The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-08-05

where to buy, recommending Damascus
and Palmyra as the best shopping dis
tricts for camels and stating that bar
gains in dromedaries undoubtedly could
be obtained in Kurdistan. He directed
Major Wayne to call upon Minister
Buchanan in London and explain the
importance of his mission. In addition
to all this voluminous instruction the
secretary of war wrote a valuable treatise
on the subject Of camels in relation to
military employment. Was there ever
anything funnier? The secretary Of war
of this great republic engaged in writ
ing pamphlet, "What I Know About
Dromedaries, " and gravely submitting
it to be placed among the archives of
the government
Major Wayne took himself quite as
seriously as did the secretary. Hecalled
upon Minister Buchanan in London and
Minister Mason in Paris, and these two
famous diplomats lent their grave and
reverend consideration to the mighty
subject of dromedaries, giving advice
and Introductory letters galore to the
agent Of the United States government
on his quest for camels All these atten-
tions were duly chronicled and reported
to the secretary of war at Washington,
together with a great mass of correspond
ence which the major held with various
missionaries in the east on the nature,
manners, food, care and breeding of the
camel. He paid from $50 to 81, 900 for
the beasts and engaged Arabs to care for
them on the voyage to this country.
The great pains, the enormous expense
and, above all, the amusing interest
taken by these government officials seem
to the practical, matter of fact Yankee
of today extremely absurd, and when
one considers that all this fuss was to
end that few bony old beasts might
wander across the wilds of Arizona
chewing the bitter end of the cactus and
alarming the transcontinenta1 tourist
the whole affair grows absolutely ridic-
ulous
Finally Became Elephants.
When the canlels were finally distrib-
uted among various western army posts,
the owners found they had ian elephant
on their hands. The creatures were
afflicted with strange and incompre-
hensible diseases with which the west
ern horse doctor could not wrestle.
Horses did not like them and became
FESTIVE when stabbed with the ugly east
ern visitors Even the hostlers took vio-
lent dislike to the poor beasts, as the
labor of Harvesting and packing them
was onerous, and they were everywhere
unweIcome and fell into disuse.
In 1861 the herd numbered nearly SO
head. Some Of these were in 1862 taken
to the Comstock mines for use in the
desert, and train of 10 Of these beasts
was employed in packing salt from
Sand Springs, in a desert of salt and
alkali about 100 miles east of Virginia
City. Wagons, too, were used in the
transportation of salt from these springs,
and soon with the aid of prairie schoon-
ers crowded out the business of the cam
els. They were then sold to Mexicans,
who used them in packing wood down
the mountains. Knocking about among
the mountains, the wretched beasts soon
became gaunt skeletons. They were
finally sold TO ranchman on the Carson
river, who turned them out to roam at
their fancy and to feed on the prickly
shrubs Of the desert, upon which, as
they were somewhat like those of their
native country, the animals tnrived and
increased.
Next they were used by miners for
packing ore from the mountains to the
mills in the valleys. But soon the burro,
the slow footed, easy going canary
Bird of the Rockies, superseded them,
and the entire drove was sent adrift in
the Wilderness Today the camels are
wild, hoary with years, and their hides
+ have assumed a 1eathery appearance.
| There are only a few left now in the
extreme southern portion of Arizona,
and members of a recent boundary COM
mission reported that they saw two
camels on the line between Arizona and
Mexico, near Sonora.
In the Gila country, where these ami
mails roamed at one time, is the greatest
souvenir left by the aboriginal races of
| North America-an immense network
| Of prehistoric irrigating canals. Their
age is entirely a matter of conjecture
Only one tradition exists among the
present Indian tribes concerning them,
and that is of their destruction.
Indian Traditions.
In 1542 Coronado came from Spain
seeking the seven cities of Cibola, ex-
pecting to wrest glory and riches from
their conquest, as had Pizarro in Peru
and Cortez in Mexico He found these
ruins of canals, but could learn nothing
of their age or builders. The Indian
tradition tells that once these great val
leys of the Salt and ella rivers were
peopled by dense and prosperous ma
tion that excelled all others in the build
ing Of vast palaces and the manufacture
of stone implements, but mostly by
changing the terrible desert into a
mighty garden by putting into it the
waters of great rivers
This people grew and multiplied so
that all other tribes envied and feared
them, and the jewellers on the noun
tains began to plot how they could seize
this paradise in the valleys for them
selves. So the warriors of the hills de-
scended upon the peaceful inhabitants
of these valleys. and those who zvera not.