Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-09-09
Rock Lakes Monster,

For years it has been known that an i'm
mense serpent or water beast of unusual size
and peculiar shape made its home in our
lake. Numbers Of fishermen have reported
seeing it, or at least having a fight with it,
but always with the result of losing hook
and line, as it was always unmaDageabe.
Week before last Alderman Chapman, of
Chicago, Coax Grove house, had battle with
it. He says it had feet and scales somewhat
like an alligator.
Fred Seaver Sr., has for years insisted that
there was monster in the lake. That on
one occasion several years ago, it seized his
trolling nook and pulled his boat after him
for several rods and finally raised his Shiny
head out OF the water four feet, shook it's
homely head at him and disappeared. Mr.
Seaver confesses that he was SO frightened
he Immediately made for the shore.
r. Hassam once told the writer that he saw
it near the rushes on the west side of the
lake. At first he supposed it to be large
crooked limb of tree floating. On seeing it
move away he struck at it with an oar.
Last Sunday Captain Howe, Of the boat
livery, saw terrible cOmmOtiOn among the.
fish little way off his pier Pickerel and
pike of unusual size were jumping out of
the water as if pursued by a demon. Occa-
sionally in the midst of the racket he saw q
shape belonging to no fish nor serpent ever
seen by him before. The water was soon
dashed into a foam He rOwed out to it and
soon saw what the disturbance was: A SER
pent about seven feet long and four or five
inches thick and covered with yellow spots
and had large projecting eyes. On each side
Of the head where the gills are located on a
fish, was long fuke through which the
serpent spOuted large quantities of water
while attacking Captain Howe shot at the
monster twice, but his aim was bad under
the circumstances; he however succeeded
in giving it mighty blow with an oar 1t
sank into deep water The next morning he
found it on the shore dead. 1t had three
fish hooks in his mouth The animal is a
curiosity. 1t is neither serpent nor fish, and
cannot be classified by any adept in natural
history.
1t has been on exhibition for several days
at Daviss barber shop, having been en-
balmed by him.
1t is supposed that what Alderman Chap
man took for legs on the animal were streams
of water thrown out of the beasts flukes. Il
Bathers and timid fisherman may now
Danish all fear Of an attack from the lake
monster
The above appeared in The Lake
Mills Leader last week. It is interest
ing reading to local frequenters of Rock
lake, although many upon first hearing
of the capture, we're inclined to be
skeptical oyer the matter. There were
others, however, who were certain
the story was genuine, for they claimed
to have had experiences with the
monster at different times. Joe Har-
vey said he and Henry Bertram nearly
caught whale in Rock lake twelve
years ago; he was sure this was the
same animal. George Weber claimed
that last summer he, Frank Dickoff
and Emil Berg had the monster hooked
and alongside their boat, but were un-
able to land it. These confident par
ties will be somewhat chagrined, how
ever, when they hear the sequel to
the story The whole thing is a stu
pendous "fake"-a summer resort ad-
vertisement Mack Henderson, the
genial proprietor of the Park hotel at
the Lake, who attended the fair yes
terday, gave us the particulars. The
monster" is nothing but a piece of
canvass hose, cunningly shaped into a
fshy looking and ugly arrangement,
the handiwork of practical joker. 1t
was placed on exhibition and for a
tine served its purpose we'll. Hun
dreds viewed it's homely form, and
then the delusion became apparent
and the fun was over. Our citizens
may continue to visit Lake Mills and
battle and fish with the utmost seren-
itv