Los Angeles Times pg. 5 Aug 31, 1891 What is it?

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Los Angeles Times pg. 5 Aug 31, 1891
What is it?
A Town Frightened by the Antics of a Strange Animal
Kansas City, Aug, 26.-[Correspondence.] The people of Argentine, Kan., the smelter city across the Kaw River from this city, are very much exercised over a mysterious monster which has spread terror among the women and children of the silver city. Just what it is no one has yet been able to decide, and while the men of the town were at first disposed to make light of the fears of the weaker members of their families they now speak with respect of the “thing” which has not only been heard, but seen by certain of their number who were bold enough to watch for its coming after night.
For some months past wakeful people in that town have heard a most mysterious and terrifying noise, apparently emanating from a large pond which lies in the town. The noise is described as being between the roar of a freight train and the bellowing of a bull. When nit was first heard it was supposed to be a combination of train and bull, but it was frequently heard afterwards and always together, and as no freight train passed to continue the noise the women began to speculate as to the probable source of the terrible sound. Those who lived near the pond asserted that the noise came from the water or the bank of the pond. It invariably came about the same hour every night, and at last became so generally talked about that it became a constant source of conversation among the women. Some of them declared that they heard the bellow and then there would be an awful “sloshing” in the water, as if some large animal was enjoying a bath. It was also noticed that chickens, ducks and geese disappeared with greater frequency than the chicken-stealing portion of the community could account for. The disappearance being more frequent in the daytime than in the night, they were laid to the doors of the mysterious animal, and at last, go great became the excitement, certain of the men determined to watch for the monster. The noise was heard about 12 o’clock every night, and one night last week four men armed themselves and waited for the moon to rise, when they took their way to the edge of the pond.
Just what happened at the pond that night no one will ever know? All that is known is that these four men came rushing away from that little body of water so badly scared that they could give no coherent account of what they saw. They all agreed on one thing, however. They had seen something that placed them in such deadly fear that whey waited not on the order of their going, but went at once. One declared that an animal as big as a horse came up out of the water and gave a bellow that sounded like a thunderclap, and moved directly toward them. This was enough for him and he went home. Another says the beast looked like a big snake, only it had legs and same at them with wide-open jaws, roaring like a train of heavily loaded cars, and he could not tell whether it was a serpent or and animal.
The third man saw nothing. He was looking the other way when the awful sound same, and as he saw his companions running he did not take time to look back. The fourth man has little to say. He admits that he was so badly scared that he cannot tell what it was that came out of the water. He had never seen the like before. It had a long body with low legs and a head like and immense dog. It had two big tusks which hung down from its mouth, and when it roared he did not look any further, but went home as fast as he could travel. Since then no one has cared to watch for the monster, and the varying descriptions given by those who saw it, lead the people to have many theories. The most generally accepted idea is that is one of the sea lions which escaped from a car about two years ago while being transported from San Francisco to New York. At that time the sea lion was said to have become mad from the heat and gave the express messenger a terrible fright in the car, and afterwards escaped near where this monster is said to be seen.