Iowa
Old Press
Daily Iowa State Register
Des Moines, Polk co. Iowa
April 1, 1869
RARE CURIOSITY
The Maquoketa Sentinel of the 1st inst.,
published a column description of the capture of an animal near
that city by a Mr. Moorehead, the like of which has not been seen
since nobody knows when. Mr. Moorehead tracked a fox to a cave,
and in attempting to gobble Reynard therein he awoke another
passenger, and after an exciting tussle, had the satisfaction of
seeing the wondrous animal lying at his feet. It is a
representative of an order long since passed into oblivion, and
if the story isn't an April Fool dodge, it is a valuable prize.
The Sentinel says: "Upon examination it was found
to be a species of the bat tribe, perhaps the last living
representative of a race which has long since passed into
oblivion, along with the monster Icthyosaurus, and other
productions of the fossiliferous era, which we cannot call to
remembrance just now, and if we could, they are necessary to
establish the truth of this wonderful narrative, any how. In
almost every particular it resembles the bat of the present day,
except as to size, measuring just six feet from tip to tip of its
wings and weighing thirty pounds. On its back is a bony
protuberance in the shape of a hook, which was undoubtedly used
to hang itself up to protruding rocks. It is supposed that it
crawled through the aperature into the chamber when quite young,
and remaining there too long was unable to make its escape,
remaining there imprisoned for perhaps thousands of years, to be
released at last only by the relentless hand of death. The hair
on its back is of a beautiful dark brown color, and six inches in
length-soft and silky."
[transcribed by K.W., November 2012]