St. Landry democrat., 1880-10-09

THE MOST HORRIBLE BEING OF THE
WORLD FOUND IN OREGON.

WORLD FOUND IN OREGON.
East Portland (Oreg0nl Vindcator.I
Long years ago, when the first set
| tiers came to Oregon, there were stories
told to newcomers OF the existence of
a monster that had been seen in the
wids of the Coast range. lie wandered
over every part of the vast domain be
tween the mouth OF Rouge river and the
| Colunl bia, going as far east as the Villa
mette river and the bonndless ocean on
| the west When the people began to
settle the rich fields and wales of this
part this monster went deeper, and
deeper into the wilderness, and was
only seen at long intervals as some ven
turesome hunter would suddenly come
across him in the mighty jungle OF
forest that covered his vast range. His
appearance, frightful in the extreme,
would so inspire his beholher with ter
ror that in his fear he would make all
haste to leave the spot of horror with
only an indistinct remembrance of the
vision he had behcld of the greatest
monster on earth His story told by
the campfire on his return to his COM
rades would only be llooted at, and he
would retire amid their derislon for
being such a coward.
his IehIlui IcIlu "Uu"
venture near the settlements, and in the
night would commit some depreciation
that would bring ont the hunters and
their dogs for a chase, bat after several
hours the hounds would come back
dragging their tails in terror and Sink
crOuching TO their masters feet. For
long years this demon monarch held his
SWAY of the forest, and his fame grew
from the north to the south, from the east
to the west, and many would start out
to conquer him. Some came back re-
garding him as myth, others with fear
written Oh each lineameDt OF their tea
lures, and others went out and never
returned. Those who had seen him
were unnamed forever, and their skill
as hunters gone; nor could they over be
induced to go beyond the settlement
again to seek the bear or elk for fear OF
an encounter with this inhuman mon
ster It was reserved for a party OF
tourists and hunters from California
to meet him face to face, and to them
we are indebted for the tale of their
adventure Two weeks ago a party of
four, renowned us mighty hunters of
the grizzly in the Sierras, came ashore
from the Oregon and took boat for the
Nehalem valley. Intent upon being the
first to tread many portions OF this Wild
country, they went on and on deep into
the wilderness. One day last week,
when far from the mighty Columbia
they sent out their dogs to chase the
game, and each took stand by a run"
One more full of curiosity aud adven-
ture than the rest of the party began to
look around, and soon he saw in the
soft mud near the spring the print OF a
monster foot but one track was vlsl-
BILE, but its size and resemblance to a
human foot made him start back in
horror and clench his trusty rifle as he
held his bated breath. He remembered
the stories he had heard and calling his
companions aud hounds around him
they decided TO give the monster chase,
nor rest until he had been brought to
bay. The track in the mud was shown
to the dogs, and soon their deep baying
betokened that they had found their
quarry. On through the tangled woods
rushed the men, and soon they were face
to face with the horrible form that had
haunted this place for years. Of giant
height, with hair falling in gTizzled
locks, his arms of the size of sapplings,
and covered with q coarse red hair all
over his body, he stood facing the men
with an expression of hate and ferocity.
His teeth were set, and his two long
tusks on each side showed that a life
would be Of little worth to anything
| into which they might be set, and with
sweep of his long arm one OF the
baying hounds was caught up and those
fearful tnsks sent crashing through his
brain. The men stood awed with hor-
ror The remaining dogs seeing the
fate of their comrade, drew back, and
this horrible figure throwing the dog
from him, moved away, and then they
saw what they had not noticed before
that one foot was backward and the
other forward. and that he could run
one way as we'll as the other. Fleet OF
foot, he could dodge first one way and
then the other, and springing by the
mighty trees Of the forest, he was soon
lost to view. His track was measured and
found to be twenty-seven INCHES in
length. His height was estimated by
measuring a small tree near which he
stood, and found to be eleven feet and
five inches. His terrible eyes and fero,,
cious teeth, that grinning mouth and
the swelling muscles Of his body so
inspired the hunters with a. wholesome
fear that they returned to the city, and
on last Wednesday morning returned
to their own State, content to hunt the
grizzly and mountain sheep amid the
hills and rocks Of the Sierra Aeyadas.