Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-01-17
AMERICAS LAST CAMEL.
IT.. Went to Feed the Indians hi'e' "
Yony and Honorable Career
Onenver RepubIIcan

Long and Honorable '"
Denver Republican,
The last wild camel in America was A''
"A and eaten by the Indians IN fuiii"
-. dave sqo The venerable beast WAS
one Of the herd Of camels brought i'o''
A ,a Minor many years ago 10 carry eie
from the Comstock mines. so eh's 'ne
greatest attempt at acclimatng lorS's"
animals ever made In the United states
II seems sad that the noble beast tne ids'
~ his tribe, should have such an ingio-
rious end. And yet some sympathy m'S'
be given the poor Indians, for tney f'us'
have been awful hungry to be Soie u
masticate the tough, 75-year-oio canei
Besides. the poor camel would most hAeiy
have died OF slow starvation IN snoi'
time for when last seen alive py "H''o
men II was very feeble.
Just who the man was who tnous"' u
bringing camels to this country seeihs ~
be a matter Of some doubt. SeVelai ~ ,,,t
are credited with having done So 10
even the old-timers themselves seem os ~
,..,ia tangled ND on this bit OF western
b,s,orv y IT. Barton, OF Prescott Aiil,'
r,ho was I'm the Comstock at the UNI
saId he was positiye that the late AuoIpn
S,,.,o mas largely instrumental in piins
~, The camels here. This, however has
hne, strenuously denied. Dozens OF sinli.
Iar stories are told about other pionl,''', he
~, hut little credence can DC
| given 10 any OF them A.. CANALS
D. tbe fact remains that the canieIS
| ,,,ora brought here. On all the poiiI.S -
nected with this part OF the story ''s
| timers agree. 49,, ,ba Conn
II was in the old days, when lhs I'm,
stock was in its glory, the uasS 81.
the railroad, when Virglhla '-E G. wan
ntsoo II 60 happened that certain
',ro,,r ~ mines about twenty-five or thir-
-. ,,,iles ont of Virginia City was paiiI,ns
ont niles of rich ore. IT was iiiiposSiD o',
J 20 mt IN q mill close TO the hllhe'' va
account Of lack Of water - arr,ro
SIuIes were put 70 the work. ana durins
| - -,i,,,er months did fairly We'll AZ
.ho,ob ,o feed and care for them was
| terrorizing expense. 1t must DE uiIuei
| stood that as dry, rocky, ana Ddii en- en-.
desert as there is on the race OF tiie ca
| Law between Virginia city ana lne mn :,
no ,se n vehicle of any KIND was Out "
l 80, ,,,ostion and so the ore was carried
a. hsgs slung over the backs OF the am
mails. ,r.ore,t tina
From the first II was apparent una
the mule plan was not a success. III III
summer II took about two mules 10 car =
water for the one that carried ore an an
ali the while the animals kept dying u
intense heat and dry, sandy air were 10
much for them, and they fell by the way
eide so fast that new band was require
almost weekly. But the ore had 10 be car
ried TO the mill. for there was nliiiOH
in IT," -,.. .,,rreste
At this juncture some genius fuggeste
that the miners buy oamels for the WoIh
So the camels were bought at great eN
pense. Some Of them were obtained lloA
the veteran Snowman. p. I. Barnuih' al.
about twenty came direct from Asi
I Minor under the care OF an agent US
matched from Virginia CITY
From the first the camels dld all ths
was expected of them. Each moIhiii
thew would eat a meagre breakfast OF an
old weed that happened In their wa
drink a few gallons Of water, ana wei
readv for business TWO bags or or
each containing between 200 ana
pounds, were strapped to the pach o''
the hump of each camel
When the train was ready all startt
off at once. striking a good swinging ga
= that was kept up until the mill was reac
n ed. The drivers had nothing to DO D
!. follow the train. No stopping for wate
It no urging, no beatings, The talthl
J. beasts did their work willingly.