take it turn about in standing before the glass and take a long look at their reflections, then dart out of doors to see if they could find their image implanted on the outside wall of the cabin and failing to do so they would appear perfectly astonished where their pictures had went to: They both repeated their foolishness until they were thoroughly convinced that they were unable to dodge out of the house quick enough to catch sight of their shadows, only through the glass. They both looked on the mirror as the greatest inventions they ever met before or expected to meet in the future. Mr. Duggins wife’s maiden name was Dial - his mothers given name was Moriah."
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