A THING OF THE
AIR
Something That Flies Without Wings
and Has Four Legs
From the Virginia City (Nevada ) Enterprise Omaha
Some four or five days ago we heard
talk of a singular inhabitant of the air seen to pass over the Chinese quarter
of the city. The thing was said to have four legs and to fly without wings. At
the time we thought some person was trying to get off a sell and paid little
attention to the story.Last evening, however, Tom Jackson,special officer for
Chinatown, called about the matter, desiring if anything could be found in any
encyclopaedia in regard to any such creature of the air as we have mentioned.Mr
Jackson says the wonder began to be seen some days ago. It was first noticed by
a little boy, who called the attention of Mrs Jackson to it. The nondescript
appears to be some kind of flying reptile. It has a body shaped like that of a
crab,sixteen inches in breadth. From this strange body hangs down four legs,
about two feet in length and thick as an ordinary walking stick. Nothing in the
shape of wings is to be seen nor is their any flapping of wings. The creature
sails through the air , with its legs hanging down quite motionless, and appears
to move without the slightest exertion of any of the known kinds of flying
apparatus. Since first observed it has passed northward regularly every morning
about eight o`clock and southward every evening shortly before sundown. It flies
over the town at about the height of the International Hotel and moves about as
fast as a dove or pigeon. It is of a dark color, but not black. Mr Jackson says
he has seen the “beast” regularly every day for four or five days. He last saw
it yesterday morning on its way north, but was not down in Chinatown at the time
it goes south in the evening. He has watched the thing till out of sight in both
directions, therefore is confident that it is no diabolical invention of the
Chinese rigged to run on a string or wire. Besides, most of the residents of
Chinatown have seen the creature, and are not a
little troubled at the sight of it. They unhesitatingly pronounce it to be the
devil or a thing of the devil. Mr Jackson is an old resident of this city , and
is well-known as a truthful man.
The above link shows the International Hotel,date
unkown.
