Tuesday, August 11, 1970

Hairy ‘Human’ Sighted At Kickapoo Creek

by James Keeran

Bloomington Pantagraph

The mystery continues.

Something somewhat like the Farmer City monster of a few weeks ago was sighted near Heyworth last week.

The report has it that three Rantoul youths, camping on the banks of Kickapoo Creek, sighted a strange-looking human creature, covered from top to bottom with hair and walking upright.

Shells Ripped Open

The youths gave chase, but at a comfortable distance, and could find nothing except a few half-eaten minnows and some clam shells ripped apart and scooped clean.

In all likelihood the “thing” was not a hippie left over from the Memorial Day weekend rock festival.

Hippies eat weird things when there’s nothing better, but surely not dead fish and raw Kickapoo Creek clams. Besides, there wasn’t one hippie at the rock festival who had fur growing on his knee caps.

Studied Monsters

Loren E. Coleman of Decatur, a former anthropology student at Southern Illinois University, has made a study of “monsters” during the past 10 years.

Mr.Coleman’s theory, substantiated by years of study, many interviews and examination of several footprints, is that the variety of abominable snowmen (or ABSMs, as Mr. Coleman calls them) in Illinois range in size from three to four feet and are more apelike than manlike.

Wants Data

One in Northern California, which has actually been photographed, is more manlike than apelike, Mr. Coleman says.

He first became interested in his study when he read of the abominable snowman of the Himalayas. Since then he has gathered data from all over the country and particularly in Illinois.

Mr. Coleman hopes he will continue to get reports from people who sight “monsters.” He promises to take them seriously.

Unpopular Study

Mr. Coleman says his field of study is not a popular one with scientists because it has not real beginning and no real end. “It’s there,” he says, “but you can’t touch it.”

“The data” on such animals “is just lying all over,” he said, “but nobody’s getting it together.”

“People are afraid to talk about it,” he said. “I’d like for people to call or write me.” His mailing address is 1564 W. Hunt in Decatur.

Known 150 Years

Mr. Coleman’s goal in monster-hunting is to move to Northern California and hunt for Bigfoot.

Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, as the Indians of 150 years ago called it, was photographed on Oct. 20, 1967 , northeast of Eurka, Calif.

Hundreds of sightings of Bigfoot have been reported in Northern California and British Columbia for nearly 150 years.

The Bigfoot photographed was about eight feet tall and weighed between 350 and 400 pounds. Its footprint measured 17 inches from toe to heel and it was covered all over, except face, hands and feet, with thick brown hair.

Move Over

The most plausable explanation for Bigfoot is that it is a sub-human creature which migrated to this continent over the Bering Straits between Siberia and Alaska.

In any case the evidence on Bigfoot and on the things in Central Illinois are enough to keep Mr. Coleman going for a long time, at least until more sightings are reported.

In the meantime: Take it easy, Pricilla’s Pop, Bigfoot’s cousin seems to be visiting us.