Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods, With a Few Desert and Mountain Beasts
Encyclopedia
Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods, With a Few Desert and Mountain Beasts is a 1910 fantasy
field guide
by William Thomas Cox (1878–1961), Minnesota’s first State Forester
and Commissioner of Conservation, with illustrations by Coert du Bois (1881–1960; US Consul and forester) and Latin classifications by George Bishop Sudworth
(1862–1927; Chief Dendrologist of the Forest Service.) The text is a noteworthy resource on folklore, as a century after its initial publication Fearsome Creatures remains one of the principal sources on mythical animals of the United States and Canada.
from North American folklore, with descriptions by Cox preceded by full-page landscape illustrations by du Bois. Like in a traditional field guide, each animal is assigned a Latin classification (by Sudworth), afterward noting their habitat, physical makeup, and behavior. At the end of each account; however, there is usually a brief anecdote detailing an encounter with the creature. Fearsome Creatures may be classified as a work of metafiction.The introduction acknowledges the varmints as, “animals which he [the lumberjack] has originated.” Although, given the books mixed field-guide narrative format it is uncertain whether the introduction is within or aside from the primary context. At times the storyteller (identified as Cox himself in the introduction) employs the more ambiguous woodsmen/loggers “tell of” or out comes the “rumor of,” but other times declares to the reader that there “ranges” or “is” such a creature.
were carried from camp to camp. Also that while much has been written concerning lumberjacks, little has been put down concerning the creatures of his imagination.
Page 9 – The Hugag: A large, herbivoric
mammal of the northern woods having jointless legs that prevents it from lying down.
Page 11 – The Gumberoo: A nearly hairless, bear-like brute of the Pacific coast. The creature is purported to have a rubbery hide that bounces back anything thrown on it. Bullets will rebound in the direction they were fired. They can be killed when forest fires cause them to explode, leaving behind a rubbery smell.
Page 13 – The Roperite: A flightless bird of the Sierra Nevadas, that ropes in its prey with a lasso-like beak.
Page 15 – The Snoligoster: An enormous crocodilian monster of the southern cypress swamps. Being absent of any limbs the creature drives itself through the marsh aided by its propeller tipped tail. The snoligoster was spared from gun fire by a certain Inman F. Eldredge after it impaled a fugitive he had been tracking.
Page 17 – The Leprocaun: A North America genus of the Irish Leprechaun
, renowned for terrorizing woodsmen in the vicinity of the great lakes.
Page 19 – The Funeral Mountain Terrashot: An animal with a casket-shaped structure that, after wandering down from the mountains, explodes upon contact with the searing sands of the desert.
Page 21 – The Slide-Rock Bolter: An appendageless leviathan, save for two claw-like hooks, that grapples itself atop Colorado slopes awaiting anything at the bottom. Where after the hungry creature skids down the incline with jaws wide open.
Page 23 – The Toteroad Shagamaw: A northeastern, bipedal beast with both hooves and paws that causes much confusion by swapping the two. While traveling it leaves behind tracks that abruptly switch from a moose, to a bear, and vice versa.
Page 25 – The Wapaloosie: A petite varmint of the northwest distinguished by its ability to scale substantial heights; an ability it retains even after being made into a pair of mittens.
Page 27 – The Cactus cat
: A southwestern feline having a coat resembling thorns and a tail like branches; notorious for its fondness for fermented cactus juice (which it greedily gulps down.) The cat than becomes intoxicated and goes shrieking into the night.
Page 29 – The Hodag
: A large animal ranging from Wisconsin to Minnesota having a spade-shaped bony growth at end of its nose. It uses this growth to level trees containing its natural prey, porcupine.
Page 31 – The Squonk
: A creature of the Pennsylvanian hemlock forests
so ashamed of its upsetting countenance that it weeps constantly. J. P. Wentling once managed to catch one in a sack, but as he began to walk away he felt his load lighten. He opened the sack to find the squonk had dissolve completely into tears.
