The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-05-01
ODD TREE
IN f AUQUIER
------------------ t
Commences an Active Career as
Soon as 1t Is Cut to tho
Ground,
AN EVER ROLLING LOG
Queer Animals Of a Long ES-
tinct Species Found Inside It's
Trunk-A Parker Tree.
EVER ROLLING LOG
{speclal to rhe rimes-p lspatch.l


Especial to The Times Dispatch)
WORTHWHILE, VA, April Don the
estate purchased last year by Mr.. G.
Washington Hawncur there stood until
recently large, very crooked and evil
IDENTIFY quite old tree. bearing a strange
conc-shaped fruit and L..-ercnt from all
other trees In this section. Previous own
crs OF the place had spared TINS tree as
natural curiosity, but Mr.. Hawfleur III
very practical man, and as the tree did
not gain by standing and was too crooked
for lumber, he had It cut down on me
22d OF February for wood. In falling the
top part Of the tree broke up Into several
pteces.t but about thirty feet OF the trunk
reached the earth in one whole piece and
this piece has been q most interesting
object to the entire community ever since.
prom the moment 1t touched the ground
It refused to remain still, but kept rolling
backwards and forwards and over ana
over, generally very slowly. yet at times
rapidly, until the bark was worn OFF IN
places and the earth beaten and packed
like g. road. #s
Men were found who said they had
seen trees before so crooked they WOULD
never lie still.
one day about fifty men attempted to
hold the log and prevent 1t from rolling,
but the most Of them were thrown iiat
on the ground and some were hurled
distance OF twenty feet, while the log
kept rolling sereney on. People came for
miles to see the strange sight, and would
carry away with them as a souvenir
piece OF wood, bark or twlg, until now
= 4. frnn hnG
the thirty-foot log and the bark has peen
torn off the most Of that.
Mr. Hawiieur visited many large cities,
consulting Spirtuallsts,, necromancers,
hoo-doo doctors, and all others who mace
any professions of clearing up mysteries,
but none of the replies were satisfactory
to him. He finallyfacted on the advice OF
the negro man who cut the tree down,
and cut 1t open.
STRANGE CREATURES.
In hollow near the base Of the log he
found three creatures entirely different
from anything ever seen before in this
| section. 1t appears to be a combination
of bird, beast. fish and reptile. Walking
| ,uprightly on its hind legs like a bird: the
| bone of one finger of each of It's front
| feet Is expanded sufficiently to support
! an extended membrane similar to the
! wing OF bat The extended wings of
| ures ten feet four inches from tip to tip
! 1t has sinuous neck seven feet long that
! It can twist into every conceivable shape;
| the head of lizard. a mouth full of the
/ teeth of crocodile, and above tine eyes
| which are very large, Is n crescent-shap-
| ed row of holes which emit phosphores-
I cent glow in the dark that can apparent
! ~ be increased or diminished in bright
| ness at the will of the creatures.
Several persons have been overcome by
| breathing its exhalations, which have the
| peculiar odor of peach kernels and is very
| disagreeable. A local nurseryman who
| found it necessary to treat some OF his
stock with hydrocyanic acid gas tempo
rarily borrowed one of these creatures
| from Mr. Hawfeur, and shutting it UP in
| tight room With the stock to be fUmi-
| gated, he obtained very satisfactory re-
| suits
But the most marvellous feature of this
| horrible monstrosity Is the small, Sl!sten-
ing, hsh-like scales that cover every part
of it, even to the wings. These keep con-
tiually changing in color, from silver gray
to brown and black and purple and green
An eminent scientist connected with the
government at Washington, who recently
visited Mr.. Hawfleur's place, pronounced
the creature to be n species Of the ptero-
dactyle. which roamed in great numbers
over the earth's surface several thousand
years ago, but of which no other live
specimens are known to exist to-day.
RESULT OF A STORM.
After an examination Of the tree the
gentleman referred to above gave 1t as
his opinion that the tree was split open
during a terrific wind storm or some
other violent convulsion of nature, and
these creatures, seeking shelter in a hol- 4
low that was opened to view, were inn
prisoned by the tree closing after the
storm passed.
Mr.. Hawhcur has been offered fabulous
prices for his strange pets by colleges,
scientific institutions, and even circuses,
but he refuses all offers.
+ In the hollow with the pterodactyle
(, were found frog-lko quadrupeds, great
curiosities In themselves. and creature
slightly resembling q large tortoise with 4
strange hieroglyphics engraved on the
bottom shell. The scientist referred TO
above, to whom Mr.. Hawfleur made
present of the tortoise and frogs, says
these were inscribed with a stone instru-
ment. There is what appears to BIO
crude drawing OF log house built on
piles over a large body Of water. men and
nineteen crescents. and many other unln-
teligible markings.
While the bark and n thin shell OF the
sap work OF this remarkable tree was
alive, the main part of the wood had
turned into what has proved 10 be
very fine grade of graphite. and Mr.. llaw-
fieur is now negotiating its sale to a lead
pencil manufacturer in New York City.
Several of the young people who derive
amusement from the workings of the
planchette thought pieces of this graphite
would be grand for the pencil part OF
the boards. but they have been very much
rurpvisad Mt tha results, as 1t refuses TO