The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1905-03-09
Former Kenosha Man Brings the
Head of Sea Serpent Back
From China to Honolulu.
DoUBTERS ARE CONVINCED.
The Find is Very ValuableiO One and
Scientists Are Making Every
Effort to Recover the Rest aT.
of the Skeleton. $50 49,

Some eight years ago Herbert Ayres
left Kenosha in search Of adventure,
and from the reports Of his progress
that have dritted back to this city his
friends here have concluded that he
was having it. The following report
of his latest adventure, taken from
the Honolulu Bulletin, will be. read
with interest by his many friends in
Kenosha:
Honolulu is the proud possessor Of
| the head of real sea serpent. The
| intact bones of the curious head are
{ now on exhibition in the window of a
cigar store at the corner of King and
Fort streets, this city, and hundreds
of curious people crowd around the
place all the time, waiting in line to
get glimpse of the strange object.
Honolulu has had her share of fish
stories and there have been tales be-
fore this of the tabled sea serpent,
but it remained for William Herbert
Melton Ayres, a newspaper man,
traveller, poet and gentleman Of 1eis-
ure, to bring to Hawaii what is prob
ably the first head Of sea serpent to
be placed on exhibition. Ayres, who
came to Hawaii seven years ago, went
to Shanghai, China, starting paper,
the Bund, in that city.
A few days ago he returned to Hon
olu1u quite unexpectedly, having
come into small fortune in the orr
ent. He walked quietly into the Of
fee of the Bulletin aud asked If the
paper cared to have story about a
sea serpent. He was asked not to
slam the door in going out.
Nothing daunted, Ayres again de-
scended upon the Office, bearing a
large carpet bag, from which queer
odor issued. Depositing the package
on the sporting editors desk, he in
sisted upon opening it and revealed to
the surprised gaze of all the bones Of
the head of a huge sea monster.
The Jaw bones measured about four
feet, the head being a couple of feet
wide. There were 100 teeth, eighty
upper and as many lower. The speci-
med had been crudely cured, portions
of the flesh still adhering to the bones.
Ayres stated that he had purchased
the head of Chinese fisherman who
had found the body of the serpent
washed upon the shore, the body, as
found in a state of decomposition,
measuring seventy-eight feet, appar-
entity having been killed by some pass
ing steamer.
Ayres believes that the serpent thus
discovered is a descendant of the
monster which inspired the dragon
upon the flag Of China. The teeth
are curious1y arranged, pointing in
ward and outward. AS much as SIS
has been offered here for a single
| tooth, but the owner has written Baron
Rothschild with view of disposing
of the unique find to him for fairly
good figure, $4,000.
| Before leaving China Ayres endeav-
ored to secure the whole skeleton, but
| the dogs had so broken up the remains
and had so scattered the bones that
he was obliged to be satisfied with the
head of the reptile. Local Chinese
merchants are anxious to secure the
specimen and are talking of raising
the price set upon the head. The head
is being photographed, portraits be-
| ing sent to various magazines in Eng
| land and America.