Page 33 – The Whirling Whimpus: A fiend of the Cumberland Mountains
that spins so rapidly it becomes undetectable save for a buzzing sound. In this manner it awaits a victim. When the two come into contact, its prey is instantly becomes a syrup which the whimpus feeds upon.
Page 35 – The Argopelter
: A creature of the Northwoods resentful of the intrusion of the lumberjack. The argopelter hurls branches at passerbys striking them unconscious or resulting in death. A Big Ole Kittleson who was struck by the Argopelter, but hit by a rotted limb was able to catch a glimsp of the creature. Which he reported as having an ape-like countenance and arms like, "muscular whiplashes."
Page 37 – The Splinter Cat
: A feline, who during thunderstorms, uses its rigid forehead to ram trees. These trees contain its primary sources of food (raccoons and honey.)
Page 39 – The Snow Wasset: Awaiting its prey to cross along the snowy surface of the Boreal Zone
. Just underneath the legless beast burrows, springs out from under, than pulls its victim in.
Page 41 – The Central American Whintosser: A fiend with three sets of legs, so to always land feet first.
Page 43 – Billdad: A varmint of Boundary pond, Maine noted for it jumping ability. Forbidden from human consumption do to the elastic effect it transposes. Bill Murphy, a tote-road swamper, was the last to eat one after which he shot up fifty yards into the air and sank in the lake.
Page 45 – Tripodero: A Californian beast native to the foothill forest. Its most prominent features are its extendable, tripod-like
legs and blow gun like mouth. The latter it fills with balls of clay it uses to shoot out its game.
Page 47 – Hyampom Hog Bear: A bear with a voracious appetite for pork. At times taking whole chunks out of them while they squeal in pain. Eugene S. Bruce, of the Forest Service
, captured one and took it to the national zoo in Washington
.
Additionally, excerpts from Fearsome Creatures have been featured in a number of other publications, including:
In the tradition of American tall tale
s and folklore, not all of the narrations are complete fabrications. Instead they are highly embellished stories elaborated on personal experiences. In the narrative of Hyampom Hog Bear, a hog bear cub is found in Klamath River, California and taken by Eugene S. Bruce to the National Zoo in Washington D.C. This account is also recorded in The Land We Live In, The Book of Conservation by Overton W. Price in this version Bruce did in fact catch a cub with his bare hands while trekking through the California mountains; the accompanying image stating underneath, "It [the bear] is now in the Washington Zoo." Albeit the animal pictured is presumably not a hog bear. Likewise, in the sketch of the snoligoster Inman F. Eldredge (1883–1963), a Gifford Pinchot Medal
awardee, who while pursuing an escaped fugitive in the everglades, encounters the dreadful swamp-wyrm which afterward devours the criminal. An episode which is doubtlessly a fanciful idealization of Eldredge's background as a timber cruiser in Southern Florida. Other persons referenced in Fearsome Creatures are John P. Wentling (1878-19XX; who was professor of forestry at both the Pennsylvania State Forest Academy and University of Minnesota), A. B. Patterson (Forest Service), Big Ole Kittleson, Gus Demo, Bill Murphy, and John Gray.
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
field guide
Field guide
A field guide is a book designed to help the reader identify wildlife or other objects of natural occurrence . It is generally designed to be brought into the 'field' or local area where such objects exist to help distinguish between similar objects...
by William Thomas Cox (1878–1961), Minnesota’s first State Forester
National Association of State Foresters
The National Association of State Foresters is a non-profit organization that represents the directors of all 50 State Forestry agencies, the eight United States territories, and the District of Columbia...
and Commissioner of Conservation, with illustrations by Coert du Bois (1881–1960; US Consul and forester) and Latin classifications by George Bishop Sudworth
George Bishop Sudworth
George Bishop Sudworth was an American botanist. At the time of his death, he was the Chief Dendrologist of the US Forest Service.During his life, Sudworth published several books, but his most famous is A Check List of the Forest Trees of the United States.Sudworth discovered many new species and...
