The Spokesman-Review from Spokane, Washington • 141

search for Bigfoot Local Indians have long told of (and sometimes feared) giant, hairy, evil smelling, man-like beasts that live in the impenetrable wilds of the Cascades. Thanks to Indian historian Leonard T. Aiken of Los Angeles, Morgan has access to more than 245 legends of 195 tribes in Alaska, Canada, the United States and Mexicoall describing Sasquatch. The Indians are reluctant to talk about Sasquatch with white men. They are tired of being laughed at, tired of playing the fool.

With Morgan they confide more readily. "In many instances, the Indians may be protecting Bigfoot from white man," Morgan says. "Often the Indians have deliberately told white man tall tales. But it just may be that the Indian has something valid to tell us and we ought to listen. Back in the 1890s the black man of Africa tried to tell white man about a big man-like creature that lived in the mountains.

White man laughed, but it turned out the mountain gorilla was a fact "Then the brown men in Indonesia tried to tell white man about a dragon big enough to eat a man or a goat or a cow. 'That's white man said, 'we know St. George killed all the The trouble is, the Komodo lizard was a fact. But in 1912 nobody believed it "In 1934 the yellow man tried to tell white man about a black and white animal that looked like a bear and ate only bamboo shoots. 'Can't be.

Bears don't look like that' Today the yellow man is laughing because we can't get enough pandas for our zoos. "Now the red man is trying to teach us something. The black man was right; the brown man was right; the yellow man was right. When is white man going to wake up and realize that something mightjust mightexist without his permission?" Today Morgan is convinced that Bigfoot is a reality, But when he went to the sheriff of Washington's Mason County after that remarkable encounter in 1957, he had never heard of the Abominable Snowman or its American counterpart. What he reported was "the biggest, most man-like looking gorilla that I'd ever seen." He was laughed at.

Since then, Morgan has become accustomed to the skepticism. Now he counters it with scientific data, speculation and hope. But at that time, "I still wasn't certain what I had seen," Morgan recalls. "I called around to some zoos and asked if any gorillas had escaped. They were polite, but said no.

So I did what any red-blooded American boy about to be discharged from the Navy would have done. I shut 14. The Spokesmqn-Review Sunday Magazine, Septemkc 8, 1974 1 Setting flip -wires and searching for Bigfoot takes Morgan and his associates into a variety of situations, some high atop trees. up. But somewhere inside I decided as so many people do in their moments of dreamsomeday.

Someday I'm going back out there." Like so many of the important events of the Bigfoot saga, coincidence rekindled.Morgan's interest Shortly after he resigned from the Federal Aviation Administration in December, 1968, he accidently came across a "Reader's Digest" article about Bigfoot In it, Roger Patterson claimed to have shot 17 seconds of 16 mm film of the animal, and the magazine reproduced a frame of that film. "When I looked at that film," Morgan cannot hide his enthusiasm, "I knew what I had seen. That was it. It came back on me like a flood that I was free, had a few dollars, and there was no reason I shouldn't do something I wanted to do, something worthwhile. I decided to go into the mountainsimmediately." That trip produced unidentified tracks (presumably Bigfoot's) and enabled Morgan to select his future study areas.

Personally, it signified the transformation in Morgan's lifestyle and the beginning of his obsession. Morgan alleges he never made a conscious choice to leave the establishment. "I'd never liked it, and I didn't want anything to do with it, but I never made a deliberate decision until I tried to go back." When he returned from the high country in 1969, he went to work for Scientific Control Corp. in Dallas, Tex. "1 sat there with this funny little thing around my neck, trying to figure out why cuffs were on pants; why I had to wear a jack.

et to meet someone. You know, the dance of society. Finally, I asked myself, what the hell am I doing here?" Since asking myself that question, Morgan has supported himself as a logger, a film writer, a dog trainer, and a construction worker. He's even been forced when things were rough to hock his little girl's tricycle and the jacket off his back. But he cherishes his independence and casts himself among the "doers" of the world.

"Only sparrows flock," quotes Morgan. "You have to find eagles one at a time." Many of his acquaintances envy his "You do what you want to do. The most difficult part is cutting the umbilical cord. You have to let the chips fall where they will. But after thatyou soar with the eagles." freedom, his easy-going nature, and his adventures.

"I always answer them the same way. I say, 'There's no anchor tied to you; do They always answer, 'Aw, no, I can't. I'm married and have What do they think my little girl isa chimpanzee? Morgan is indeed soaring. Not only does he have generous financial backing (a far cry from his previous outings which were financed by hard work and perspiration), but he has, too, the expertise of some of the nation's most prestigious scientists. His scientific advisory board reads like the "Who's Who?" But this is a new dimension of Bigfootology.

When Morgan applied to the National Science Foundation for a grant only five years ago, his application was rejected. No reputable scientist would even talk to him about a man-like ape (or apelike man) roaming the American wilderness. 1,.. i search for Bigfoot 1 Local Indians have long told of (and sometimes feared) giant, hairy, evil smelling, man-like beasts that live i in the impenetrable wilds of the i Cascades. Thanks to Indian histori- an Leonard T.

