Blue Man of the Ozarks

FAMOUS, “BLUE MAN” OF OZARKS AGAIN HARRIES COUNTRY 

Searching Parties Trail Gigantic, Wild Creature in Douglas County, Mo.

Moberly Daily Monitor: August 9, 1915

Springfield, Mo, August 7 – News comes to this city that after an absence of four years, the mysterious, “Blue Man of Spring Creek”, has again appeared in his old haunts and is causing great excitement in the wild and hilly country along the Big North Fork, Indian and Spring creeks, in the eastern end of Douglas County.

It was in the beginning of 1865 that a noted Ozark rifleman and trapper, “Blue Sol” Collins, came across the strange tracks in the snow, along Spring Creek. He had trailed a bear, and these traks resembled a bear's, but if they had been made by a bear, then this bear must surely be the largest bear in all Missouri. The imprints in the snow were longer and broader than any bear tracks Collins had seen, and along the tracks, were queer markings, seemingly made by great claws.

Collins was fearless and followed the footprints, determined to slay the greatest bear in the history of the region. Hour after hour, he followed the trail. He was toiling up the slope of Twin Mountain, when he heard a noise on the hill above him. Looking up, he was just in time to leap to one side as a huge boulder swept past him, down into the valley. Another, and then another boulder swiftly followed. When Collins had time to look closely and see what was causing the avalanche of rocks, he was terrified.

On the steep hillside above him, stood a gigantic figure. An enormous man, stark naked, except for a breech cloth and a shoulder piece of some animal's skin. The huge body was covered with long hair almost black in color, and as thick as that of any wild animal. On the man's feet were rude moccasins of deer skin, tied with thongs of leather. The ends of these thongs had made the clawlike marks in the snow.

The terrifying figure was armed with a club, 6 or 8 feet long. This, he had laid aside in order that he might more readily tear the boulders from the frozen soil. Collins was no coward, but he never denied that after one look at that fearsome figure on the hill, he turned and fled.

The Ozarks were a thinly-settled region fifty years ago, but several of the scattered families among the hills missed calves, sheep and hogs, and after long search, found discarded hides, and clean- picked bones in remote crannies among the hills. Some of them, too, saw the fearsome figure slipping among the woods.

After 1865, the, “Wild Man” disappeared and became no more than a tradition in the remote region. In 1874, he reappeared, was seen by probably a score of men, and was systematically tracked by men skilled in trailing wild animals. But all efforts to capture him were in vain.

During the next sixteen years, the, “Blue Man” made several trips to his original haunts, and on each trip the farmers lost some of their smaller animals. Every incursion was marked by energetic efforts to capture the strange creature, now universally known as, “Blue Man of Spring Creek”. Why, “Blue”, no one knows, unless the name was given because it was, “Blue Sol” Collins, who first saw him.

In 1890, it was rumored a party of searchers had captured the quarry so long sought, but this proved false. Evidently, however, they made it too hot for the, “wild man”, for again, he disappeared. It was not until 1911 that he again, appeared. This time, his den was found, but he disappeared.

Six weeks ago, an Ozark farmer noticed two of his lambs did not come home with the rest of the flock. He searched the hills and at last, found their bloody pelts in a hollow in a remote part of the woods. The next day, he saw the, “Blue Man” running down a hog in the woods, and since then, several other farmers have seen the creature. The wild man is said to be less robust than formerly. His blue-black coat of hair is now iron gray and his limbs are not as well muscled as formerly. Nevertheless, it may be safely wagered that there is not a man among the sturdy Ozark mountaineers, who would like to risk combat single-handed with the fearsome creature.

Before the revolution, while this region was yet under the flag of France, it is said that a French Indian trader came into the Ozarks, bringing with him a beautiful Spanish woman, a native of Florida. Somewhere in the region, the trader abandoned the woman or sold her to the Indians. From this poor outcast, descended a race of Indian-Spanish half breeds. One of these in the third or fourth generation, may be the, “Blue Man of Spring Creek”.

In the course of nature, the “Blue Man” cannot be expected to live much longer. Whether he ever will be caught, or whether the secret of his long absence and mysterious returns will ever be solved, is doubtful.