(1862–1927; Chief Dendrologist of the Forest Service.) The text is a noteworthy resource on folklore, as a century after its initial publication Fearsome Creatures remains one of the principal sources on mythical animals of the United States and Canada.
Fearsome critters
Fearsome critter is a term found in early lumberjack folklore for any of the mythical beasts that were said to inhabit the frontier wilderness of North America.- Origins :...
Summary
The book presents various sketches of fearsome crittersFearsome critters
Fearsome critter is a term found in early lumberjack folklore for any of the mythical beasts that were said to inhabit the frontier wilderness of North America.- Origins :...
from North American folklore, with descriptions by Cox preceded by full-page landscape illustrations by du Bois. Like in a traditional field guide, each animal is assigned a Latin classification (by Sudworth), afterward noting their habitat, physical makeup, and behavior. At the end of each account; however, there is usually a brief anecdote detailing an encounter with the creature. Fearsome Creatures may be classified as a work of metafiction.The introduction acknowledges the varmints as, “animals which he [the lumberjack] has originated.” Although, given the books mixed field-guide narrative format it is uncertain whether the introduction is within or aside from the primary context. At times the storyteller (identified as Cox himself in the introduction) employs the more ambiguous woodsmen/loggers “tell of” or out comes the “rumor of,” but other times declares to the reader that there “ranges” or “is” such a creature.
Synopsis
Page 5 – Introduction: Cox imparts that lumberjack yarnsTall tale
A tall tale is a story with unbelievable elements, related as if it were true and factual. Some such stories are exaggerations of actual events, for example fish stories such as, "that fish was so big, why I tell ya', it nearly sank the boat when I pulled it in!" Other tall tales are completely...
were carried from camp to camp. Also that while much has been written concerning lumberjacks, little has been put down concerning the creatures of his imagination.
Page 9 – The Hugag: A large, herbivoric
Herbivore
Herbivores are organisms that are anatomically and physiologically adapted to eat plant-based foods. Herbivory is a form of consumption in which an organism principally eats autotrophs such as plants, algae and photosynthesizing bacteria. More generally, organisms that feed on autotrophs in...
mammal of the northern woods having jointless legs that prevents it from lying down.
Page 11 – The Gumberoo: A nearly hairless, bear-like brute of the Pacific coast. The creature is purported to have a rubbery hide that bounces back anything thrown on it. Bullets will rebound in the direction they were fired. They can be killed when forest fires cause them to explode, leaving behind a rubbery smell.
Page 13 – The Roperite: A flightless bird of the Sierra Nevadas, that ropes in its prey with a lasso-like beak.
Page 15 – The Snoligoster: An enormous crocodilian monster of the southern cypress swamps. Being absent of any limbs the creature drives itself through the marsh aided by its propeller tipped tail. The snoligoster was spared from gun fire by a certain Inman F. Eldredge after it impaled a fugitive he had been tracking.
Page 17 – The Leprocaun: A North America genus of the Irish Leprechaun
Leprechaun
A leprechaun is a type of fairy in Irish folklore, usually taking the form of an old man, clad in a red or green coat, who enjoys partaking in mischief. Like other fairy creatures, leprechauns have been linked to the Tuatha Dé Danann of Irish mythology...
, renowned for terrorizing woodsmen in the vicinity of the great lakes.
Page 19 – The Funeral Mountain Terrashot: An animal with a casket-shaped structure that, after wandering down from the mountains, explodes upon contact with the searing sands of the desert.
Page 21 – The Slide-Rock Bolter: An appendageless leviathan, save for two claw-like hooks, that grapples itself atop Colorado slopes awaiting anything at the bottom. Where after the hungry creature skids down the incline with jaws wide open.
Page 23 – The Toteroad Shagamaw: A northeastern, bipedal beast with both hooves and paws that causes much confusion by swapping the two. While traveling it leaves behind tracks that abruptly switch from a moose, to a bear, and vice versa.
Page 25 – The Wapaloosie: A petite varmint of the northwest distinguished by its ability to scale substantial heights; an ability it retains even after being made into a pair of mittens.
