Geographical Index > United States > Pennsylvania > Susquehanna County > Article # 264
Media Article # 264
Monday, August 19, 1839
Whistling Child-like Creature Covered in Hair
Something like a year ago, there was considerable talk about a strange animal said to have been seen in the southwestern part of Bridgewater. Although the individual who described the animal persisted in declaring that he had seen it and was at first considerably frightened at it, the story was heard and looked upon more as food for the marvelous than as having any foundation in fact. He represented the animal, as we have it through a third person, as having the appearance of a child seven or eight years old although somewhat slimmer and covered entirely with hair. While picking berries he saw it walking toward him erect and whistling like a person. After recovering from his fright he is said to have pursued it, but it ran off with such speed, whistling as it went, that he could not catch it....
The same or a similar looking animal was seen in Silver Lake township, about two weeks since, by a boy some 16 years old. We had the story from the father of the boy and afterward from the boy himself. The boy was sent to work in the backwoods near the New York state line. He took with him a gun and was told by his father to shoot at anything he might see except persons or cattle. After working awhile he heard some person, his little brother he supposed, coming toward him whistling quite merrily. He said it looked like a human being, covered with black hair, about the size of his brother who was six or seven years old. His gun was somewhere a little distance off and he was very much frightened. However, he got his gun and shot at the animal, but trembled so that he could not hold it still. The strange animal, just as his gun went off, stepped behind a tree and then went off, whistling as before. The father said the boy came home very much frightened....
Making due allowance for frights and consequent exaggeration, an animal of singular appearance has doubtless been seen. What it is or whence it came is of course yet a mystery. From the description, if an outang [sic] were known to be in the country, we might think this to be it.
As no such animal is known, we shall leave the reader to conjecture for himself what it is without vouching for the correctness of the story."
The Sasquatch has been known to roar, yell, buzz and scream and now it seems he may also whistle.
This article was found by Jesse Glass while searching through the newspaper morgues of the Carroll County Historical Society in Westminster, Md.It was found in the August 19, 1839, issue of the Carroltonian, a now-defunct publication. The original article was credited to the Montrose, Pa., Spectator where it was published under the title "Food for the Marvelous."
Jesse Glass is a Fortean researcher and author of "Ghosts and Legends of Carroll County, Maryland."