UFO phenomenon。 。。。 I should have kept my mouth shut like I had planned to when you first interviewed me。
Tom married a beautiful girl and she didn't learn of his weird meetings with Vadig until months after the ceremony。 Like so many others before him； myself included； he learned that the only thing more bizarre than the phenomenon itself is the unruly mob of true believers； cranks； and irresponsible self…styled investigators who pursue the subject； moths attracted to the flame。 They tormented Charles Hickson and Calvin Parker in 1973； just as they had arrived by the carload in Point Pleasant in 1967。
15 … Misery on the Mount
I
Daniel Drasin was about eighteen when he filmed a riot in New York's Washington Square； titled it Sunday； and won a number of motion…picture awards。 Now still in his mid…twenties； handsome； quiet…spoken； intelligent； and perceptive； he was well into a promising career in the film industry。 The West Virginia UFO documentary was an important break for him and he plunged into the project with a mixture of awe and enthusiasm。 As I was on my way to Washington； D。C。； from Point Pleasant； he was headed in the other direction with a skeleton crew hoping to get some authentic movies of those funny lights in the sky。
When I reached Washington I parked my car on Connecticut Avenue； one of the main thoroughfares； in broad daylight for a few minutes。 Some of my clothes and camera cases were in the back seat so I carefully locked the doors。 While I was gone someone smashed in the vent on the side window and robbed my car。 They left behind my clothes and some of my cameras。 They took my briefcase； tape recorder and all my notebooks； exposed films； taped interviews with witnesses； cheap telescope and other items with little or no value to anyone except me。 Strangely； they had removed my irreplaceable address〃 book from one of the cases and left it on the seat。 I called the police。 When they finally arrived their attitude was not very sympathetic。 Anyone who would leave anything plainly visible in a locked car at 2 P。M。 on a main street in Washington was plainly a fool； or so they suggested。
My problems were minor pared to Dan's； however。 He was seeing plenty of aerial lights but his battery…powered cameras malfunctioned when he tried to photograph them。 Finally； he thought he had managed to get some footage。 Then the precious films were later accidentally ruined in a processing lab back in New York。 Members of his crew began to have troubles with their telephones； and a female production assistant was awakened one night in her apartment in Brooklyn by a loud beeping noise。 She got up； looked out the window； and saw a large luminous sphere hovering directly outside her building。
During his second visit to Point Pleasant Dan uncovered some Mothman witnesses I had missed。 And he also came across some more baffling Men…in…Black…type reports。 People up in the back hills had been seeing mysterious unmarked panel trucks which sometimes parked for hours in remote spots。 There seemed to be several of these trucks in the area and the rumor was that they belonged to the air force。 Men in neat coveralls were seen monkeying with telephone and power lines but no one questioned them。
A woman living alone on an isolated island north of Vancouver； British Columbia； Canada； had two curious encounters with the same kind of beings。 She had moved into a tiny one…room cabin on Keats Island in October 1967 and was soon seeing UFO lights nightly。 On January 29； 1968； following a close sighting of 〃a long dark body with dim red and yellow lights at both ends；〃 she was surprised by two visitors。 Both wore 〃neat； dark coveralls〃 and claimed to be employees of the hydroelectric pany。 They offered to help her put up a stovepipe。 The younger of the two climbed on the roof of her cabin while the other handed him the pipes。 〃I could hear the man on the ground directing him and the one on the roof would answer； 'Yes； Master。'〃
After the pipe was installed； the pair joined her for tea。 They seemed 〃a little stiff。〃 When they left she wondered how they had known she was there because 〃the cabin couldn't be seen from the road ＇and＇ the stove was out when they arrived； so there was no smoke from the chimney。〃
On May 2； she again encountered two men。 〃One was the 'boss' Hydro man in his neat coveralls；〃 she reported。 （1） 〃The other was a different； younger man of about 19…20。 As I entered the path； the boss man indicated with his hand for the young man to get behind him。 They got well off the path and waited for me； the young man a little behind his boss。 The fellow stared at me as if I was some kind of freak 。。。。〃
＇1＇ Canadian UFO Report； #13； 1972…73。
This time she didn't invite them for tea。 One odd thing she noticed during both meetings was their slow； careful way of walking。 They looked at their feet and stepped very uncertainly。
The next day a jeep came along the road； containing four men inspecting lines 。。。 〃carelessly dressed； workaday men； none in coveralls。 The boss wasn't obviously so。 They expressed no surprise at seeing me there； no concern or any particular interest。 I told them two of their men already had been around the day before； inspecting the lines。 They assured me yesterday's men weren't Hydro men； that somebody had been 'pulling my leg。'〃
Somebody was also pulling a lot of legs on cosmopolitan Long Island。 In West Virginia I had heard some stories about three men who looked 〃like Indians〃 and were acpanied by a fourth man； more normal…looking and very shabbily dressed in contrast to the other three。 So I was nonplused when I heard identical descriptions from people on Long Island。
An elderly woman who lived alone in a house near the summit of Mount Misery； the highest point on Long Island； had received a visit from this quartet in early April 1967； immediately after a severe rainstorm。
〃They had high cheekbones and very red faces； like a bad sunburn；〃 she told me。 〃They were very polite but they said my land belonged to their tribe and they were going to get it back。 What frightened me was their feet。 They didn't have a car 。。。 they must have walked up that muddy hill 。。。 but their shoes Were spotlessly clean。 There was no trace of mud or water where they walked in my house。〃
That same week another visitor came to Mount Misery。 This was a woman with striking white hair who claimed to represent a local newspaper。 She carried a book 〃like a big ledger〃 and asked the witness a number of personal questions about her family background。 When I later checked 'with the newspaper I found they employed no one of that description。
The local Mount Misery expert was Miss Jaye P。 Paro； a radio personality then with station WBAB in Babylon； New York。 Miss Paro is a dark…haired； dark…eyed young lady with a soft； haunting voice。 At that time she conducted an interview show； largely devoted to the historical and psychic lore of the region。 Soon after she reported some UFO sightings around Mount Misery she began to receive all manner of crank calls； both at the station and on her unlisted home phone。 Metallic voices ordered her to meet them on 〃the Mount〃 （she didn't go）。
Through Miss Paro I met several local UFO witnesses and contactees。 Long Island； I discovered； was crawling with contactees of all ages and both sexes。 One of these was a lovely young blonde； whom I will call Jane； who lived near Mount Misery with her family。 Jane was not illiterate； but she seldom read anything other than the ic strips and 〃Dear Abby。〃 She knew nothing about UFOs and cared less。 She was a 〃fallen Catholic；〃 having abandoned religion when she reached adulthood。 She was a very sensitive woman； more ethereal than sensual。 There was almost something mystical about her appearance and grace。
Mount Misery is a heavily wooded hill with a few narrow dirt roads slicing through it and a number of large mansions set back among the trees。 The late Henry Stimson； secretary of war during World War II； maintained a lavish estate on the s