Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1922-03-30
ROOSEVELT HEARD OF
STRANGE AMPHIDIAN
Which Has Scientists All Won
dering II Prehistoric Mon
ster Still Survives in S. A.


Washington. Mar. 90 Thco-
dore Roosevelt believed there
might be some huge surviying
amhpibian in the juuglcs of the
Southern Andes. such "a, recently
been described In cable di.patchc
from South America. and when
ihc former president went on his
expedition which discovered fhc
River OF Doubt hc bad some r.ct
.of looking for it.
John Barnett. tate director of
tho Pan American CniDu ali
minister tp Argentina dutny
President Rooscvclrs adm.u lfI.
tion. has just disclosed tntt ptJl
of Colonel Roosevelt. c.prt.i
tionary plans which hitherto Uc
said tO have been untold
con reading thc 6fst Clh.ed r.-
port said Me-. Barrett. "thlt Har
tin Sheffield. au American uf
whom ! have personal knowledge.
had reported chat hc hld sru
what appeared tp tp be p.. .I
auriau monster of hugh tma.
blan swimming Boz the water .I
a southern Nulca1 Jungle a.r D.
recalled chat nearly lurf. ..s.
ago, in November. l0JI when I
was Minister CO. \rgcuI1t. f
clcar-hcadcd, typical American
prospcCtor and explorer, whose
name ! have Forgotten. came rI
the legation and iu a convincing
way, proceeded tO relate fY mc l
story almost identical with f.al
now reported a. told recently Lr
Sheffield. Co the effect that hc hli
he had seen swimming ru Ia.e
a huge lizzard-likc monster with
a curved neck. IIi+ expert dr
Cussion Of the mineral and timber
resources Of the \ndcau p'at.sE
and plains convinced mc oi Hr .ru
cerity and responsibility. I.c u~~-
ed me 90 help him raise money ru
either Argentina or the United
States, preferably tie latter. t)
outfit and conduct an eyDc.ttrlu
to locate and cap c-tra-
ordinary animal. and begged u.
To- write to President Roosevelt
about it and mention hls name hr-
cause he had been associated ru
way with Roosevelt iu Gre ra.aH
campaign.
Although J gave him no prom
ises. he said ne would caIi again.
Shortly aftcrward 7 wrote fob
President Roosevelt n personal
and unofficial letter referring fp
this incident. lu about p month
and a half there came iu The IeT--
tion pouch a personal letter frou
the President written iu '-- 1eT
handwriting and expressing real
interest IN the story oi this Nwer-
can whom he saId hc wcI. rrmcH-
bercd and asking me To- get With
out fail IN touch with him at Garc
and ask him to write aIi aJor-
what he had seem
The man meanwhile cHt word
that ne was off again ON "a MIN
cral and timber PROSPECTING taur
IN southern Argentina and Chill.
but giving no addrcss aad r1
names Of those hc might repre-
sent.
In April. FIVE months Iater.
iust before I went 90 Panama as
first American Minister. I receive
ed letter from che .pcrtDr
written from some Gar away
place in Chubut. or soraiicd Pa
tagOnia. re wa almost cutHu-
iastic IN his story of how Ec had
again found fresh trail of
strange animal leading to thc wa
tcrs Of a lake. although he had not
actually again seen thc beast as
in his first experience. This let
ter 7 at once sent to President
and ! am wondering 81
il Is still IN his archives which
may have been preserved. Since
hen 7 have never received any
further word from or about this
prospeCtor. Possibly