guardonline - The White River Monster or, according to doubters, alleged monster — the theme of Batesville’s ongoing 67th Annual White River Water Carnival, which concludes Saturday — made quite an impression on young semi-pro baseball player Thomas Graham in 1937.“My dad broke into minor league baseball, or semi-pro ball, out of Luanne, near Smackover, that year, in the Cotton States Baseball League,” said James Graham of Bethesda.
“His dad got on a bus with him when he was 17 and they came from Smackover to Newport and his dad got him a room.” The pitcher’s father then went back to Smackover.
“What amazed Dad was when he got there everything was set up, (all) up and down the river, in the monster watching area,” James said. His father, he said, was amazed at how well the local chamber of commerce was taking advantage of the monster situation.
“They charged a quarter to get into the monster watching area,” he said. “There were hot dog and concession stands, and I’m thinking he said they even had a couple of carnival rides set up down in that area.
“Just listening to him talk, there was a pretty good stir going on over there over that thing.”
And large crowds in which everyone seemed to be hoping to catch a glimpse, if not a good look, at the monster.
“It was just covered up. There were cars there from six or seven different states. In ’37, that was something, to draw in cars from that far away.”
And some did glimpse the monster, according to the 1937 Third Annual Rice and Cotton Festival book, published by the Newport Chamber of Commerce. The festival was Oct. 7-9 of that year.
“All the world knew in July, 1937, that Newport had a MONSTER,” starts the three-page article headed “The White River Monster ...” that begins on page 82 of the festival book.
“From Canada to Mexico, from California to Maine, there was scarcely a city or hamlet but knew of the fact and were interested in it,” the story states, noting that when first reported, not much credence was given to the reports.
But, it states, “... when it was seen by persons whose veracity could not be questioned, it soon came to be recognized that something bit and strange really had its habitat in the river...”
The creature was described as “big as a boxcar” and “as wide as three automobiles.”
The article contains sworn statements from people who said they had sighted the monster or its presence, including Bramblett Bateman, Mrs. Bramlett Bateman, J.M. Gawf (who said that as a respected merchant, planter and stock raiser he would have “no reason to make a false misrepresentation” about the matter; and Deputy Sheriff Z.B. Reid.
Reid and Mr. Bateman attempted to shoot the monster with a rifle during one sighting, but Bateman apparently got so excited he forgot to load the gun.
Graham, the young pitcher, went on to have a semi-pro baseball career that carried him to teams in several states, until World War II interfered. He gained the nickname “Lefty.”
“He played in Denver and in Amarillo, Texas, and Greenville, Mississippi (and other places). ... He was unusual in that he was a left-handed, one-eyed pitcher,” James said.
“He got his left eye put out when he was 3 years old by a spring on a screen door. He played 14 years as a pitcher, then got over 1,400 hours as a pilot. I’ve got his log books.”
“Lefty” retired in the early 1950s, then went to work for the Pine Bluff Arsenal. He died in 1999.
Thanks to Maggie for the heads up!
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The White River Monster
The legend of the White River Monster begins in the town of Newport in northeastern Arkansas. In 1915, local farmers began filing reports of a large, unknown creature off the banks of the White River. In July 1937, a key eyewitness account described the creature as having gray skin and being "as wide as a car and three cars long." A county deputy said the creature itself "looked like a large sturgeon or catfish."
THE MONSTER RETURNS: The White River Monster was sighted again in the summer of 1971. That year, eyewitnesses who encountered the creature described it as "the size of a boxcar" with a bone protruding from its forehead. "It looked as if the thing was peeling all over, but it was a smooth type of skin or flesh," said one, and it made strange noises that sounded like a combination of a "cow's moo and a horse's neigh." Other accounts of the White River Monster described three-toed tracks, 14 inches in length, on Towhead Island leading down to the river through a path of bent trees and crushed bushes. Following the reports, in 1973 the Arkansas State Legislator created the White River Monster Refuge, making it illegal to "molest, kill, trample, or harm the White River Monster while he is in the retreat."
MISTAKEN IDENTITY? According to scientists, the White River Monster is likely a case of mistaken identity. Cryptozoologist and biologist Roy P. Mackal has suggested that the creature is "a clear-cut instance of a known aquatic animal outside its normal habitat or range and therefore unidentified by the observers unfamiliar with the type." Mackal believes that the creature is in fact a large male elephant seal that wandered up the Mississippi River into White River. Measuring an average of 5,000 pounds and 14 feet in length, a male elephant seal shares many of the characteristics described by those who've encountered the "monster": gray skin, three-toed tracks, summer molting and a farm animal's call. Even the "bone" on the creature's forehead can be explained by the male elephant seal's inflatable trunk. So are male elephant seals visiting White River? No one's been able to confirm that they are, and the mystery continues.
Further information...
Some believe the White river monster may have had an impact on the Civil War. The river was used for transportation, and the monster was supposedly responsible for overturning a boat. Sightings of the monster began in 1915. On July 1 of that year, an owner of a plantation near the river, saw the monster. He reported it having gray skin and "as wide as a car and three cars long." As the news spread construction of a rope net began, but ended due to lack of money and materials.
The White River Monster was sighted again in the summer of 1971. That year, eyewitnesses who encountered the creature described it as "the size of a boxcar" with a bone protruding from its forehead. "It looked as if the thing was peeling all over, but it was a smooth type of skin or flesh," said one, and it made strange noises that sounded like a combination of a "cow's moo and a horse's neigh." Other accounts of the White River Monster described three-toed tracks, 14 inches (360 mm) in length, on Towhead Island leading down to the river through a path of bent trees and crushed bushes.
The most interesting part of this legend happened in 1973. The Arkansas State Legislator created the White River Monster Refuge along the area of the White River that runs adjacent to the Jacksonport State Park. They enacted a resolution which made it illegal to "molest, kill, trample, or harm the White River Monster while he is in the retreat." Is this proof of his existence or just an attempt to draw tourists?
There are many explanations for the creature. Biologists believe Whitey was actually a lost elephant seal. He somehow migrated incorrectly and ended up in Newport. Some townspeople believe that it was an elaborate plot to gain attention by farmers in the area. No one knows for sure.
The monster hasn't been seen much in recent years but many of the people living around the White River still believe he is there. Some think that he has died because the river has gotten shallower.
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Sources:
www.exploresouthernhistory.com
animal.discovery.com
littlerock.about.com
weirdthings.com
www.guardonline.com
The White River Monster: Myth or Reality?
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