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I-Famed Monster Proven FakeHarbor Springs, Mich., Oct. -9 (/P)- The “monster” of LittleTraverse Hay died a conclusivedeath here today.Back during the summer of 1895, when the “mounter” was in his prime, he kept northern Michigan resorters and downstate newspaper editors in a dither, had his “authentic” photograph published in al least one Detroit newspaper and attained almost as much rotoriety as did the famed “monster” of Lock Ness 36 years later.The true story of northern Michigan's monster” was offered here today by John C. Wright, of Ithaca, Mich., who was in on the affair from the start, and is now visiting old friends here. After all these years he thinks the truthshould be told, so---The “monster,” Wright revealed, was a hoax.The legend first appeared during June 1895 when a boatload of excursionists reported they had seen what appeared to be a huge sea serpent disporting itself in Little Traverse Hay. Subsequently others reported seeing the monster at various spots in the bay. streaking its way through the water at a rapid rate.At that time Wright was correspondent for some Detroit newspapers and he set out to verify the terrifying reports. Wright says he did better than that, he sent them a photograph.The only trouble with this photograph. Wright said, was that it wasn't real.Wright related how he looked up Will Miller, then HarborSprings' leading photographer,and asked him to take a picture of the “monster.”“I’d like to,” Miller replied. “But 1 haven't seen it yet.” “Well,” Wright said, “I have. I’ll show you.”Wright said he then went to Miller's studio where they hunted up a good picture of Little Traverse Bay upon which was painted a very convincing sea serpent. The photographer then reproduced the pictuie and the results were startling.The picture was captioned “the seaserpent seen from the steam ferry 'Adrienne' while crossing from Petoskey to Harbor Springs in June. 1895.”Wright said that one Detroit paper published the picture and sent a staff reporter to HarborSprings for additional details. The reporter, he said, never saw the “monster” but the story he wrote when he returned to Detroit quickly became a national sensation and was picked up by papers in Chicago and New’ York.The “monster is dead now. and you have Wright's word forit.
Newspaper Details
Escanaba Daily Press
Escanaba, Michigan, US
Sun, Oct 30, 1938
Page 13
Full Page
Clipped by
Robert W.
USA 30 Jul 2020
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