THE SHAWANO LAKE MONSTER

THIS STORY WAS ORIGINALLY TOLD BY FR. ARNIE SHINKTON AT CAMP TIVOLI
WISCONSIN. THE STORY IS USUALLY TOLD TO BELIEVING 7-YEAR OLDS. IT
WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT AND SOME OF CABINERS WANTED TO SLEEP
OUT BY THE LAKE. THEY WENT TO THE CAMP DIRECTOR WHO WOULDN'T LET
THEM BECAUSE IT WAS RAINING OUT. BUT THEY WERE HEADSTRONG, SO AFTER
LIGHTS-OUT THEY WENT DOWN TO THE LAKE WITH THEIR SLEEPING BAGS. THE
CAMP COUNSELORS CHECKED THE GROUNDS AT NIGHT. THE YOUTHS SUCCESSFULLY
EVADED THE COUNSELORS AND PROMPTLY WENT TO SLEEP. THEY WERE
AWAKENED AT MIDNIGHT BY A TREMENDOUS STORM. THEY WERE AFRAID TO
RETURN TO THEIR CABINS FOR FEAR OF BEING CAUGHT.
SUDDENLY THEY WERE AWARE OF A STRANGE NOISE. SO ONE OF THEM TOOK
OUT HIS FLASHLIGHT AND SHINED IT AGAINST THE WATER. THE NARROW
AS THE BEAST APPROACHED THEM. ONE WAS ABLE TO GET UP AND RUN AWAY
BUT HE DIDN'T REALIZE HIS FRIEND WAS STUCK IN HIS SLEEPING BAG. HE
RAN UP TO THE CABINS AND AROUSED THE COUNSELORS. BUT, BY THE TIME
THEY REACHED THE SHORE IT WAS TOO LATE. ALL THEY FOUND OF THE
MISSING CAMPER WAS HIS SLEEPING BAG AND SHREDDED CLOTHES. THEY
STILL HEARD THE NOISE OF THE AWFUL BEAST AND RAN UP TO AROUSE
THE PRIEST. FR. BUTLER CAMP DIRECTOR SENT ONE OF THE COUNSELORS TO
THE RIFLE RANGE TO GET A GUN. THEY CALLED THE SHERIFF AND CAMP
CUSTODIAN NAMED BERT. FR. BUTLER LOADED THE GREAT SHOTGUN. THEY ALL
ARMED THEMSELVES AND WENT DOWN TO THE LAKE. FR. JOE
MAN, TOOK ONE OF THE ROWBOATS OUT TO THE MIDDLE OF THE LAKE. THEY
TOOK A GIANT FLASHLIGHT AND PLAYED THE BEAM OVER THE WATER. AND
THERE IT WAS... THE SHAWANO LAKE MONSTER.
THE MONSTER REARED UP IN THE WATER AND CHARGED JOE'S BOAT.
JUST BEFORE IT REACHED JOE, SOMEONE YELLED, "FIRE" AND THEY
ALL SHOT AT THE MONSTER. THE BULLETS SEEMED TO HAVE NO EFFECT.
THE BEAST STRETCHED ITS FULL LENGTH REVEALING A WHITE SPOT
BELOW ITS TWO BEADY EYES. JOE YELLED "FIRE AT THE WHITE SPOT."
THE BEAST SUDDENLY LURCHED AND IT SOON BECAME APPARENT THAT HE
WAS MORTALLY WOUNDED. FINALLY THE BEAST DIED AND WAS DRAGGED
SHORE. THE NEXT DAY AFTER EVERYONE HAD INSPECTED THE BEAST
THEY CUT IT UP INTO SMALL PIECES. THEY WEIGHTED EACH PIECE
WITH LEAD AND DROPPED THEM IN THE DEEPEST PART OF THE LAKE.
TEN YEARS LATER, FARMERS ON THE LAKE BEGAN TO REPORT MISSING
ANIMALS. FOOTPRINTS WERE LEADING TO AND FROM THE LAKE.
CURIOSITY WAS AROUSED ABOUT THE DEAD MONSTER. SO THEY SENT
EXPERT TEAM DIVERS DOWN TO EXAMINE THE REMAINS. THEY FOUND
NOTHING. THIS LEADS TO SPECULATION THAT THE SHAWANO LAKE
MONSTER IS ALIVE AND LIVING IN QUICKSAND CREEK (A TRIBUTARY
OF THE LAKE). THEY EVEN SAY THAT ON STORMY NIGHTS, HE COMES
OUT LOOKING FOR VICTIMS.

James Callow comment: AT LEAST ONE KEYPUNCH CARD SEEMS TO BE MISSING HERE.

Where learned: UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT

James Callow Keyword(s): FUNCTION

Date learned: 12-07-1972