Most callers to the number printed at the bottom of this column have general questions about travel. They want to know about places to vacation, estimates of cost, whether this cruise line is better than another cruise line, and the like. There are answers for most questions, but more than one is a stumper, especially those concerning how much money a traveler should take to a place the person answering the telephone has never heard of.

Occasionally, however, a call comes in that really spices the day. It happened recently, and the person responsible is a lively lade from Albany, Georgia, named Mattie Hatcher. Mrs. Hatcher receives the News-Star at her home. She is interested in all things happening in Lehigh Acres. As you might expect, her interest starts with the fact she owns several lots in town.

However, Mrs. Hatcher’s call did not involve her real estate interests. She had read a recent column here on Oregon. It took her back to when she lived there and the day she got the scare of her life. It happened when she and some friends were in a rowboat on Crater Lake. She learned then why Indians living in the area seldom refer to the body of water as Crater Lake. To them, it is Lost Lake. According to Mrs. Hatcher, the Indians say that monsters live there.

She believes that what the Indians say is true. Had you experienced what Mrs. Hatcher and her friends did, that day on the lake, you might become a believer as well. Now for those inclined to think that the lady from Albany, Georgia is overly imaginative, it should be pointed out that her life has been one of strong realities. You get that way when much of experience has involved being a registered nurse and physiotherapist.

Before getting into Mrs. Hatcher’s story, a refresher about the mysterious lake. Located near the border Oregon shares with California, the lake is easily reached from Klamath Falls, one of the world’s favorite places for seeing bald eagles. Every February, the city hosts the Bald Eagle Conference, a gathering of eagle lovers from throughout the world.

Carter Lake is around 400 feet deep, and the water is so clear that you can see all the way to the bottom. The beautiful lake attracts people from around the state. When Mrs. Hatcher visited the lake, she was living in Oregon’s Hood River Valley. Folk from there often went boating on Crater Lake. Mrs. Hatcher was looking over the side of the rowboat when she saw it and felt her heart freeze. Others in the boat saw it too. They were as frightened by it as Mrs. Hatcher. It swam deep down in the lake, and it was unbelievably big.

“That thing must have been a block long,” she said. “I have never been so scared in my life. What we saw that day was a monster. To me, it looked like a dragon. I know why the Indians call that place Lost Lake. They say monsters live in it. I believe them. I know, because I saw one there.”

Mrs. Hatcher and her friends got to shore as fast as they could row. They told their story, but nobody really believed them. To Mrs. Hatcher, that does not matter. She knows that the story is true, because she was there.

• Story originally published by:
News-Press, Fort Meyers / FL | Charles Herndon - May 2.02

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