The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-01-21
LAST NATIVE
CAMEL KILLED.
Indians Slaughter and Eat the One
Remaining Wild Specimen.
HE WAS A VENERABLE BEAST.
Survivor of a Herd Brough. from Asia
Minor 10 Garry Ore and Turned
Adrift with His Fellows When
the Railroads Came.

The last wild camel in America was
killed and eaten by the Indians In yuma
a few days ago. The venerable beast
was one of the herd OF camels brought
from Asia Minor many years ago 70
carry ore from the Comstook mines. SO
ends the greatest attempt at acclimating
foreign animals ever made in the United
States II seems sad that the noble beast
the last Of his tribe-should have had
such an inglorioues end. And yet some
svmpathv must be given the poor In
dams. for they must have been awtul
hungry TO be able to mastcate the tough
seventy-hve-year-Old camel. Besides, the
poor camel would most likely have oleo
OF slow starvation in a short time, Tor
when last seen alive by white men It was
very feeble.
Inst who the man was that thought OF
bringing camcs TO this country seeVs
10 be n matter Of some doubt. ScNerai
men are credited with having dohe So
hut even the oid-timers themselves seem
TO be a little tangled up on this OIL Oh
western history. =. 7. Barton, OF Pres
colt Ariz, who was IN the Comstock AZ
the time. said he was positive that the
late Adolph Sutro was largely instru-
mental I'm bringing the camels here. rms
however has been strenuously dei 'eo
Dozens of similar stories are tod ABOUT
other prominent Canf0rnians, but heue
credence can be given 70 any OF lnen mem,
But the fact remains that the Games ,
were brought here ON an tnc o1uDt
noirts connected with this part or tne
story the old-timers agree. IL was IN tle
old davs when the ComstOck was In us
glory The DAVIS before the railroad Wheh
/ VIRGINIA city was almost as important
Gown as san Francisco. II 50 happened
/ that a certain group or mines amour
twenty-five or thirty miles out or virginia
city WAS pannlng out plies or rich or
! II Wa impossible 10 put up a mill close 10
I the mines on account OF lack OF VIZ
| Mules were put to the work, and during
/ Tho winter months did fairly well, al
though 10 feed and care for them was
! ferrorizing expense. IL must be under
/ stood that as dry rocky and barren
/ desert as there Is on the face or the earth
/ Law between Virginia city and the mines.
/ To use n vehicle Of any kind was OUT ot
| the question. and so the ore was carried
I I'm bacs sluny over the backs OF the ami
mails. From the first it was apparent
/ that the mule plan was not a success.
IN the summer il took about two mules
to carry water for the one that carried
ore. And an the while the animals kept
living The intense heat and dry. sandy
/ mir was TOO much for them, and they Tell
by the wayslde so fast that new band
was required almost weekly. But the ore
had 10 be carried to the mill, for there
was millions in IT,"
CAMELs DO GOOD WORK.
At this iuncture some genius suggest
ed that the miners buy camels for the
work. So the camels were bought AT
great expense. Some OF them were OBJ
/ tanned from the veteran Snowman. =.
! T. Barnum and about twenty came d.
rect from Asia Minor under the care OF
| an agent dispa shed from virginia Clty.
From the first tho camels did all that
was expected OF them. Each morning
| thew would eat a meagre breakfast OF
( any on weed that happened In their way
| drink a few gallons OF water and were
readv for business Two bags or ore
[ each containing between 2io and go
mounds. were strapped 10 the back over
the hump OF each camel
when the train was ready all started
off al once. striking a good swinkihe
Gait that was kept up until the mill was
reached. The drivers had nothing 10 90
but follow the train. NO stopping lor
water no urging. no beatings Inc ial.h-
o., boasts ala their work willingly
80 onother big drink and were turned
icose being permitted to make their way
- % tho mine At their own pleasure
w.. rarely did one of them ran 70 De
-, band the next morning, ready 70 take
,aotbor load 10 the mill. The Gamer
train was a strange sight while en- rouee
aoroes the desrt. From a distance 1h'
.onor,i effect was that Of scene from
5orsia There was nothing lacNng-Ihs
t,+eneo blue sky the bindlhs wnl1'
,and and the distant mountains suoN
inc dimly through FAINT purplT '' 90,
Many n traveller seeing the s'ene ia
the first time. has stopper anu p,,,
- o,es wondering II he were NOT Sui
ms - 80, some temporary mental
alteration. -. +ba railroad
- Then the camels work was over.
80. tror horse displaced them, and once
-. tha owners began 70 puzzle over
t-,,s question. what was 10 De zone
- 10 camels? For months the pattern
,aosts waited around their corral redu.
ia willing 10 do any work tnat iliis s ~
be given them. But there was nom III
them TO do. and finally the owiie's -,
-, loose 10 get their living as peS'
80, could II was several months oeiore
-, ,,ontured far from their home pu'
- t,r,a they managed 10 wander all over
~. d,eerts Of Arizona and even INTO
NIcvIco and New Mexico Al hrst some
- The hold cowboys thought 10 nave
D., with the meek sad-looking Gamers
,bat crossed their tracks. But they never
,ried q, a second time. IL was always
somewhat difficult 10 make a COW pony
oct near enough 10 camel 10 thro"
rome over its neck. But the trick "as
ofie, done and the cowboy settled oaSh
d, his saddle to have a good laugh at th'
antics OF the beast. ...--,x,
Joke TURNS on THE COWBOY.
/ put about a moment later the COWBOY
generally thought the country hao peer
! .r,cl hv a cyclone. His horse Jerkeo
,roro under him and usually dragged
hin, 10 death unless the lariat fortunately
broke. The cowboy bumped the groune
nrettv hard and in some cases came too
I, time TO witness the end OF his morse
ar nossibly see the bruised animal lyins
., the sand and the saddle following
camel into the distance. A COW pony
could no more hold one OF the Comstoch
! aniuals than IL could a steam engine
and the cowboy who found this out by
exnerlence learned a lesson that 10
never forgot.
As the years went by the cameis de
creased IN numbers, and In spite OF th'
TACT that they were running wild the re
malning ones always had a longing foi
human companionship. They would wan
der into the villages and frequently
would let the children be lifted on theil
hacks for ride. Any village woult
Gladly have taken care OF one or two
~ he carnels, bur they made 1t trouble
some for the horses. For some reason