Page 27 – The Cactus cat
Cactus cat
The cactus cat is a mythical fearsome critter of the American Southwest.The cactus cat was generally described being a bobcat-like creature, covered in hair-like thorns, with particularly long spines extending from the legs and its armored, branching tail....
: A southwestern feline having a coat resembling thorns and a tail like branches; notorious for its fondness for fermented cactus juice (which it greedily gulps down.) The cat than becomes intoxicated and goes shrieking into the night.
Page 29 – The Hodag
Hodag
The Hodag is a folkloric animal of the American state of Wisconsin. Its history is focused mainly around the city of Rhinelander in northern Wisconsin, where it was said to have been discovered.-Origins:...
: A large animal ranging from Wisconsin to Minnesota having a spade-shaped bony growth at end of its nose. It uses this growth to level trees containing its natural prey, porcupine.
Page 31 – The Squonk
Squonk
The Squonk is a legendary creature reputed to live in the Hemlock forests of northern Pennsylvania. Legends of squonks probably originated in the late nineteenth century, at the height of Pennsylvania's importance in the timber industry.-In folklore:...
: A creature of the Pennsylvanian hemlock forests
Tsuga
Tsuga is a genus of conifers in the family Pinaceae. The common name hemlock is derived from a perceived similarity in the smell of its crushed foliage to that of the unrelated plant poison hemlock....
so ashamed of its upsetting countenance that it weeps constantly. J. P. Wentling once managed to catch one in a sack, but as he began to walk away he felt his load lighten. He opened the sack to find the squonk had dissolve completely into tears.
Page 33 – The Whirling Whimpus: A fiend of the Cumberland Mountains
Cumberland Mountains
The Cumberland Mountains are a mountain range in the southeastern section of the Appalachian Mountains. They are located in southern West Virginia, western Virginia, eastern edges of Kentucky, and eastern middle Tennessee, including the Crab Orchard Mountains...
that spins so rapidly it becomes undetectable save for a buzzing sound. In this manner it awaits a victim. When the two come into contact, its prey is instantly becomes a syrup which the whimpus feeds upon.
Page 35 – The Argopelter
Argopelter
The Argopelter is a fearsome critter said to inhabit hollow trees of the conifer woods from Maine to Oregon. From this vantage point, the creature would await an unwary person and hurl wooden splinters and branches at the intruder. Some have described the creature as being so quick that it has...
: A creature of the Northwoods resentful of the intrusion of the lumberjack. The argopelter hurls branches at passerbys striking them unconscious or resulting in death. A Big Ole Kittleson who was struck by the Argopelter, but hit by a rotted limb was able to catch a glimsp of the creature. Which he reported as having an ape-like countenance and arms like, "muscular whiplashes."
Page 37 – The Splinter Cat
Splintercat
The splintercat is a legend and fictional animal in the United States.The splintercat is a nocturnal feline animal of great ferocity. It flies through the air with terrific speed and when it hits a large tree, it knocks the branches off, withers the trunk and leaves it standing like a silvery ghost...
: A feline, who during thunderstorms, uses its rigid forehead to ram trees. These trees contain its primary sources of food (raccoons and honey.)
Page 39 – The Snow Wasset: Awaiting its prey to cross along the snowy surface of the Boreal Zone
Taiga
Taiga , also known as the boreal forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests.Taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome. In North America it covers most of inland Canada and Alaska as well as parts of the extreme northern continental United States and is known as the Northwoods...
. Just underneath the legless beast burrows, springs out from under, than pulls its victim in.
Page 41 – The Central American Whintosser: A fiend with three sets of legs, so to always land feet first.
Page 43 – Billdad: A varmint of Boundary pond, Maine noted for it jumping ability. Forbidden from human consumption do to the elastic effect it transposes. Bill Murphy, a tote-road swamper, was the last to eat one after which he shot up fifty yards into the air and sank in the lake.
