HUMBOLDT COUNTY COLLECTION OF THE LIBRARY OF HUMBOLDT STATE COLLEGE, ARCATA, CA.

JACKO

A small booklet titled The Hermit of Siskiyou by L. W. Musick. It was "Published from the office of the Crescent City News (CA)" in 1896.  In it, on pages 79-80, is the following:

"NOTE 1.  A Del Norte Record correspondent, writing from Happy Camp, Siskiyou County, Jan. 2, 1886, discourses as follows:

"I do not remember to have seen any reference to the 'Wild Man' which haunts this part of the country, so I shall allude to him briefly.  Not a great while since, Mr. Jack Dover, one of our most trustworthy citizens, while hunting saw an object standing one hundred and fifty yards from him picking berries or tender shoots from the bushes.  The thing was of gigantic size - about seven feet high - with a bull dog head, short ears and long hair; it was also furnished with a beard, and was free from hair on such parts of its body as is common among men.  Its voice was shrill, or soprano, and very human, like that of a woman in great fear.  

Mr. Dover could not see its foot-prints as it walked on hard soil.  He aimed his gun at the animal, or whatever it was, several times, but because it was so human would not shoot.  

The range of the curiosity is between Marble Mountain and the vicinity of Happy Camp.  A number of people have seen it and all agree in their descriptions except some make it taller than others.  It is apparently herbivorous and makes winter quarters in some of the caves of Marble Mountain."

This is apparently the oldest written account so far brought to light of the sighting of a Bigfoot-like creature in northern California.  Note that it is only two years later than the oldest Canadian newspaper account - that of  the capture of "Jacko" on July 4, 1884.  The only discrepancy between this account and the usual Bigfoot reports seems to be where it says the creature "was free from hair on such parts of its body as is common among men."  Everything else agrees even the reluctance of the hunter to shoot it because it looked too human.

JACKO

WHAT IS IT?

A Strange Creature Captured Above Yale.

A British Columbia Gorilla

(Correspondence of The Daily Colonist)

Yale, B.C. July 3, 1884

In the immediate vicinity of No. 4 tunnel, situated some twenty miles above this village, are bluffs of rock which have hitherto been insurmountable but on Monday morning last were successfully scaled by Mr. Onderdonk's employees on the regular train from Lytton.  Assisted by Mr. Costerton, the British Columbia Express Company's messenger, and a number of gentlemen from Lytton and points east of that place who, after considerable trouble and perilous climbing, succeeded in capturing a creature which may truly be called half man and half beast.  "Jacko" as the creature has been called by his capturers, is something of the gorilla type standing four feet seven inches in height and weighing 127 pounds.  He has long, black, strong hair and resembles a human being with one exception, his entire body, excepting his hands (or paws) and feet are covered with glossy hair about an inch long.  His fore arm is much longer than a man's fore arm, and he possesses extraordinary strength, as he will take hold of a stick and break it by wrenching or twisting it, which no man living could break in the same way.

Since his capture he is very reticent, only occasionally uttering a noise which is half bark and half growl.  He is, however, becoming daily more attached to his keeper, Mr. George Telbury, of this place, who proposes shortly starting for London, England, to exhibit him.  His favorite food so far is berries, and he drinks fresh milk with evident relish.  By advice of Dr. Hannington raw meats have been withheld from Jacko, as the doctor thinks it would have a tendency to make him savage.  The mode of his capture was as follows:

Ned Austin, the engineer, on coming in sight of the bluff at the eastern end of the No. 4 tunnel saw what he supposed to be a man lying asleep in close proximity to the track, and as quick as thought blew the signal to apply the brakes.  The brakes were instantly applied, and in a few seconds the train was brought to a standstill.  At this moment the supposed man sprang up, and uttering a sharp quick bark began to climb the steep bluff.  Conductor R. J. Craig and Express Messenger Costerton, followed by the baggage man and brakemen, jumped from the train and knowing they were some twenty minutes ahead of time immediately gave chase.  After five minutes of perilous climbing they then supposed a demented Indian was corralled on a projecting shelf of rock where he could neither ascend nor descend.  The query now was how to capture him alive, which was quickly decided by Mr. Craig, who crawled on his hands and knees until he was about forty feet above the creature.  Taking a small piece of loose rock he let it fall and it had the desired effect of rendering poor Jacko incapable of resistance for a time at least.

The bell rope was then brought up and Jacko was now lowered to terra firma.  After firmly binding him, and placing him in the baggage car "off brakes" was sounded and the train started for Yale.  At the station a large crowd who had heard of the capture by telephone from Spuzzum Flat were assembled, each one anxious to have the first look at the monstrosity, but they were disappointed, as Jacko had been taken off at the machine shops and placed in charge of his present keeper.

The question naturally arises, how came the creature where it was first seen by Mr. Austin?  From bruises about its head and body, and apparent soreness since its capture, it is supposed that Jacko ventured too near the edge of the bluff, slipped, fell and lay where found until the sound of the rushing train aroused him.  Mr. Thos. White and Mr. Gouin, C.E., as well as Mr. Major, who kept a small store about half a mile west of the tunnel during the past two years, have mentioned having seen a curious creature at different points between Camps 13 and 17, but no attention was paid to their remarks as people came to the conclusion that they had either seen a bear or stray Indian dog.  Who can unravel the mystery that now surrounds Jacko!  Does he belong to a species hitherto unknown in this part of the continent, or is he really what the train men first thought he was, a crazy Indian!

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I hope that man's thinking has progressed since that time and they are well aware what Native Americans are and that is not a crazy Indian! - P. Urial