Rainier Review Vol. XIX Friday, July 18, 1924 No.
Strange Animals Seen
A story that rivals the most spine tingling tales of fiction has set
Kelso and southwest Washington, as well as this section of
Oregon, agog with curiosity and speculation as to its authenticity
and truth. It is a story of an encounter with strange, hairy, ape
like creatures at the base of Mt. St. Helens, in the vicinity of
Muddy River, eight miles from Spirit lake. The men who brought the
story to Kelso are Marion Smith and his son Ray, Lexington and Fred
Beck and Joe Peterson, who have been prospecting in the wilds of
the Mt. St. Helens country for the past six years.
As told to a representative of the Kelsonian, the story, by Marion
Smith is reproduced word for word:
Fire at Animal
"We have been prospecting there for six years. About sixteen
days ago Beck and myself saw one of these animals peeking from
behind a tree at a distance of about 100 yards. We fired and I
think I hit it in the head. It fell back as though struck and
curious to know the nature of the animal, we crossed an intervening
canyon, but it had gone by the time we reached the tree. We noticed
large tracks, from 13 to 14 inches long and resembling those of a
man, and I warned my son to carry a rifle whenever he went into the
woods. We had seen these tracks in former years and determined to
investigate. We came in for the Fourth but said nothing to anyone
of our experience. Wednesday while we were at the mine Roy went to
the spring for water, carrying only a revolver. As he was returning
he heard a cracking in the alders and turning saw one of the
animals charging out of the woods at him, waving its arms over its
head and striking its chest. He fired at it with his pistol, the
animal coming within fifteen feet of him before it turned back into
the woods. He was badly frightened and hurried back to camp.
"Thursday Roy and Fred encountered another of the animals as they
were going to the cabin. They fired at it and Peterson ran out of
the cabin with his revolver. Between them they fired sixteen shots,
the final shot by Beck apparently striking the animal and toppling
it over the edge of the canyon. This canyon has steep sides and we
could only have gotten down by using ropes. I heard the animal fall
and tried to look down but it was so steep I couldn't see the
bottom.
Creatures Come Back
"That night about eleven we were startled out of our sleep by
rocks falling through the hole in the roof of our cabin which
served as a smokestack. The bombardment continued until after two
in the morning. I insisted on building a large fire to frighten
away the animals, which pushed against the door, and made a great
deal of noise around the cabin, drumming on their chest.
It was a terrifying experience.
We nailed the door shut and I advised not to shoot so that we
would have all our ammunition in case they broke in.
"In the morning we were glad to start home. Six years ago when we
first located our claim we saw the strange four toed tracks, with
the toes short and stubby and almost square across, and have seen
them several times since. Two years ago the strange animals sought
to enter our tent, and we found tracks around our tent in the
morning."
Woods are Searched
All this week, the woods around the cabin were being combed
with hunters for the strange creatures, but so far, no report has
been heard from the hunters. Various explanations for their
presence have been advanced, and many in Kelso have ventured to say
that the story is the product of imagination. The miners insist,
however, that they saw the creatures, and their stories are given
some support from old timers who have heard of the giant creatures
that are said to inhabit the country there.
The story was given full credence by a member of Clallam tribe
at Hoquiam, Wash., this week, with the appearance of a lengthy
article describing the little known Seeahtik Indians, which are
said to be a skeleton in the Northwest Indians' closet. Because the
more advanced Indians of the Northwest have been ashamed of the
Seeahtiks they have kept the secret of the existence of this half
animal tribe.
Failure is Predicted
Descriptions given of these strange Indians tally in every
respect with what the miners said about them. Indians in the
Washington country, however, are skeptical about the success that
awaits the hunters, as their habits are so uncanny that it is a
foregone conclusion that they will not be seen.
The story is being thoroughly investigated by game officials
and other authorities in Kelso and the territory in which the
creatures were seen.
Creatures May be Indians
D. F. Howard, pioneer of Stella, Wash., was in Rainier Tuesday
and Wednesday, and paid the Review office a call. ... telling of a
tribe known as the Seeahtiks, which are below the average Northwest
Indian in many respects and which have almost never been mentioned.
In this article it is claimed that the Seeahtiks stand fully
seven feet in height, and some have been said to be eight feet.
Their bodies are covered with hair, giving the appearance of huge
bears. It is said that these Indians take twelve lives for each of
the lives taken in their tribe, which might bear out the statement
that the 'animals' returned and stoned the cabin after it was
thought that one of them had been killed by the miners.
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