National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-12-09
The Wild Men Of California.


writing from California, says Last Fall
was hunting in the mountains about
twenty miles South Of here, aud camped
five or six days in one place, as / have
done every season for the p lst fifteen
years Several times l returned to my
camp, after hunt, and saw that the
ashes and charred sticks from the fire.
place had been scattered about. An old
hunter notices such things, and very
soon gets curious to know the cause. AL
though my bedding and traps and little
stores were not disturbed as l could see,
I was anxious to learn who or what it
was that so regularly visited my camp.
for clearly the half-burnt sticks and
cinders coul1 not scatter themselves
about. I saw no tracks near the camp,
as the hard ground covered with dry
leaves, would show noue. So [ started
on circle around the place, and three
hundred yards of, in damp sand, I struck
the tracks OF mans feet, as / supposed
bare, aud OF immense size. Now was
curious, sure, and resolved to lay for the
bare-footed visitor. l accordingly took
a position on hill side, about sixty or
seventy feet from the fire, and securely
hid in the brush. waited and watched,
Two hours or more sat there and Won
dered if the owner of the feet would come
again, and whether he imagined what an
interest he had created in my inquiring
mind, and finally, what possessed him to
be prowling about there with no shoes
on. The Fireplace WIS on my right and
the spot where I saw the track was on my
left, hid by bushes. 1t was in this direc-
ton that my attention was mostly direct
ed, thinking the visitor would appear
there, and, beside. it was easier to sit and
face that wav Suddenly was started
by shrill whistle, such as boys produce
with two fingers under their tongue, and
turning quickly, 7 calculated, "Good
God ~ rs saw the object of my solitude
standing beside my fire, erect and look
ing suspiciously around 1t was in the
image of man, but it could not have
been human. I was never so benumbed
with astonishment before. The creature
whatever it was, stood full five feet high,
and disproportionately broad and square
at the shoulders, with arms of great
length. The legs were very short, ant
the body long. The head was small
compared with the rest of the creature
and appeared to be set upon his shoulder
( without neck. The whole was covered
, with dark brown and cinnamon-colore'
hair, quite long on some parts, that ol
the head standing in shock and grow
ing close down to the eyes. like Digge
Indians. As I looked, he threw hi
head back and whistled again, and the
stopped and grasped stick from tn
fire. This he swung round and round
until the fire on the end had gone out
when he repeated the manpuvre. wa
: dumb, almost, and could only look. FIJI
teen minutes l sat and watched him, a
, he whistled and scattered my fire about
!, I could easily have put bullet throug
! his head. but why should ] kill him
Having amused himself, apparently a.
he desired, with my fire, he started to go
and, having gone short distance, IN
returned and was joined by another
female, unmistakably-wh they botl
turned and walked past me, within twent,
yards of where sat- and disappeared il
the brush. | could not have had bet
ter opportunity for observing them, n
they were unconscious OF my presence
Their only object in visiting my cam
seemed to be to amuse themse selves wit
! swinging lighted sticks around. ! hear
this story many times since then, and ]
has often raised an incredulous smile
, but | met one person who has seen tn
mysterious creatures, and dozen VIII
have come across their tracks ut variou
places between here and pacheco Pass