The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-04-04

John Barrett, late director Of the
Pan-Ameriean nnion and minister TO
Argentina during President Roosevelt's
administration has just disclosed that
part Of Colonel ReoSevct's expedition-
airy plans which hitherto are said TO
have been untold.
On reading the first cabled report :"
said Mr. Barrett. that Martin Shelf
field, an American Of whom / have per
sOnal knowledge, had reported that he
had seen what appeared to be a pleSio-
saurian monster or huge amphibian
swimming in the waters of a southern
Adean' jungle lake, / recalled that
nearly 20 years ago, in November. 1903
when | was minister TO Argentina a
clear-headed typical American prospec-
tor and explorer. whose name | have
forgotten. came to the legation and in n
convincing way proceeded to relate to
me a story almost identical with that
now reported as told recently bv Shelf
field. to the effect that he had seen
swimming i'm a lake n huge EZard-Iike
monster with n curved neck His ex-
pert discussion of the mineral and tim
Der resources Of the .tndean plateaus
and plains convinced me Of his SINGER
ity and responsibility. He urged me
to help him raise money in either Ar
gentina or the United States. preferably
the latter. to outfit and conduct an ex-
petition to locate and capture this ex-
traordinary animal, and begged me to
write to President Roosevelt about it
and mention his name because he had
been associated in some way with
Roosevelt in the Cuban campaign.
Barrett Wrote Roosevelt.
Although / gave him no promises. he
said he would call again. shortly aft
erward | wrote President Roosevelt a
personal and unofficial letter referring
to this incident. In about a month and
a hall. there came in thp legation pouch
personal letter from the president
written in his own handwriting. and
expressing real interest in the story Of
this American whom he said he well re-
mcmbcred and asking me to get without
fail into touch with him at once and
ask him to write all about what he had
seen.
ae.,' The maa, % eaRWAIe sent werfl that
he was off agau, on mineral and tim
Der prospecting tour in southern Argen-
tina and Chile, but giving no address
and no names of those he might repre-
sent.
Barrett Hears Again.
In April. five months later. Just be
fore I went to Panama as first Amer
lean minister, / received a letter from
the prospector written from some far
away place in Chubut. or so-called Pata-
gonia He was almost enthusiastic In
his story Of how he had again found
fresh trail of "a strange animal leading
to the waters of lake. although he had
not actually again seen the beast as in
his first experience. This letter | at
once forwarded to President Roosevelt
and | am wondering if ii is still in his
archives which may have been pre-
served. Since then | have never received
any further word from or about this
American prospector. Possibly he may
be alive and read this and give the
world some further information.
When | returned To the United
States the first Salutation President
Roosevelt gave me as ! entered his Of
flee in the White House was: Well.
old Pan-Ameriea. where Is your Argen-
tine amphibian and what has happened
to .------.' calling the mans name
It is my impression that Representa-
tive Cannon and several other congress
men were i'm the room at the time and
they may recall this salutation because
everybody seemed amused by it.
Barrett Hears President.
After the departure of the others the
President for half an hour discussed
as an enthusiastic naturalist and sci
enlist, the possibility of there being
SDilt HuGe surviving -dlllpulUldu Ue-
scended from the ancient pleSiosaurians
and actually took stock. 50 to speak. in
the story of the American prospeCtor
whom he said he well remembered I
mentioned the incident to Secretary
Loeb as / left the presidents Office and
he may possibly recall my conversation.
Years later when Colonel Roosevelt
made his famous trip to South America
he told me confidentially just before
sailing that. although he had never
heard anything further from this Amer
lean prOSpector | should not be sur
plised if. after his arrival in Argentina,
he decided to make a special trip of ex-
nloratio to southern Argentina and
Chile. in the hope of aseertaining
stories of this monster amphibian, which
strongly appealed to him. He wanted
nothing said about it lest there should
be ridicuie if he did not succeed.
Barrett Hears OF Choice.
shortly before he left Buenos Aires,
Argentina. for his notable and possibly
fatal trip up the Parana and Paraguay
rivers into the heart Of Brazil he sent
me word through a mutual Argentine
friend that he had finally decided on the
Brazilian instead of the Argentine ex
ploring expedition.
when he was recovering from the poison
and fever contracted in the wild hot
tropical jungle of Brazil | saw him for
long talk. when he said: We'll. while
/ am game and glad that l discovered
this unknown river in Brazil. j would
probably be far better physically if |
had gone to the cooler region of south
ern Argentina and Chile and | might
have found that mysterious amphibian
which would have aroused far more hui
man interest throughout the world
than en- unmapped river