The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-25
Big Herd Imported From Asia
Minor Have Disappeared.
SUPERCEDED BY RAILROAD
They Were Turned Loose to Starve on
the Desert-Cowboys Learned to
Their Cost 1t Was Danger
Gus to Lasso Them.
Frnm the Denver Republican.

beast was one of the herd of camelS
brought from Asia Minor many years
ago to carry ore from the Comstoek
mines. So ends the greatest attempt at
acclimating foreign animals ever made
in the United States. 1t seems sad
that the noble beast, the last Of his
tribe, should have such an inglorious
end And yet some sympathy must be
goven the poor Indians, for they must
nave been awful hungry to be able to
masticate the tough 75-year-old camel
Besides, the poor camel would most
likely have died of slow starvation in
short time for when last seen alive by
white men it was very feeble.
Just who the man was who thought
of bringing camels to this country
seems to be a matter of some doubt
Several men are credited with having
done so, but even the old-timers them
selves seem to be little tangled up
in this bit of Western history. P. I.
Barton Of Prescott, Ariz., who was IN
the Comstock at the time, said he was
positive that the late Adolph Sutro was
largely instrumental in bringing the
camels here. This, however has been
strenuously denied The fact remains
that the camels were brought here. On
all the points connected with this part
of the story the old-timers agree.
It was in the old days when the Com
stock was in its glory. The days before
the railroad, when Virginia City was
almost important a town as San
Francisco. 1t so happened that a GER
tain group of mines about % or 80 miles
out of Virginia City was panning out
piles of rich ore. 1t was impossible to
put up a mill close to the mines on ac-
count of the lack of water. From the
first it was apparent that the mule
plan was not a success. In the summer
it took about two mules to carry water
for the one that carried ore. And all
the while the animals kept dying. The
intense heat and dry, sandy air was too
much for them and they fell by the
Wayside fast that a new band was
required almost weekly. But the ore
had to be carried to the mill. for there
was millions in it." At this juncture
some genius suggested that the miners
buy camels for the work. So the cam
els were bought at great expense. Some
of them We're obtained from the veteran
Snowman, P. T. Barnum, and about
20 came direct from Asia Minor under
the care of an agent dispatched from
Virginia City.
From the first the camels did all that
was expected of them. Each morning
they would eat meager breakfast Of
any old weed that happened in their
way, drink few gallons of water, and
We're ready for business. Two bags of
ore, each containing between 200 and
800 pounds, were strapped to the back
over the hump of each camel. When
the train was ready all started off at
once, striking a good gait that was kept
up until the mill was reached. The
drivers had nothing to do but follow
the train No stopping for water, no
urging, no beatings. The faithful beasts
did their work willingly When the ore
was dumped the camels took another
big drink and We're turned loose, being
permitted to make their way back to
the mine at their own pleasure. Very
rarely did one Of them fail to be on
hand the next morning, ready to take
another load to the mill.
The camel train was a strange sight
while en- route across the desert. From
a distance the general effect was that
of a scene in Persia. There was moth
ing lacking-the intense blue sky, the
binding white sand and the distant
mountains. showing dimly through a
faint, purple haze. Many traveller,
seeing the sight for the first time. has
stopped and rubbed his eyes. wondering
If he We're not suffering from some tenn
pOrary mental alteration.
But all this changed when the rail-
road came. Then the camels work was
over. The iron horse displaced them
and once more the owners began to
puzzle over a serious question. What
was to be done with the camels? For
months the patient beasts waited
around their corral. ready and willing
to do any work that might be given to
them. But there was none for them 20
do and finally the owners turned them
loose to get their living as best they
could.
1t was several months before they
ventured far from their home, but in
time they managed to wander all over
the deserts of Arizona, and even into
Mexico and New Mexico. At first some
of the bold cowboys thought to have
fun with the meek. sad-looking camelS
that crossed their tracks, But they
never tried 1t q second time. 1t was
always somewhat difficult to make Il
COW pony to get near enough to
camel to throw a rope over its neck.
But the trick was often done and the
cowboy settled back in his saddle to
have a good laugh at the antics of the
beast.
But after a moment later the cowboy
generally thought the country had been
struck by a cyclone. His horse jerked
from under him and usually dragged
him to death unless the lariat FORUM
| ately broke. The cowboy pumped the
| ground pretty hard and in some cases
| came to in time to witness the end of
| his horse or possibly see the bruised
| animal lying on the sand and the sad
! die following a camel into the distance,
! COW pony could no more hold one OF
| the Comstock camels than it could
steam engine, and the cowboy who
found this out by experience learned
lesson that he never forgot. As the
years went by the camels decreased in
| numbers. and. in spite of the fact that
! they were running wild, the remaining
| ones always had a longing for human
companionship. They would wander
| into villages and frequently would let
| the children be lifted on their backs
| for a ride Any village would gladly
| have taken care OF one or two of the
| camels but they made it troublesome
for the horses. For some reason horse
| dislikes the smell of a camel, and so,
| after few days, to the intense grief of
the children, the animals had to be
driven out on the desert again.
Six years ago the original herd of 80
camels had dwindled down to two, as
near as could be judged from the people