Johnny Darling tales, compiled by Charlie Hick, past Town of Callicoon Historian
"One day Johnny Darling came to Thumansville to call on "Squire Harding," who is in addition to being justice of the peace was post master and druggist, too, for he needed some medicine for his wife who had been ailing. A crowd soon gathered around the stove in the Harding store and post office to listen to the yarns that they were sure Darling would spin.
"They had not to wait long. John was soon entertaining the crowd and all but forgot Harding's bottles. Talk got around to oxen and strong oxen in particular. John told the crowd of a yoke of oxen he once had and how he took them to plow in a stumpy field. During the plowing the plow caught a hardwood stump squarely in the center, split it open, took the plow with Johnny hanging on the plow handles through the split in the stump when it closed with a snap to catch the coat tail of the swallow tail coat John Darling always wore when he plowed and held him fast. This yoke of oxen was unusually strong and Darling claimed it to be the strongest he ever owned."
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