Page 45 – Tripodero: A Californian beast native to the foothill forest. Its most prominent features are its extendable, tripod-like
Tripod
A tripod is a portable three-legged frame, used as a platform for supporting the weight and maintaining the stability of some other object. The word comes from the Greek tripous, meaning "three feet". A tripod provides stability against downward forces, horizontal forces and moments about the...
legs and blow gun like mouth. The latter it fills with balls of clay it uses to shoot out its game.
Page 47 – Hyampom Hog Bear: A bear with a voracious appetite for pork. At times taking whole chunks out of them while they squeal in pain. Eugene S. Bruce, of the Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
, captured one and took it to the national zoo in Washington
Smithsonian National Zoological Park
The Smithsonian National Zoological Park, commonly known as the National Zoo, is one of the oldest zoos in the United States, and as part of the Smithsonian Institution, does not charge admission. Founded in 1889, its mission is to provide leadership in animal care, science, education,...
.
Publication history
First published in 1910 by the Press of Judd & Detweiler, Inc., Fearsome Creatures wasn't reprinted until half a century later when the full manuscript was included as a bonus in Walker D. Wyman's Mythical Creatures of the North Country. (River Falls, Wis., River Falls State University Press, 1969.) It was published on its own again by Bishop Publishing Co. in 1984. Subsequently in 2006 two decades after its second publication it was recirculated online in a HTML version by Apalon Company, TLA. and PDF by Google Books. The following year it was again put into hard-copy by Kessinger Publishing. The original edition is in 35 United States WorldCat libraries .Additionally, excerpts from Fearsome Creatures have been featured in a number of other publications, including:
- Tryon, Henry Harrington. Fearsome Critters. (Idlewild Press, 1939.)
- Botkin, B.A. (Ed.) A Treasury of American Folklore. (New York: Crown Publishers, 1955)
- Borges, Jorge Luis. Manual de zoología fantástic (Book of Imaginary BeingsBook of Imaginary BeingsJorge Luis Borges wrote and edited the Book of Imaginary Beings in 1957 as the original Spanish Manual de zoología fantástica, or Handbook of Fantastic Zoology, expanding it in 1967 and 1969 to the final El libro de los seres imaginarios...
). (Argentina, 1957.) - Dorson, Richard M. Man and Beast in American Comic Legend. (Bloomington, IN: Indiana Univ. Press, 1982.)
- Underwood, Muriel. Fearsome Critters: Folktales from the Forest and Desert. (Chicago, Miscellaneous Graphics, 1990.)
Historical connections
Tall tale
A tall tale is a story with unbelievable elements, related as if it were true and factual. Some such stories are exaggerations of actual events, for example fish stories such as, "that fish was so big, why I tell ya', it nearly sank the boat when I pulled it in!" Other tall tales are completely...
s and folklore, not all of the narrations are complete fabrications. Instead they are highly embellished stories elaborated on personal experiences. In the narrative of Hyampom Hog Bear, a hog bear cub is found in Klamath River, California and taken by Eugene S. Bruce to the National Zoo in Washington D.C. This account is also recorded in The Land We Live In, The Book of Conservation by Overton W. Price in this version Bruce did in fact catch a cub with his bare hands while trekking through the California mountains; the accompanying image stating underneath, "It [the bear] is now in the Washington Zoo." Albeit the animal pictured is presumably not a hog bear. Likewise, in the sketch of the snoligoster Inman F. Eldredge (1883–1963), a Gifford Pinchot Medal
Gifford Pinchot
Gifford Pinchot was the first Chief of the United States Forest Service and the 28th Governor of Pennsylvania...
awardee, who while pursuing an escaped fugitive in the everglades, encounters the dreadful swamp-wyrm which afterward devours the criminal. An episode which is doubtlessly a fanciful idealization of Eldredge's background as a timber cruiser in Southern Florida. Other persons referenced in Fearsome Creatures are John P. Wentling (1878-19XX; who was professor of forestry at both the Pennsylvania State Forest Academy and University of Minnesota), A. B. Patterson (Forest Service), Big Ole Kittleson, Gus Demo, Bill Murphy, and John Gray.