The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-01-14


The camels now running wild in Ari-
IONA are the descendants of a small herd
originally imported for use IN the State Of
Nevada. In the early days of mining on
the ComstOck, long before there were any
railroads in the Great Basin region, it was
thought that camels might be pTofitably
used about the mines, particularly in pack
ing across the surrounding deserts, and
twelve "ships of the desert" were accord
inglv purchased and brought to Virginia
City. They were wanted for use in pack
ing salt from the Sand Springs salt marsh
to the Constock reduction works. This
salt deposit lies far out in a desert region,
and TO reach it many waterless stretches
OF sand and alkali had to be traversed.
The csmes were able to cross all the
deserts in perfect comfort, carrying heavy
loads Of salt and finding means of subsst-
ence in the prickly and bitter plants and
shrubs everywhere to be found in abun-
dance In short the animals did as good
work here in our deserts as 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.
Camels can only be used in level and
sandy regions for transportation purposes.
In the mountains among sharp rocks they
soon become footsOre. Wherever a camel
can travel in comfort one may 90 with a
wagon. In the business of salt transport
tatiOn in this State trains of wagons drawn
by big mule teams soon ran the camels OH
1.-The track, wells being sunk al suitable dis
tanCes along the route,
When the occupation Of the camels as
81 fhaET rr-ar n IN
some MeXicans, who used them Tor time
IN packing wood down out of the noun
fains- The MexicaEs took them up rocky
trails into the rugged hills and used them
the same as they use mule-unmercifully.
They soon killed three of the wretched
beasts and would have killed the remain
der had not a Freedman, who owned a
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
e. with the French colony, where he had
developed an affection for the camel
" probably owed the animal debt of graft
tude for having saved his life on some oc-
casiOn. He had no use for the beasts,
therefore turned them out to roam the
desert plains at will and enjoy themse Ives.
The animals, lett TO shit Tor themselves,
soon w8xed fat and increased and multi
piled. In few years from nine the herd
had increased to thlrty-siX, old and young.
The Freedman then sold the whole lot to
be taken down to Arizona to be used In
packing ore down off big mountain range.
j 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 adrift to shift for themselves.
- They wandered away until they reached
a region in the neighboThOod of the ella
River. There they found a climate and
pasturage suited to their habits and taste
nd thau no hnpr lid fnr
many years. II is said they broke up into
. several herds as they multiplied, and these
herds are scattered in various directions
Some of the herds composed Of the younger
desert born animals rove far from the
baunts Of men.
original wild state OF their Species and
. are very wary and swift They fly into
waterlesS wastes Uncomfortable to man.
when approached. Some of the old ami
mails. however, occasionally appear in the
vicinity of the settlements. OF late il is
. reported that the cattlemen have been
shooting them for some reason, perhaps
). because they fTighten and stampede their
horses. No one knows how many cameIs
are now running at large in the wiids Of
1.-The ella country, but there must be a
:. great number. One is occasionally caught
. 'Gla Bend that measured over nine feet in
height. 1t appeared to be stray from one
:Ot the herds roaming in that region.
=. Although the camel seems an ugly and
ungainly beast when seen in the streets of
city, it is quite otherwise when he is seen
!: in his proper home in the desert wilds, He
is then In harmony with his rugged sur
roundings-the brown hills, the gray rocks
and the thorny and ragged shrubbery. H.
deed he is picturesque feature in desert
landscape. The animals appear to be as
much at home here in our deserts as in
their habitat ia the Old World. They find
here the artemesia (ssgebrush) and many of
the same bitter and pricklY shrubs that are
native 10 the deserts Of Asia.
=. A great objection to the use of camels in
this country is the fact That horses cannot
endure either the sight or smell of them.
Nv hen canals put i'll an appearance horses
stampede in all directions. For this reason
there was an ordinance in Virginia City
~forbidding camels being brought into the
place during daylight hours. The camel
train always entered the city in the night
and departed in the morning before day
: light
= The sudden appearance of long line of
camels In the dimly lighted streets near
: that Wltching hour when the dead move
and mutter in their graves and nnseemly
tnlngs are astlr not infrequently COM
pletely dumfounded and upset strangers
VINO do not know that there was single
camel In the country. They would not
nave oeen more thoroughly knocked out
had they seen marching toward them
procession OF dozen elephants.
. On one occasion a laughable thing oc-
Cured. a young German, new tn tho
city. had been on a high old bender for
several days and nights ana was becoming
terribly shaky. One morning toward dav-
: light his friends got him to agree tn On
home after taking lone more drink" He
Started, but In few moments came rneb-
Ing back into the saloon, wild as a hawL
telling his frlends that when he started tn
go home he was met in the street bv a
great string OF 'awfnl big gooses-gooses
more as ten feet hight!
:. IL did not occur to the young mans
friends that he had run against the camel