The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-04-26
ENTHUSIASTIC STOCK FARMER.
Pemsr.sable Trip to Asia to Purchase
Angcra Goats.
ARRIVAL OF TIE ANIMALS AT BAL.
T1MORE.

rpaCucu Daloihoi0 JSooOiuhy W VIZ
steamship Sandman, from Liverpool
with twelve Angora goats, which b.
brought all the way from Asia Mi
nor after q most romantic and diff
cult journey, occupying a year. An
CORA and Cashmere goats had beer
considered identical, but a sample o
real Cashmere wool, sent to Mr.. Har
rig from Madras, disclosed the fact
that it was essentially different from
wool grown on goats called Angoras
which he and others owned in this
country. This discovery led the adj
yenturous breeder to go to Asia anl
see and learn for himself, as we'll as
to study the habits and mode of raj
sing goats, with o view to making
them profitable in the Sierras of Cal
ifornia. He started April 16, 1875
from California, via Japan and Chi
ma, intending to 60 overland into
Tibet, but found that impractical
bile. He then went to Calcutta, anC
going through India reached the
Cashmere district and saw the ami
mails for which he had made so great
Journey. He found the Cashmere
goats covered with q rather sparse
coat of extremely white, silk like
wool, used in the manufacture of In.
dian shawls and other goods that arc
highly priced for their fncness Of
texture and capability for receiving
aud retaining colors. The home OF
the Cashmere goat is in the Hima.
lava Mountains, $4,000 feet above
the level of the sea, in region OF
eternal SHOWS. There are no Cash
mere goats in America. The travel.
er found these goats could not be pro.
iitably acclimatcd in California, but
he gained the information that mo.
hair-wool goats could be successfully
raised in high altitude and a low
latitude, such as the Sierras of South
ern California. Mr.. Harris conclud-
ed then to 90 to Angora, but found
he could not proceed overland on ac-
count of war, nor via the Persian
Gulf on account Of the unsettled state
of the country. He therefore return
ed To Calcutta and went via Ceylnn,
Indian Ocean, Red Sea and Suez Ca
mi to Port Said, over the Taurus
Mountains, in crossing which ise was
'cupicl twenty one days, and suffer
q Intensely from cold, SHOWS, etc.
with 10 other fool hit native black
b!ra AMI KIND of molasses. When
f. l'r h req. he'd .tngnra an.l bought
his gnat-, two rams an'? ten ewes. he
rm short of money. AMI had To tclc-
g aph Ia California for credit ut Con
s'pptlno;,le. He borrowed tgum 81
E,rn jly Set, hnan, aah started for
the cna~f. He i,a,I nine nllcs an /
three ,loiik vs., az, wiii"h the l,rnr iouS
gn7tS Wee hung in boxes, Wilde 9th,
e. of the animals were loaded With
proveDrler III baggage. He tried to
teach Smyrnn, bat after laundering
III the mountains somc days was oh
iigci To return TO Angora, He then
turned north to ISmiA. where he
struck rail to Constantinople. There
he found money from his partner,
paid his debts and the export duty
and "backsheesh" demanded by tue
Turks. He went from Constantine
pie to Liverpool, and thence to Balti-
more safely. Mr.. Harris says that,
including all his expenses since leav-
ing home, the goats have thus far
cost him $525 apiece in gold, or a to-
tai of $4,000, and he has yet to take
them across the continent to Califor-
MIA by rail. Mr.. Harris is middle
aged Scotchman, decidedly modest,
md does not think he has performed
a remarkable journey in the wilds of
Central and Western Africa. When
he left California he and his partner
had 100, goats on their ranges at
Iiollister, Benito County, where he
has been seventeen years. He thinks
le has found that by proper breeding
California is especially adapted to
'roduce mohair woods. The goats
m the Sandman are smaller than the
ordinary animals, and have long, sill
zen heeces Of white wool. Both sex
IS have fiat, corrugated horns, about
eighteen inches long, that diverge
rom the front of the head. All are
and show no ill effects from
heir travels. Several kids have been
'on since leaving Angora, one of
which, several days old, is alive and
veil. The goats were visited by
thousands of people at Liverpool,
There Mr.. Harris was a sort of lion.