Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1892-10-14
CAMELS IN THE MINES.

|
would suppose that the anima
could be employed to advantage il
many of the desert sections lynn
westward of the Rocky Mountains
but such seems not to be the case
Camels can only be used in .leve
and sandy regions for transporta
tion purposes. Ia the mountains
they soon become footsore. Owing
to the peculiar formation of theil
feet they cannot Withstand The
sharp rocks of the mountain roads
and 1t is 10 the mountains that the
work of the mines lies. For pack
ing ore over the rocky trails Of
mining regions one good mule is
worth half dozen camels.
The only use to which camels
can be put in the Pacific Coast
country is in packing salt, soda,
bora1 and similar mining products
OF the desert regions to the rail-
road lines. They have been tried
in Nevada in transporting salt from
the desert marshes to the reduction
works of the Comstock, but were
found improbable. The camel
may be fast enough for an Arab,
but he is too slow for an American.
Wherever a camel can travel in
comfort one may go with wagon.
In the business OF salt trapsporta.
ton in Nevada, trains of wagons
and big mule teams soon ran the
camels of the track.
Originally twelve camels were
brought to Nevada. 1t was before
there was railroad anywhere in
the Great Basin region. The
animals appeared to be as much at
home here as in their habitat 10
the Old World. They found here
the artemesia aud many of the
same bitter and pricSly shrubs that
are native to the desert regions of
Asia. When the occupation OF
the camels as packers of salt was
gone they were sold to some Mexi-
cans who used them for time in
packing wood down out of the
mountains. The Mexicans took
them up rocky trails into the rug
ged hills and used them the same
as they use a mule numerically.
They soon killed three OF the poor
animals and would have killed the
remainder had not Frenchman
who owned a big ranch on the
Carson river taken pity on the
poor abused creatures and bought
the whole of them. This French
man had been In Algeria with the
French army, where he had &C
quired an affection for tho camel
probably owed the animal debt
of gratitude for saving his life on
some occasion. He had no use for
the beasts and therefore turned
them out to roam the desert plains
at their "own sweet will" and
enjoy themselves.
The animals soon waxed fat and
increased and multiplied. In a
few years the herd numbered
thirty-six, old and young. The
Frenchman then sold the whole
lot to be taken down to Arizona to
be used in packing ore down off a
big mountain range. 1t was said
there was a good smooth trail, but
the animals found all the rocks
and soon became footsore and use
less, when all we're turned adrift to
shift for themselves. They
wandered away until they reached
a region on the borders OF the
Gila. There they found q climate
and pasturage suited to their habits
and taste, and there they have been
running wild for many years. 1t
is said they have broken up into
several herds as they multiplied,
and these herds are scattered IN
various directions. CT late it is
that the cattlemen have
been shooting the animals for some
reason; perhaps because they
friehten and stampede their |
horaoa No one knows how many |.