ChawGreen - [Fearsome Critter]

Chaw-green - [Fearsome Critter] - aka: "Chawgreen"

• About this critter: A varmint from the ozarks supposedly witnessed by unsuccessful hunters & busy lumbermen, described as resembling a "bear" but with an long striped tail which resembles a barbers-pole, said to steal tobacco from the bags of busy workers; it chews & spits it out just like a man would. Then it vanishes, leaving only a spittle-splat of gooey spit as the only evidence that the creature was ever there... Scouts used to try and hunt it in a sack or pillowcase, but no matter how they tried, they were always unsuccessful and left with an empty bag...

• History: One of the many 'Fabulous Monsters' which Vance Randolph heard about first hand from locals in the Ozarks. - He recorded it among several others in 'We Always Lie To Strangers.' [1951]- Vance describes the 'chaw-green' along side another critter known as the 'Bear-behind' as follows:

"Another mythical varmint often included in an unsuccessful hunters bag is the chaw-green it resembles a bear they say, but has a long tail striped like a barbers pole. the chaw-green is alleged to steal tobacco which it chews and spits like a man."

...

 "Also known as a tobacco thief is the bear-behind, which has hindquarters like a bear, but a head which resembles that of a certain Missouri congressman; the name of this creature is a kind of pun on bare-behind, and there are several allegedly funny stories about it."

The fact that he describes the Chaw-green as a "varmint" but also 'resembling a bear" makes me think its on the smaller side, plus the mention of an 'unsuccessful hunters bag' almost certainly puts this critter in league with the 'snipe' & its many, many variants. - [a 'snipe' is most quickly defined as a made up creature which boycotts are sent out to hunt as a form of hazing/initiation/practical joke.]

Sadly Vance did not elaborate on where exactly in the Ozarks this 'Chawgreen' story was from, I'm assuming Missouri area, as he lumps it in with the "bear-behind" story. - [Speaking of: its a bit of a tangent from the main point, but on the topic of this 'Bear-behind'; as of posting, I am sadly unsure of which "Missouri Congressman" Vance might have been referring to (there where a few.) But whichever creature it might resemble; the story sounds to be a mix between a reversed 'shagamaw' [a creature which has hooves like a deer and legs like a bears, is summersaults through the woods] & perhaps a pun on the 'hide-behind.' [a creature which is always lurking behind you.] - An identically named creature with the same name & attributes as the bear-behind is also described in a 1936 Paul Bunyan novel. Perhaps it derived from all of those things.] - Back on the topic of the Chawgreen: if it is from Missouri, 'Koken barber supply co.' of St. Louis, Missouri, which manufactured barber equipment and poles in the early 19th - mid 20th century to some fame and success - Might be a good explanation as to why it's said to have a tail that looks like that? - but alas its difficult to say as so little was said. (I admit I might just be grasping at straws with that last notion! but It feels like good guess if any.)

Naming-wise; "Chaw" most definitely stems from a type of leafy chewing tobacco. - As well as a slang word meaning to "chew without swallowing" - it's 'Chew' said with a heavy country accent & drawl; an example of this used in a poem came up whilst searching for the critters name; from the 'Journal of American Folklore' [1927] which quotes a very short children's poem, which goes as follows:

"Chaw, chaw, green apples, Chaw, chaw, green apples.

Apples are ripe And ready to bite. Chaw, chaw, green apples."

Incidentally, the above poem was also both remixed and quoted in 1913's Boys Life Magazine, "the scouts discover the sea serpent" - The story where in specifically it is sung by some boy scouts who where out hunting a sea serpent, fun. (That story is very critter/snipe adjacent on its own.) – change the song to chaw tobacco instead of green apples and well, I'm sure you get the point by now. - Scouts seem to have enjoyed this little diddy, and i only bring it up to enforce the point that these same such scouts would've been 'left holding the bag'  huntin' the varmint as most 'snipe'' stories tend to go. 

There's really not much more to say about the Chawgreen other than that tinned chewing Tobacco was HUGE back in the days of the lumbermen, both among both Critters and woodsmen alike. - It was Introduced to the states by Scandinavian Loggers. Back then, it was promoted and seen as a 'healthier alternative' to smoking (But of course, its since been proven to be just as bad.) 

None the less, A creature that steals tobacco from workers (and is said to spit it just like a man would) in any regard is pretty damn funny; I can picture working men blaming the Chaw-green for being a thief when in actuality it was really someone among their crew. - Perhaps was better to shift the blame to an imaginary creature, rather than escalate into an argument with your coworkers? (or to be the one to take the blame for it?)

Hah! -I digress, Ultimately Vance did not elaborate much on this one, but perhaps he wasn't told more about the critter beyond what he wrote down?? Most of the above is my best researched guesswork. Reguardless, since vance told the story; The ChawGreen (& others mentioned by Vance) have since been quietly proliferated & kept alive in various Ozark Paranormal lists, but they have quite scarcely elaborated on or illustrated (aside from those handful of times (which I just linked) at least as far as I'm aware!)

...its probably for good reason too, I digress, there's really not much to say about this varmint it at all, and regrettably; even less to chew on! --Ptew!!

• Similar critters: Bunyan Ants. Hoopajooba, Whiffenpoof. Snawfus.