The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-15
Two Girls Who Wouldn't Take a
Dare Rode the Unwieldly
Beasts.
FAST AND FURIOUS FINISH.
Winning Beast Got There by a
Neck-Animals Were Being
Taken to One of the Amuse-
ment Gardens.

Residents of Delmar boulevard between
Kings Highway and Union boulevards were
treated about p. m. yesterday to the rather
/ novel spectacle of a camel race In which
| the two clumsy anima.s were ridden by
young ladies. The race was brief. but was
| swift and exciting. II was the result of a
wager
group OF young ladies' were standing at
the corner OF Kings Highway and Delmar
boulevards when the camels came lumber
ing slowly up the street in charge of their
keepers, who were taking them to one OF
the amusement gardens. The awkward
Oriental animals are u unique sight on the
streets Of ST. Louis, and many persons
stopped TO watch them as they passed.
The young ladies We're in animated con-
versa;ion when the beasts hove into sight.
and some one IN the group said that she
had ridden on ono in the Midway at the
Worlds Fair In Chicago. TWO Of the young
ladies' said that they did not think that it
was feat TO boast OF. and declared that
they would not fear 10 ride a camel right In
the streets OF St. Louis. There was imme-
diately chorus of II dare you" and as
the two looked rather blank some one cried:
Il dare you 20 ride from here 10 Union
boulevard"
As to refuse the dare would he tanta-
mount to showing a lack OF bravery the girls
stopped the keepers as the camels came
abreast of them. and a parley ensued. The
result was that the men made the camels
kneei and assisted tho two girls on the UNI.
comfortable perches.
There was a chorus OF feminine screams
az the venturesome dams.ls settled them
selves in their unusual seats. and. with the
long brides in their hands. told the keepers
TO make the beasts rise. At first they am
blsd slowly side By side. accompanied on
the sidewalk by their friends. who hurled
gibes at them. But the SLOW motion OF the
camels WAS not exciting enough for the
riders so tie smaller Of the two dared the
other one to race She whipped up her
camel and il broke into a wabbiy sallop
The other followed her friends example and
the beasts went west on Dcimar at a swift
pace. with the girls tossing on their backs
like passengers in IL shell rough water.
Both wore white organizes that fiuttered In
the wind Ike bunting, and their hair came
down In u jffy.
As the gait of the camels Increased they
made no attempts TO guide them, hut chung
10 their seats with both hands Ike grim
death. The spectators shouted and passed.
gers on passing cars jumped from the cars
at intersecting streets TO watch the strange
race Two OF the most interested spccta-
tors were General Manager Baumhoff Of the
St Louis Transit Company and Ben Blow
of the internal; Revenue Office.
At Union boulevard the keepers of the
animals stopped them. The camel ridden
by the taller OF the young la,;ies came in
neck ahead. Bat il must he remembered
that n neck on camel counts far more
than that Of a horse. When the girls
alighted they looked rather shaken and
faded. bu, when their friends surrounded
them and cuizzed them about their dare
they smiled triunphantly. The bystanders
cheered.
Then tho entire party entered n residence
I'm DeImar boulevard and the camels AMI
bled slowly up the street.