The Portland daily press., 1894-01-09
ARIZONA'S WILD ANIMALS
Strange Beasts in the Desert That Give
Rise to Sensational Stories.

From time to time reports have come
OF strange beasts having been seen in
the great desert of Arizona, and it has
usually transpirad that these beasts
upon closer description and examina
ton, proved to have been camels. Of
late years only occasional reports have
been received of the presence of these
| foreign built ships of the desert" upon
American soil. According to a state
ment received last July by Mr.. Gustave
Bender of this city from a resident of
Arizona, it is believed that the camels
are rapidly becoming extinct.
A probable explanation of the presence
of camels on theAmerican desert is made
by Mr.. Bender, VINO has examined the SUBJ
ject. In conversation with Star reporter
Mr.. Bender said:
THE introduction of the camel to be
employed as a beast of burden in those
portions OF the Western hemisphere
where there are broad prairies and elevat-
ed plains, nearly destitute of water, and
furnishing but scanty supply OF herb
age of an Indifferent quality, has long
been viewed as Il matter of much national
Importance particularly since the es
tablishment of the overland routes, re-
During mingled mountain and desert
travel between the Atlantic States and
the Pacific slope. Several dromedaries
and camels have been introduced from
time to time. but owing to want of
proper knowledge of the habits and man
ners OF the animals, the attempt has
proven unsuccessful. Camels We're
brought from Guinea to Virginia in
l7Ol, and the enterprise failed. Drome-
diaries have been introduced in the West
Indies and various parts of South
America and have been employed with
partial successes.
I'm 1855 Congress appropriated $4,000
to be expended in the purchase of drome-
daries and camels, to be employed for
military purposes In accordance with
that act Jefferson Davis, then Secretary
Of War, assigned Maj. Henry c. Wayne.
United States army, for that duty, and
instructed him to visit Asia and other
eastern countries The United States
posal under command of Lieut. David D.
Porter. Maj. Wayne left New York on
the 18th of May 1855 for the Orient and
sailed from Smyrna in Asia Minor on
the 18th of February 1856 with thirty
three camels of which one died; six were
born on the passage of which four died.
He arrived on the 18th of May 1885, at
Indianola, Tex, with thirty-four camels.
THE camels were sent to Camp Verde,
about sixty miles from San Antonio,
Tex The object was to use the burden
animals in transporting supplies from
San Antonio to the camp. The drome-
diaries were to be used as means of
rapid transit for messengers and couriers,
and as pack animals for scouting parties
instead of mules. 1t was thought that
possibly the dromedarles might be
mounted with small gun throwing
shrapnel.
"In the meantime Lieut.. Porter set out
for the second expedition, taking along
an agent at a salary of $4,000 per year.
He purchased a lot of beautiful animals,
all young, and on November IS, 1856,
sailed from Smyrna with forty-four
camels and dromedaries of different
breeds, six of which were presented by
the sultan. After a most fearful voy-
age and experiencing the severesJ gales
and hurricanes the second camel expedi-
tion arrived at the mouth of the Mississ-
ipp1 January 30, 1857. Forty-one camels
in good order were landed at Indianola
and transported to the others at the
camp. After several years. trial it was
claimed that the animals were not
adapted for military transportation in
this country, and the entire lot was sold
at auction, the highest price being $31
per head.
So far | have not been able to ascer-
tain what fate these animals shared,
but undoubtedly the camels found in
southern Arizona today are the remnants
and offspring of those imported about
thirty-seyen years ago in the State of
Texas. am in correspondence with
the governor of Arizona, and shall COM
nunicate with the proper authorities In
this city with the object of saving the
camels from destruction, and removing
them to some government reservation
probably the Yellowstone National
Park, and securing few for the Zoologi-
cal Park of this city. Washington Star.