The Turnbo Manuscripts
by Silas Claiborne Turnbo
1844-1925
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By S. C. Turnbo
One Saturday morning in the month of August 1860 while my parents owned and lived on the old George Fritts Farm on the north bank of White River in Keesee Township Marion County, Ark. This land on which we lived is now owned by Jim Roselle and the log house we occupied has been removed. While we lived here the road lead up the bank at the mouth of a ravine and after passing along the ravine lead up the lane to the house. On the morning we mention we heard the lowing of a strange cow brute and on going out to the yard fence where we could look down the lane we saw Jack Magarity who lived on what is now the Goe Glass Haskins Place on Big Creek coming up the land astride of a cows back. The man had rode the cow all the way from Big Creek to our house for a sack full of apples. The cow was a muly one with white and black pides all over her and was giving milk and the calf was at home in the lot. A pack saddle was strapped on the cows back and Magarity was seated in this saddle. A head stall placed on the cows head like a horse with reins attached was used to guide the cow with. When the man had reached the yard fence he halted the old cow and ask my father if he could get a sack full of apples and father says "yes, get down". And the man dismounted and opened the yard gate and lead the cow into the yard and tied her to a big apple tree that stood just on the inside of the yard and between the bank of the river and the house where she had to remain until her owner got ready to start back home. with a 2 ½ bushel home woven sack full of apples which was late in the afternoon. The old cow as she stood tied to the apple tree would "ball" for her calf and as the man rode her off down the lane with the sack full of apples loaded on the cow behind the saddle she lowed and continued to low for her calf until she passed beyond our hearing up the hollow. It was certainly amusing.
Mr. Magarity done all his milling on this cow either riding on the sack or lead the cow to the mill and back home.
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