Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-11-23
The Wild Men Of CalifOrnia---Their
Appearance---Story Of an Old Hunter.


A correspondent of the Antioch
Ledger, writ ng from GraysOn, Cali
fornia. under date of October 10, says:
" l saw in your paper, a short time
since. an item concerning the gorilla
which is said to have been seen in
Crow Canon, and shortly after in the
mountains at OresIimha creek. You
sneered at the idea OF there being any
such critters in these hills, and were
I not better informed. should sneer
too. or else conclude that one OF your
recent prospecting parties had got lost
i'm the wilderness, and didn't have
J spnst- enough to find his way back to
| Terry's. | positively assure you that
I this gorilla, or wild man, or whatever
you chOUse to call it, is no myth. 1
I know that il exists. and that there are
at least two Of them, having seen
them both at once not a year ago.
I Their existence has been reported at
I times for the past twenty years, and
I have heard il said that in early days
an Ourang Outang escaped from ship
on the southern coast; but the crea-
I ture I have seen is not that animal,
and If il, where did it get its mate
import her as the Web foot did their
wives? Last fall l was hunting in
the mountains, about twenty miles
south of here, and camped five or six
days in one place. as l have d me
FeyeEy season for the past fifteen years,
I Several times / returned to my camp,
after hunt, and saw that the ashes
i'and chqrred sticks from the fireplace
/ had been scattered about. An old
hunter notices such things, and very
loon gets curious to know the cause.
I Although my bedding and traps and
little stores were rot disturbed, as
could see, was anxious to learn who
or what it was that so regularly vis-
tied my camp, for clearly the half
/ burnt sticks and ciudeTs could not
scatter themselves about. l saw no
tracks near the camp, as the hard
around, covered with dry leaves would
show none. So / started on q circle
ground the place, and three hundred
/ yards off, in damp sand, struck the
track of u mans loot, as l supposed
| bare, and of immense size. Now l
was curious, sure. and resolved to lay
for the bare-fOUted visitor. accord
iugly took a position on a hillside.
about sixty or seventy feet from the
IRE, and secur ly hid in the brush.
I 1 waited and watched. Two hours or
more 1 sat there and wondered if the
owner Of the feet would come again,
and whether he imagined what an
interest he had created in my inquir-
ing mind, and finally, what possessed
him To be pTOwliug about there with
no SHOES ON. The fireplace was OH
my right, and the spot where | saw
tie track was OH my left, hid by bush
e.. Ii was in this direction that my
attention was most directed, thinking
the visitor would appear there. and,
besides, il was easier TO sit and face
that way Suddenly l was startled
by a shrIll whistle, such rs boys pro
duce with two fingers under theil
tongue, and turning quickly, l ejacu'
lated, Good God - rs l saw the
object of my sulicitude standing be
side nay fire, erect and looking suspi'
Ciuusly around. 1t was in the image
of man, but could not have been
human. 1 was never so benumbe'
with astonishment before. TT crea'
ture, whatever il was, stood full five
feet high, and disprOpOrtiOnateiy
broad and square at the shoulders
with arms of great length. The leg
were very short, and the body long
The head was small compared witt
the rest Of the creature. and appeared
to be set upon his shoulders without 1
neck. The whole was covered will
dark brown and cinnamOn-coloret
hair, quite long on some parts, thai
on the head standing i'm shock ant
growing close down to the eyes, Ike
Digger Indians. As l looked h'
/ threw his head back and whistleC
again, and then stopped and graspeC
a stick from the fire. This he swung
round and round until the fire on tbs
end had gone out, when he repeated
the maneuver. / was dumb, almost
and could only look. Fifteen minutes
] sat and watched him. as he whistleC
and scattered my fire about. l euulC
easily have put a bullet through hi
head, but why should l kill him
Having amused himself, apparently
all he desired. with my fire, he start
ell TO go, and, having gone shor
distance, he returned, aid was JOINED
by auOther-a female, Enthusiastically
, when they both turned and walked
, mast me, within twenty yards o
where 1 sat, and disappeared in tn
brush. IcOuld not have had a bette
opportunity for observing them, a
they were unconscious of my pres
, ence. Their only object in visiting
nv camp seemed TO be to amuse them
, selves with swinging lighted stick
around. have told this story man.
/ times since then, and 1t has Ottel
! raised an incredulOus smile; but
b,,-a mot onp Dprsou who has Seel
: the mysterious creatures, and a dozel
: who have come across their tracks a
! various places between here and Pa
) checO Pass"
e A Richmond suicide had to shoe
+, himself four times before making