Convincing Hairy Man Encounter From The Olden Days

Mary R. sent us the following story about a Tennessee man named Bob Meeks who had an encounter with a "big tall" hairy creature that followed him for 3 miles. Mary found it in an old literature entitled "Foxfire 2", a book that was compiled and written in 1970 by high school students in Rabun Gap. As a class assignment, they were sent out into the back woods and mountains to interview senior citizens about life back in the olden days.

AS TOLD BY LAWTON BROOKS:

Bob Meeks was his name, and he was a’workin’ somewhere in Tennessee over there. He come through by Benton while they didn’t have th’road then, and had t’come across that mountain. Now I don’t know whether it was Frog Mountain, whether that was th’name or not. But anyway, there was twenty-two mile there that there wadn’t no houses on it – steep and twisty, my Lord.

And it was late in th’night. His wife had a’called him. Some of his kids got sick, and he had t’come in. And he’uz a comin’ along up that mountain, and he said he come around a curve and he seen this thing. Said it ‘uz th’biggest man he ever saw.

The man stepped out of a water ditch by th’side of th’road, and said he just leaned over a little, and as he come by he just stepped on th’runnin’ board, reached down, opened th’door, got in, set down, and looked him over. It was a old Model T, and th’way it was goin’ it didn’t make much more time than a man walkin’.

And he said he looked at that thing’s hands and that’s what he couldn’t figure out. Said hit’s fingers, one of’em was as long as two of his’n if they was put together, and as big again around. He said he had awful big arms, and on top of his hands was just as hairy plumb on down toward his fingers. His fingers was th’longest he’d seen on anybody. Must have been ten inches long.

He said he spoke t’him and he never did speak back. He said he didn’t know whether he was gonna do anything t’him or not. He said he knowed he was big enough. They wadn’t nothin’ he could’a done about it. They wadn’t no need a’getting’ scared because that man could’a reached plumb around him one-handed. Big tall man – all hairy.

Said he never got a sound out’a‘him. He could hear him a’getting’ his breath.
And he said he rode at least three mile with him, and he wondered if this thing was goin’ plumb t’Ducktown with him. An’ he was goin’ around another curve, an’ said that thing – man, what’ere it was – he just stepped out. And said he looked back and it’uz just a’standin’ there in th’road.

Said he was the ungodliest man he ever did see all th’days of his life. He said people might not believe him, but he said it’uz the truth.

Now I believe it, ‘cause I don’t believe Bob’d tell a lie. He was a man never got excited about nothin’.

And after that man got out, Bob said he just kept drivin’ on.