The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-04-01
R000SEV ELT HAD
PLANNED To HUNT
HUGE AMPHIBIAN
Project Revived by Rumors of
Monster in South America
PROSECUTORS WEIRD TALE
American WHO Told Of Giant
Lizard Personal Friend Of
Former President

Washington March 31.-rheodore
Roosevelt be iaved there might be some
huge surviving amphibian in the jun.
giles Of the Southern Andes, such as
has recently been described in cable
from South America, and
when the former president went on
his exped ton which discovered the
River OF Doubt he had some idea Of
looking for IL
John Barrett late director of the
Pan-American Union and minister to
Argentina during President Roose
vets administration, has just dis
closed that part Of Colonel Roosevelts
eXped.t onary plans which hitherto are
said to have been untold
"On aiding the first cabled report,
said Mr. Barrett. that Martin Shelf
fed, an American Of whom have per
sonal knowledge, had reported that
he had seen what appeared to be a
plesiosaurau monster or huge am
ph.bian swimming in the waters of a
Southern And jungle lake, recalled
that nearly twenty years ago in No
yember. 1903 when | was Minister to
Argentina a clearheaded typical
American prospector and explorer.
whose name I have forgotten came to
the legat.ou and in q convincing way
proceeded to relate to M story al.
most identical with that now reported
as told recently by Sheffield, to the eff.
feet that he had seen swimming in
lake a huge lizard-like monster with
a curved neck His expert discussion
of the mineral and timber resources
OF the Andean plateaus and plains
convinced me of his sincerity and re-
spoons blllty. He urged M to help
him raise money IN either Argentina
or the United States, preferably the
lat, to outfit and conduct an expe
dit!on to locate and capture this ex'
traord nary animal and begged me to
write to President Roosevelt about
it and mention his name because he
had been assoc.at in soma way with
Roosevelt in the Cuban campaign.
Although | gave h I'm no promises.
he said ne would cal again. Shortly
alterWard wrote President Roosevelt
per onal and unofficial letter re-
farring to this incid Mt In about a
month and a half there capo IN the le-
CATION pouch a personal letter from
the Prs dert written in his own hand
writing and expressing real interest IN
the story OF this American whom he
said he well remembered and asking
me 10 ret without fail into touch with
him at once ANA ask him TO write all
about what n had seen.
THE man meanwhile sent WORD
that he was of again on a mineral
and timber prospecting tour in South
era Argentina and Chile, but giving
no address and no nance Of those ne
might represent.
I'll, April five months later just be
fore | went 20 Panama as hrst Ane'l'
can Minister, / received a letter from
the prospector written from some iar
away place in Chubut or so caIeu
Patagonia. lie was almost enthusl
as.ic in his story of how h. had again
found a fresh trail OF TRANCE animal
'eaiing to the waters Of lake al
,boueb ne had not actual y again seen
The beast as in his first experience
Tb's letter | at once forwarded to the
Pr,sids nt and | am wondering II 1t IS
SIN in his archives which may nave
noon preserved. Since then ! nave
never received any further word from
or about this American prospector,,
possibly h, may be alive and reau
mi and give the word some iHrtne'
when returned to the United
states the FIRST salutation President
Roosevelt gave me as J entered ms ~
ofnro in the White House was; Wei
old America where is your Argeh
tine amphibiun and what has happen
ed to .:.... calling the man
noma. II is my impression that hep
resentatiye Cannon and several othei
Congress men were IN the room at the
tine and they may recall this salu'a
ton because it seemed to amuse ev
crybody
after the departure Of the Others
the President for half an hour dis
cussed, as an enthusiastic natural ST
and scientist, the possibility Of there
hsino eop,e hupe eurViViuu amphibiar