Aiken of Los Ange- les, Morgan has access to more than 9 (1 el) ol 245 legends of 195 tribes in Alaska, 1 Canada, the United States and Mex- icoall describing Sasquatch. 4 The Indians are reluctant to talk about Sasquatch with white men. 0 They are tired of being laughed at, 1,, i tired of playing the foot With Morgan they confide more readily. et I eT '101 1( a "In many instances, the Indians may be protecting Bigfoot from Z2 white man," Morgan says. "Often 1 ot? the Indians have deliberately told -N; "0, ,,4 man of Africa tried to tell white if A Ae7 iv 1 white man tall tales.

But it just may be that the Indian has something otl valid to tell us and we ought to lis- 4 1. i ten. Back in the 1890s the black 4101, 4- 1 0 man about a big man like creature 1) that lived in the mountains White 'Y 0 A ft-N1-- I 414k man laughed, but it turned out the i 1)1" .4.7 (4 mountain gorilla was a fact I 1 "Then the brown men in Indonesia 47 pIIA ew- tried to tell white man about a 4,4 0-' dragon big enough to eat a man or a 1) I i goat or a cow. 'That's Ivi itt; 4, white man said, we know St. ti) I- 4 ,) '1, George killed all the The I) trouble is, the Komodo lizard was a .,4 kl a fact.

But in 1912 nobody believed it VI't, if, "In 1934 the yellow man tried to 1 tell white man about a black and white animal that looked like a Setting tiip-wires and searching for Bigfoot takes Morgan and his associates into a variety of situations, some high atop trees. -K bear and ate only bamboo shoots. 'Can't be. Bears don't look like that' Today the yellow man is laughing because we can't get up. But somewhere inside decided obsession.

Morgan alleges he never freedom, his easy-going nature, and enough pandas for our zoos. iid I idd as so many people do in their mo- made a conscious choice to leave his adventures. "I always answer "Now the red man is trying to teach ments of dreamsomeday. Some- the establishment. "I'd never liked them the same way.

I say, 'There's I us something. The black man was day I'm going back out there." it, and I didn't want anything to do no anchor tied to you; do it' They right the brown man was right the with it, but I never made a deliber- always answer, 'Aw, no, I can't. I'm yellow man was right. When is Like so many of the important ate decision until I tried to go married and have What white man going to wake up and events of the Bigfoot saga, coinci- back." do they think my little girl isa dence rekindled Aorgan's interest chimpanzee? realize that something mightjust Shortly after he resigned from the mightexist without his permis- When he returned from the high Feeral Aviation Administration in "You do what you want to do. The sion?" country in 1969.

he went to work December, 1968, he accidently for Scientific Control Corp. in Dal- Today Morgan is convinced that came across a "Reader's Digest" las, Tex. "I sat there with this fun- most difficult part is cutting the umbilical cord. You have to let the article about igoot In it, Roger fly little thing around my neck, chips fall where Bigfoot is a reality. But when he they wilt But 17 Patterson claimed so a went to the sheriff of Washington's Pa trying to figure out why cuffs were fter seconds of 16 mm film of the ani- thatyou soar with the eagles." Mason County after that remarka- on pants; why I had to wear a jack.

ma, and the magazine reproduced ble encounter in 1957, he had never et to meet someone. You know, the I heard of the Abominable Snowman a frame of that film. dance of society. Finally, I asked Morgan is indeed soaring. Not only 1 or its American counterpart.

myself, what the hell am I doing does he have generous financial When I looked at that film," Mor- here?" backing (a far cry from his previous gan cannot hide his enthusiasm, "I What he reported was "the biggest, outings which were financed by most man-like looking gorilla that knew what I had seen. That was it. Since asking myself that question, hard work and perspiration), but he I' It came back on me like a flood that I'd ever seen." He was laughed at Morgan has supported himself as a has, too, the expertise of some of free, ree, had a few dollars, and Since then, Morgan has become I logger, a film writer, a dog trainer, the nation's most prestigious scien- I there was no reason shouldn't do I accustomed to the skepticism Now and a construction worker. Ile's fists. His scientific advisory board he counters it with scientific data, something I wanted to do, some- even been forced when things were reads like the "Who's Who?" But thing worthwhile.

I decided to go i speculation and hope. But at that rough to hock his little girl's tricy- this is a new dimension of Big-time, "I still wasn't certain what I into the mountainsimmediately." cle and the jacket off his back. But footology. When Morgan applied to had seen," Morgan recalls. "I called he cherishes his independence and the National Science Foundation That trip produced unidentified 145 around to some zoos and asked if casts himself among the "doers" of for a grant only five years ago, his tracks (presumably Bigfoot's) and any gorillas had escaped.

They the world. "Only sparrows flock," application was rejected. No repu- were polite, but said no. So I did enabled Morgan to select his future quotes Morgan. "You have to find table scientist would even talk to i what any red-blooded American study areas.

Personally, it signified eagles one at a time." him about a man-like ape (or ape. boy about to be discharged from the transformation in Morgan's like man) roaming the American i the Navy would have done. I shut lifestyle and the beginning of his Many of his acquaintances envy his wilderness. 7 14 The Spokesman-Review Sunday Magazine, Septemkc 8, )974 i A I.