The Turnbo Manuscripts
by Silas Claiborne Turnbo
1844-1925
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MUGGINS HOLLOW
By S. C. Turnbo
The following account was furnished me by Mr. Wm. J. Treadway of Peel, Ark. "There is a rough hollow that runs into West Sugar Loaf Creek just below the John Baily residence and is near a mile below the Elixir Springs in Boone County, Ark. The hollow derived its name from a man of the name of Muggins who built a log hut in this hollow 1 ½ miles above its mouth where he ran an old time pine tar factory by making tar from rich pine knots and selling it to the settlers to use on their ox wagons. This was long before the war and since that time this hollow has been called "Muggins Hollow". I recollect one day while my grandfather, John Treadway, lived on the John Baily farm which was settled by Phinius Deacons, myself and my brother, Ben Treadway, took three dogs, two of which were named Beaver and Rover, and went up Muggins Hollow to hunt and encountered a savage catamount which was of an unusual size. Though he was a fierce looking beast, but at sight of the dogs he beat a retreat and the dogs chased him hotly a short distance, when the cat went up a white oak tree which forked some 25 feet above the ground, and in this fork the animal took his position. When I and Ben approached the tree the cat bushed up its hair, raised up and growled, and you may write it down that there was a set of bad scared boys. We were at a loss what to do for we wanted to slay the beast, when at last we agreed that one of us should go to our grandfather’s and tell him to come with his gun and shoot the cat while the other stayed and watched the animal. I did the staying and I kept at a safe distance from the cat while Ben was gone. Sure enough, grandfather came with his rifle and shot the cat behind the shoulder and killed it. We left the dead beast lying at the foot of the tree."
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