The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-09-30
A QUEER FAMILY.
Consisting of Mother and Three
Children Who are Part Man and
Part Animal.

Dama and MISSISSIPPI inspecting
pine lands.
These gentlemen are the ennis
saries of a grand syndicate. or, at
least, so they claim, which has been
formed in Minnesota for the purpose
Of buying immense tracts OF land in
the south and forming a complete
system of saw mills from which to
furnish lumber for the world, but
more especially for shipment into
Mexico, where they claim they will
always find a ready market at good
prices.
These gentlemen are all men of
means and very kindly in their de-
| pertinent, making friends in every
portion of the country they have
visited, and bring with them I'M
doubted credentials as other honor
and integrity, therefore some credit
must be given to the following rela.
ton, which each of them declares
to be nothing but facts.
1t might be as we'll to state here
that nearly on the line between st.
Tammany and Washington parishes
resides man about so years of age,
who answers to the name of "Crazy
Aleck." This dilapidated specimen
of crazy humanity resides in the
most lonesome portion of the parish
that it would be possible to find, sell
dom making his appearance among
the settlers, and then only when
forced to do so from hunger.
He is harmlessly insane and
sometimes when he visits place to
secure snack Of something to eat
will become quite communicative
and tell some wonderful stories
concerning his forest home; but
where he resides 10 one knows or
cares, and his queer stories were
never needed, being regarded as the
fancies of madman's brain.
But upon several occasions
"Cr8Zy Aleck" has told a story con-
corning "a woman aud some bears, p"
which sounded ridiculous and i'm
probable in the extreme, but which,
nevertheless, has proved to be true.
This is a narrative related by the
three gentlemen first named:
Hearing, while in the lower pOr-
ton of Mississippi, that some very
desirable land lay in Washington
and st. Tamany parishes, La, and
that it could be procured very rea
sonably, our party started for
that section. Upon arriving at the
desired point we obtained accom-
modations at farmhouse and the
next day started on horseback on a
tour of inspection; well, we had
gone over considerable ground DUR
ing the day and started on the res
| turn about o'clock.
| Mr.. Vandal, who had become
weary of riding, had asked one of
us to lead his animal and that he
would walk on while we stopped
now and then to make observations
and take notes, as was our custom
upon such journeys. Vandal got
some distance ahead of the two of
us who had the horses, and suddenly
we saw him come around a bend in
the road a short distance ahead Of
us on a dead run; we started up our
horses to meet him, and when he
came up, almost out of breath, he
said: cite your horses to a tree and
come up the road there's the great,
est sight you ever saw"
We did as he requested and fol-
| lowed him up the road some 800
yards, when putting his fingers to
his lips, to indicate that we must be
| silent and cautious, he started to
creep through an underground on
the side of the road and we fol-
| lowed.
| At this juncture we were much
Istartled to hear a deep coarse laugh
issue from a space apparently a
short distance in advance of us. 1t
was human laugh, evidently, but
still it was so hollow and unearth<
! like that it sent 3 chill Of terror
| through us all; this laugh was fol-
| lowed by another, and then another
of the same kind, and these were
succeeded by long hearty laugh,
| apparently that Of a female.
Partly recovered from our aston
| ishment, at a motion from Vandal
we creeped on about thirty yards to
the edge of the thicket, and there in
| an open space, few yards beyond
we beheld the most astonishing
sight that ever greeted mortal eye.
Seated on the trunk of a fallen
| tree was a dilapidated looking speci'
men of feminine humanity, whose
small bit Of clothing was naught
but rags and whose hair hung about
her shoulders in a tangled mass; she
was apparently about sixty years OF
age, was of medium stature, and
dark, as though from long exposure
to the sun and weather. Near by
her were three of the most hideOus
OBJECTS one could imagine, evidently
playing, and she seemed to be
watching them attentively.
To describe these three objects
you could not call them human) is
very difficult. Their heads were
shaped like human beings, the tops
ears, eyes and neck being per
feet, but the mouth and nose com
ing together broad and thick, more
on the order of a bear; the arms re-
sembled perfectly those Of men, bu
from the waist down they bore thu
shape and semblance of a bear
being covered entirely with Ions
coarse, black hair. The feet were
also similar to those Of bear, being
fiat. and seemingly armed with i'm
-, o,oco oIoTT-