The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-06-08
ARIZONA'S WILD CAMEiS.
Descendants of a Herd That Were
Imported from Africa


The camels now running wild in Ari-
zona are the descendants of a small
herd originally imported for use in the
state of Nevada says the San Fran
cisco Chronicle In the early DAYS of
mining on the Comstock, long before
there We're any railroads in the Great
Basin region, 1t was thought that
camels might be profitably used about
the mines, particularly in packing
across the surrounding deserts, and
twelve ships of the desert were &C
cordingly purchased and brought to
Virginia City. They were wanted for
use in packing salt from the Hot
Springs salt marsh to the Comstock re-
duction works This salt deposit lies
far out in a desert region, and To reach
II many waterless stretches of sand and
alkai had To be Iraversed.
The camels were able to cross all the
deserts in perfect comfort, carrying
heavy loads of salt and finding means
of subsistence in the prickly and bitter
plants and shrubs everyH here to be
found in abundance. In short the
animals did as good work here in our
deserts they are able to do in any
country in the world. but they were
too slow. The camel may be fast
enough for an Arab. but he Is too slow
for an American.
When the occupation of the camels
as packers of salt was gone they were
sold to some MeXicans, who used them
for time in packing wood down out of
the mountains The Mexicans took
them up rocky trails into the rugged
hills and used them the same as they
use mule-uD mercifully. They soon
Iii lad ~ ha .hal a
would have killed the remainder had
not a Frenchman. who owned big
ranch on the Carson river, below Day
ton, taken pity on the poor, abused
creatures and bought the whole of
them This Frenchman had been in
Algeria with the French colony, where
he had developed an affection for the
camel-probably owed the animal a
debt of gratitude for having saved his
life on some occasion. He had no use
for the beasts, therefore turned them
out to roam the desert plains at will
The animals, left to shift for theuf-
selves, soon waxed fat, and increased
and multiplied. In few years from
nine the herd had increased TO thirty
six, old and young. The Frenchman
then sold the whole lot to be taken
down to Arizona 10 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 useless, when
all were turned adriit to shift for them
selves They have regained the in
stincts of the original wild state of
their species and are very wary and
swift. They fly into waterless wastes
impenetra bic to man when approached
Some of the old animals, however, oc-
casionaIly appear in the vicinity of the
settleme nts OF late it is reported that
the cattleme N have been shooting them
for some reaso N, perhaps because they
frighten and stampede their horses
No one knows how many camels are
now running at large in the wilds of
the Gila country, but there must be a
great number. One is occasionally
caught. Four years ago one was cap
tured near to Gila Bend that measured
over nine feet in height 1t appeared
to be a stray from one of the herds in
that region
With the herd of camels when il was
owned by the Frenchman on the Car
son river was a huge old bull camel
known as 'Old Heenan." because of his
fighting prochvities- He was giant,
and the patriarch of the herd He had
hair on parts of his body that was a
foot or eighteen inches in lengh- The
animals ranged down the valley of the
Carson nearly to old Fort Churchill At
Sam Buckland's ranch. 4 mile above
the fort, several Mexican vaqueros
were employed. These men had seen
the big camel, and looked with envious
eyes upon the long, silkeu hair that
hung from the huge frame They
thought this hair might be spun into
beautiful riatas bride reins and orna-
ments for bridies-
One fine sunday morning in spring
two of the observation-disclosures and Ge-
donio equipped themselves with
lasso and pair of sheep shears and set
out to catch and shear Old Heenan- Ge-
donio found the big animal easy of ap-
proach. The old fellow stood stock
still He was dreamily chewing his
cud with half-closed eyes The lasso
swished through the air, and in a IN
ment was about the big animals neck
Then, as the patriarch felt the rope
tighten about his throat, the fun be-
gan.
Alongside the giant beast the MeHi-
can looked a mere pigmy- When Old
Heenan realized that the small two
legged creature actually trying to
gather him in his little eyes turned
green with rage. Kissing like red
hot locomotive he cha rged Gedonio.
The little Mexican held to the rope for
a time. hoping to choke the camel
down, but found the animal apparent
ly able to subsist as long without
wind as without water. Besides,
Heenan made for him so rapidly that
he could get no pull on the old fellow.
At last Gedonio was SO hard pressed
that he was obliged to drop the lasso
and take to his heels
BY this time Old Heenan was wild
with rage The Mexican tried to dodge
the irate beast among the lunches of
grasswood, but these being only two
or three feet high, afforded poor cover.
lie then struck for the river, intending
to climb one of the cottonwoostx on its
banks, but Heenan was too close upon
his heels There was no time for
climbing, and he was obliged To plunge
into the river. Not being able To swim,
Gedonio was constrained To- halt when
the water came up to his chin. Heenan
charged down to the waters edge and
there stood on guard. Though the old
fellow would not enter the water yet
he made Gedonio very unhappy by spit
ting show ers of acrid saliva into his
face and eyes
Meanwhile Antonio, who had wit
messed his partners Inglorious retreat
and almost split his windpipe in laugh
ing thereat became uneasy. He began
to fear that Gedonio was either
drowned or killed, as he could see
neither man nor camel after they
had plunged down over the barA of