The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1894-01-04
CAMEIS AND GRIZZLY.
THEY ONCE MET AND NOT IN
A zoo. EITHER.

A. Yarn That Goes Tack to the Admin
istration of Buchanan and the Camel
Train Intended to Be Used in the
Great American Desert.
During the administration of
James Buchanan, in the fall OF 1867,
the train of thirty Bactrian camels
purchased by the government, in
charge of Captain Beale, United
States army. on their way from the
Gulf of Mexico to California, crossed
the plains to Ell Paso and halted at
Eort Bliss for several days.
These camels were intended
Us a pack train to carry
army supplies across the great
American desert, distance of over
hundred miles, which is termed by
the Mexicans, "La Jornada del
Muerto," or VALLEY OF Death" The
desert Is long, narrow, deep de-
preston in the earth, having the ap-
Pearance OF a furnace that has just
begun to cool Off after the fire had
been removed; the hot winds giving
out metallic heat that almost suf-
locates one, perhaps already burning
with thirst, and not a drop of water
that even an animal could swallow
under the most desperate circum-
stances. The final disposition of
those camels is we'll known. it hay
ing been found by experience that
they could not be utilized for the
purpose intended, they were dis
banded on the plains of Mexico to
shift for themselves.
After rest of several days, the
camel train moved out from Fort
Lancaster in good order and I felt
quite secure under the protection of
Captain Beale's small band, as was
confident that sight of those cam
els was sufficient to put to flight
those wild man of the desert as we'll
as ferocious beasts, says the Phila-
delphia Times.
We had made good speed on our
Journey for two days without any
disturbance worthy of note, and with
in some forty miles of Fort Davis we
went into camp at d large spring, or
water hole near the narrow chute
leading from the canyon. This is a
narrow chute between precipitous
bluffs of near 100 feet in height for
the most part and is some fifteen
miles long, and SO narrow that only
a single wagon can pass any point at
time, the bluffs on either side shut
ting out the sun to such an extent
that it is so dark it is necessary to
use torch to see the way.
This. spring at which we had
pitched our tents for the night was
6nown to BIO q great resort for the
Indians.
We had been in camp some two
hours when one of the men noticed
in the distance, filing out from the
foot Mills to our left, what might be
a nerd of antelope, supposed to be on
their way to water, as that water hole
was the only one known to exist for
over thirty miles around. They were
watched with interest until they
assumed the shape of human beings
ever and anon being screened by the
undulations Of the valley. In the
meantime our party was not idle,
but was discussing every expedient
for defense and acting with the
energy tho occasion demanded.
BY the time twilight had set in
our arrangements were perfected for
desperate defense, should our
breastwork of camels prove unsatis-
factory. We had managed to hide
ourselves so completely that nothing
but the camels could be seen. Just
inside the lines we lay prone on the
ground behind small knoll covered
with shaggy growth of cactus and
dead grass to watch the approach of
the hostiles.
They approached within a hun
dred yards of the camels, their curl
Osity being aroused to such a degree
that they seemed 'spell bound" a
step forward, then hesitating until
one of the young bucks let his .twon-
der bump get the better of him and
unconsciously made slight excla-
nation like unto the scream of a
hungry panther, causing the entire
herd of camels to raise their heads
and crane their long necks in that
direction. This was the signal for
the most precipitous stampede of
about twenty Indians I had ever wit
messed.
While still lying quietly Cor as
quietly as was possible under the
circumstances between laughs>.
"Curly jake" whose risibles onlv
need wink to set them at '.boiling
point, - who noticed slight commo-
ton among the camels, and saw
what he supposed to be an Indian
creeping up on all-fours, could not
hold in any longer, but burst out be-
fore the Indian could run, as he SUD-
posed he would do as before, but the
camels took fright instead, and it
was with some difficulty that we cor,
raled them in the cave with the
mules.
We now discovered that We had an
enemy to cope with that we had NOT;