This is a story of exactly zero genealogical merit so probably should
not be on a genealogical site, however its funny so for whatever its
worth.

        My uncle, "B" Damron was quite a practical joker. John Wesley Ferguson,
son of William L. and Abigail Ferguson, acquired his farm in the
Ferguson Valley of Logan Co., Ark. as its former owner had gone to the
Civil War and never returned. People had always thought this man had
money, and figured he buried it when he left for the war. John Wesley
Ferguson also thought that and I guess hunted the land out for any
likely spot. Uncle "B" acquired one of those old 3 legged iron pots and
he and another man went on the property, dug a hole and buried the pot,
covering all traces of this. They left it for a year or more so when the
pot was excavated the mark of the three legged pot was clear. John
Wesley found the hole and the marks of the 3 legged pot and threw a fit,
he knew that someone had taken his gold. Uncle "B" never mentioned that
it was he who had buried the pot until after John Wesley had died, this
for obvious reasons.


        Turner Duckett had a sawmill and store in Northern Howard Co., Ark., just south of the Polk Co., line. Turner had a brother Jim Duckett who lived at Washburn, Ark., a community no longer extant but was about half way between Greenwood and Booneville, Ark. Jim Duckett would visit his brother Turner, and on one of these visits witnessed the following.  The people around Turners store were not very literate, but Turner took a weekly newspaper and from this he would read the news to these people.  On one of these occasions, this after Turner had read them the paper, he continued as though he was still reading from it. This story starts in a far away county with  some type varmint, some thought it was a cross between a coon and a bear. This animal could destroy a corn crop over night. With each weeks reading the animal was a little nearer and on a line that would bring it to Howard Co. The residents of the area were all alarmed, corn being about the staple of life for them. Jim Duckett said they would form all kinds of plans to combat the beast. My cousins, who had heard this story from Jim Duckett, said Jim would roll on the floor laughing when he told it.