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Albert Ostman


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Guest Transformer

Yeah. He might have been more dazed and confused than he though and may have been in the bag a lot longer.

Just thinking out loud.

"In the bag" around this area is another way of describing a drunk person which may be appropriate given Ostman's account. :)

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  • 4 weeks later...

LOL. My favorite story by far! I was 10 when I first read this story (1975-76ish) and had just tried snuff for the first time--man did I get sick with just a pinch! I couldn't imagine anyone or anyTHING eating a whole can of that! But then again, I don't eat a lot of tree roots and such either. I also find it interesting that Albert called the subjects large hairy naked people as opposed to apes, but back in that day were apes commonly known to backwoods prospectors such as Albert?

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The Albert Ostman story is one of the Sasquatch Classics. Whether true or not I don't think it could be confirmed now one way or the other. Certain facts about his account challenge ones common sense for sure.

He lived most of his life in a small house in Fort Langley, British Columbia and it was there he was visited both by John Green, and Rene Dahinden after making his story public in 1957. He came forward when due to all the Media attention on Harrison Hot Springs which had announced that the town was going to spend its share of money donated to small communities all across the province to promote themselves to tourists as it was the Provinces 100 year bicentennial. Harrison wanted to use the money for a Sasquatch hunt. the media on hearing this went a little nuts and the town became the centre of attention for awhile and all kinds of folks started coming forward with tales of their own encounters with the Sasquatch.

William Roe's story was first published at this time and Ostman read it and came forward with his tale. which got Renes and Johns attention. His story was written down in a scribbler which is still in the possession of John Green, and which I have seen and read. I must say if someone came out with such a story today I would have a very hard time believing it. I don't know if I believe Albert or not for the red flags sure fly every time I have ever looked into the matter.

I can say this though he never altered any part of the story or took any money or royalties for it to the day he died in 1966. His attitude was, "This is what happened, believe or not, I do not really care".

Now I spent some time up at Toba inlet and Salmon Arm of Sechelt Inlet in 1985. My idea was to try and find if any Logging companies working in Salmon arm had been keeping logbooks in 1924. He said that he had stumbled into a logging operation and spent a few days recuperating there until the men put him on a steamer back to Vancouver, never telling any of the men what happened to him, but letting them think he was just a lost prospector.

I looked at 3 log books from operations in the Salmon arm area in 1924. There were around 40 going at the time. but I was only able to look at 3. Most mom and pop operations never kept log books so it was a long shot at best. Non of the 3 made any mention of a lost prospector coming out of the woods and being cared for by the men later being sent back to Vancouver on a steamer.

I had another idea. In his story you will recall that an old Indian fellow had taken him up to Toba Inlet in a small boat. That Indian was suppose to pick he up again after 3 weeks. I wonder what did the man do when he went back and couldn't find him? Did he make a missing person report to somebody. I contacted the RCMP to see if anything could be done in this matter but was told any such report so long ago would most likely been disposed of, assuming if any report was ever made. Another dead end.

So a Classic tale it remains, One interesting thing though, the Battlecruiser H.M.S. Hood, flag ship of the Royal Navy was making a Empire visit the Vancouver harbor during the summer of 1924. She became well known around the world after being destroyed by the German Battle Ship Bismarck during the battle of the Denmark Strait. But in 1924 she was the media sweetheart of the Vancouver press and one would think he might have mentioned passing her on that steamer as it entered Vancouver harbor. But he makes no mention of her. So again Albert Ostmans tale for now is just that, a Classic tale.

Thomas Steenburg

Edited by MikeG
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SSR Team

Thanks for the tid bits Thomas..

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Ostman's story fascinated me as a kid! As a former Copenhagen dipper, the snuff incident is unforgettable. Unlike the fruit flavors available today, I always imagined BF ate a big wad of that stuff- YUCK!

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Yeah, Copenhagen was the kind my friend gave me to try when I was 10....what a sick feeling I had the rest of the day LOL But after eating tree roots and raw fish it might just be a tasty desert :) And thanks Steenburg for that article, you did a lot of research! Impressive!!!

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Guest BFSleuth

It is interesting that tobacco is mentioned by Native Americans as a gift they give to BF.

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Yeah, Copenhagen was the kind my friend gave me to try when I was 10....what a sick feeling I had the rest of the day LOL But after eating tree roots and raw fish it might just be a tasty desert :) And thanks Steenburg for that article, you did a lot of research! Impressive!!!

Thanks. But for all the good it did us. Nada.

Thomas Steenburg

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Guest Kerchak

Just a question. Has anyone actually pinned down when, during the summer of 1924, the Ostman account is supposed to have taken place?

HMS Hood did a round the world tour in 1923/24 calling in at various ports, including in countries which had fought together in the First World War. HMS Hood arrived at Victoria on 21st June 1924 and then at Vancouver on 25th June 1924. She departed for San Francisco on 5th July 1924 and thus would only have been in Canadian waters for 2 weeks in the summer of 1924.

http://hmshood.com/h...ruise/index.htm

Edited by Kerchak
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SSR Team

That was my way of thinking too Kerchak but i just didn't get round to looking at it's schedule.

Maybe JG has an idea on that but i can never recall seeing anything publicly on it.

Two week time frame there for the Vessel for good old Albert to have seen it, and then of course thinking of mentioning it in the account too.

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Guest Kerchak

^

Yeah all I can find out is that the Ostman account supposedly occurred in the 'summer' of 1924.

It was an interesting line of enquiry for Tom Steenburg to try and look at the 'log' books of logging companies and for any missing person reports filed with the RCMP though.

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