The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-03-31
SAYS ROOSEVELT
HAD CONSIDERED
AMPHIBIAN HUNT


giles of the southern Andes, such as
recently described in cable dispatch
es from South America. and when
the former president went on his eX
pedition which discovered the River
of Doubt. he had some idea of look
ing for it.
John Barrett. late director of the
Pan-American Union and minister to
Argentina during President Roose.
velt's administration. has just dis
closed that part of Colonel Roosc-
velt's expeditionary plans which M
therto are said to have been untold.
"On reading the first cabled report
said Mr.. Barrett. that Martin Shef
field an American of whom have
personal knowledge had report ed that
he had seen what appeared to he a
plesiosaurian monster, or huge am
phibian swimming in the waters OF
southern Andean jungle lake. recall
ed that nearly twenty years ago. III
! November. 1909. when was Minis
ter to Argentina. a clear-headed typ
cal American prospectOr and explorer
whose name | have forgotten. came
ito the legation, and in convincing
way proceeded to relate to me a
story almost identical with that now
reported as told recently by Shei
field. to the effect that he had seen
swimming in a lake a huge lizard
like monster wth curved neck. His
expert discussion of the mineral ana
timber resources of the Andea1
plateau and plains convinced me o.
his sincerity and responsibility. b.
urged me 10 help him raise money IL
either Argentina or the United Statr+
preferably the latter, to OUTFIT ami
conduct an expedition TO locate AM
capture this extraordinary animal
and begged me to write to President
Roosevelt about il and mention his
name because he had been associat
cd in some way with Roosevelt in
the Cuban campaign.
Although | gave him no promises
he said he would call again. Shortly
afterward | wrote President Roose'
velt personal and unofficial letter
referring to this incident. In about
a month and half. there came in
the legation pouch a personal letter
from the President written in his
own hand writing and expressing real
interest in the story of this Ameri-
can whom he said he well remem
bered and asking me to get without
Ifail into touch with him at once and
ask him to write about what he had
seen.
THE man meanwhile sent word ~
me that he was off again on miner
al and timber prospecting tour III
Southern Argentina and Chile. hut
giving no address and no names OF
: those he might represent.
"In April. five months later. just
before | went to Panama as first Am
erican Minister. ] received letter
from the prospectOr written from
some faraway place in Chubut, or so
, called Patagonia. He was almost
enthusiastic in his story of how hC
had again found fresh trail of ;
, strange animal leading to the water'
, of a like Though he had not actuall'
seen the beast as in his first expert
ence. This letter | at once forward
ed to President Roosevelt and ] ar
!. wondering if it is still in his archirc
, which may have been preserved. Bn
since then | have never received
anv furthe rwOrd from or about thi
american IIOSIttlOl p79lb'F
NAV he alive now and read this an
give the world some information.
"When I returned to the Unitet
States the first salutation President
Roosevelt gave me as I entered the
, office in the White House was
Well. old Pan-America. where is YOU
} Argentine amphibian and what has
) happened to ............ calllhg ih'
mans name. 1t is my impression
that REPRESENTATIVE Cannon and sew
eral other Congressman were in thf
: room at the time and they may re
: call this salutation because everybo
dy seemed amused by it.
; after the denartnre of the Others
the president for half an hour dis
; cnssed. as an enthusiastic naturalis
/ and scientist the possibility of ther'
being some huge surviving amnhihi
an descended from the ancient plesiO
saurians and actually took stock. 81
TO sneak. in the story of the Ameri
can pr0spector whom he said he wei
remembered. I mentioned the incl
d6nt 10 Secretary Loeb as | left tn
Presidents office and he may posi-
hlv recall nv conversation.
Years later when Colonel ROose
Welt made his famous trim IN So"tl
America. he told me confidentiall'
Inst before sailing that although h
@ had nover heard anything furthe
n fror, this American prOsnector. h
l. decided to make snecial trim II
\ EXPLORE southern Argentina and Chill
/. in the hope of as"ertaining whethe
e thcro was any truth in these storie
h cf this monster amphihian which ver
d strongly appealed to him. He want
ed nothing said about it lest ther
2 sho"ld he ridicule IL he did not SUI
o ceed.
IS shortly before he left Bueno
: Aires. Argentina. for his notable an
e possibly fatal trip up the Parana an
a Paraguay rivers into the heart c
z Brazil. he sent me word through
n mutual Argentine friend that he ha
i finally decided upon the Brazilian IL
/, stead of the Argentine exploring e.
o lpedition.
r After his return to America an
when he was recovering from tn