The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-08-25

natural course and turned into the nam
moth reservoir during the winter seasons;
hundreds of acres of land Immediately
north of the lake were thus brought under
cultivation; numerous canals were cut
through the sagebrush deserts of Box
Elder county, and it was made to "blOssOm
like the rose;" Preston and Lewiston fats
were plentifully supplied with that good-as
gold fluid, and the country round about was
converted into a second Eden.
But to revert again to my excursion tC
Bear Lake in 1889. The people dwelling in
the vicinity of the lake seem to take pride
aud great delight in telling of "their' Beal
Lake monster. One man declared with al
SoberneSS, that early one morning he hap
pened down by the lake shore below St
Charles, and saw with as1onished eyes
where the rushes had been pressed close tC
the ground, as if some enormous monster
hid been that way. OF course, he few tC
town with the news that he had seen the
monster, and away it went on the winds
that the monster had again been seen.
Then the Indians will not battle in the
lake
| THEY HAVE A TRADITION
that once upon time a score of their pap
pooses were washing in the lake when a
huge serpent moved stealthily upon the
crowd and scooped 'em all in right before
THE eyes of the horror stricken mothers and
fathers. Broad waters heap kaywit
ugh says the Indian in reference to the
lake.
Another story (true, of course,) goes that
many years ago; 800 reward was offered
for the monster dead or alive One ardent
seeker after wealth and fame conceived the
idea of batting him. So he had great fish
hook, over a yard in length, made of the
finest steel. A huge tloater painted red
was attached to the large rope which was
fastened at the top of big cottonwood near
the shore, and the hook to the other end.
The red 1oater was to trace the monster
should he break the line. A sheep was
killed, attached to the hook and with these
in his boat he rowed out to the end of his
line and dropped the baited hook overheard,
200 yards from shore. He could not sleep
that night, but tossed about in feverish
state. Next morning before daybreak he
arose and was soon rowing noiselessly out
| toward the f1oater With trembling hands
he raised the hook-the bait was gone !
''Ah, I'll have him next time sure" he
chuckled in an underbreath, thinking he
was being watched all the time by the mon
ster. That day he killed and baited with
another mutton, perfectly satisfied he
would make the capture that night. Next
morning the mutton was missing again.
He was positive he would catch HIM the
! lOllOM anu 81 IL hGuU Ou uulll
his entire flock of sheep had been con-
sumed in the vain endeavor to hook the
monster. He then hit upon an idea. OBJ
tanning
AUG OF THE STRONGEST WHISKY
he attached it to the hook and lay in wait
with a sixteen shooter loaded all round
To his great establishment and disgust he
perceived two Indians launch their boat,
row out and detach the jug from the hook
and return, not more than an hour after he
had left the boat. In his nervous state he
swooned, and when revived, followed the
tracks of the thieves into the brush. Here
he was again astounded. Around a bright
camp fire lay about fifteen drunken Indians
with heaps of sheep bones strewn about
and an empty jug standing ON its head.
That was the last fishing he did.
If anyone is curious enough as to wish
to see that hook, go to the old, abandoned
saw mill between Garden City and Fish
Haven and satisfy this desire.
l had so many and such varied stories
concerning this monster that l came to the
conclusion that there must he something in
them. And whoever saw HERALD man
who was not on the alert for something
new, spicy and startling!
The following must be taken for what it
is worth, for we do not force truth upon
anyone
After hearing a number of the most ex-
citing stories, one night, concerning this
monster, l stole off to the shore and con-
cealed myselfin the thick brush which lines
the southwestern part of the lake,
AND WATCHED AND WATCHED
for some signs of the big fellow. For two
long, dreary nights of anxious watching,
my Iabors went unrewarded. The third
night proved more successful. ASH was
gazing sleepily out over the broad expanse
and thoroughly tired of my self-imposed
task, imagined saw two small lights rise
out of the water to the north and directly
disappear. In few moments they reap
peared, seeming as large as two small Ian
| terms: again they seemed to sink into the
bosom of the lake. The smooth waters
again became the shelterer of the unknown.
In my half-awake state, l lay trembling with
excitement, each second seeming like
hours. 1t was gone, and 1 would see it no
more. Could this be the monster! No,
certainly not.
But was wrong, for soon two great,
round balls of fire like the headlight of a
locomotive appeared once more Oh the sur
| face of the waters only a few miles away.
Two long streaks of light flashed over the
placid waters, which was so bright as to
dazzle my very eyes. The lights seemed
stationary for moment, then shot across
the waters like fash. When they were
turned from me, 1 discerned long, black,
snakey form following them. The sleek,
black head enlarged abruptly where it was
Joined to the body, and sloped down to a
point, giving it the shape of monster pig
head minus the ears.
THE ROUND, FIERY EYES,
seemingly a foot in diameter, were deep set
and well back The whole appeared at least
300 feet in length, and for size would dis
count any antediluvian sea monster that
ever rode the main.
The entire surface of the lake became
disturbed by the manGuvers Of this king of
monsters; the waves came roaring to shore
| and dashed themselves in angry confusion
against the rocky beach, The water raised
several feet, and | was compelled to shift
my position in order not to be caught in its
| frothy arms.
The monster wheeled, passed in my front
like dark meteor and ran his head ashore
few hundred yards below. A long, thin,
blood red tongue darted out, wrapped itself
several times around a huge clump of
bushes and before l could tell it, the snap
ping of roots was heard, the enormous jaws
opened and the bushes disappeared down
| its hideous throat. This feeding, on a grand
! scale, was INDUCED in for some time and
witnessed by me with Mortified astOnish-
ment. The underground and birch trees
which the monster rooted up and swal
| lowed so easily and with such apparent
satisfaction. could not have been torn out
by ten yoke of oxen.
After satisfying his herbivorous appetite
he turned round, sped out near the center
of the lake and disappeared. have never
seen it since.