Episodes of Mormon Mystery chapter, The Bear Lake Monsters

              THE BEAR LAKE MONSTERS (Bear Lake, Idaho)
Rumors about monsters in Bear Lake have
floated about since the area was settled. One of
the first and best written accounts was reported by
Joseph C. Rich. Dated: Paris, Rich County, Utah,
3uly 27, 1868, the article appeared in the Deseret
Evening News August 3, 1868, p. 2 and the
Deseret News (weekly) August 5,   1868, p.    205.
"All lakes, caves and dens have their legendary
histories. Tradition loves to throw her magic wand
over beautiful dells and lakes and people them with
fairies, giants and monsters of various kinds. Bear
Lake has also its monster tale to tell, and when I
have told it, I will leave you to judge whether or
not it is merely tradition.
"The Indians say there is a monster animal
which lives in the Lake that has captured and
carried away Indians while in the Lake swimming;
but they say it has not been seen by them for
many years, not since the buffalo inhabited the
valley. They represent it as being of the serpent
kind, but having legs about eighteen inches long on
which they sometimes crawl out of the water a
short distance on the shore. They also say it
spurts water upwards out of its mouth.
"Since the settlement of this valley several
Persons    have    reported    seeing    a   huge    animal    of
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