Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-10-22
LAST AMERICAN CAMEL
Believed to Have Died Recently
In Arizona.


Attempt Made In the Fifties to In
troduce the Camel Into the SOUTH
west-why 1t Was Not Successful.
Wild Camels Seen 1t Intervals.
1t is believed that the last American
camel died In the Castle Dome noun
tains In southwestern Arizona q few
days ago, and word has reached Phe-
nix, says correspondent from that
place, from Fort Huachuca that a
Greek, known as Hi Jolly, who had
charge Of the first and only importa-
ton Of camels ever made by the United
States government, is on his deathbed
there.
1t was in 1853 that the idea of en-
ploying camels for transporting army
supplies and equipment over the des-
erts was conceived. At that time
freight could be carried over the water
less wastes only at heavy expense in
horses, oxen and mules. At that time,
too, the heavy traffic to the California
goldfelds was in progress and the
bones Of thirst killed animals strewed
the trail from Texas we'll into Califor-
mia. Under these conditions Lieuten-
ant Edward F. Beale. who was later
minister to Austria, but was then sta
toned at old Fort Yuma, conceived the
idea that the use Of camels would do
away with the sufferings Of emigrants
and give the army a quick and certain
method Of transportation. He believed
that the government should make the
experiment and suggested the matter
to Jefferson Davis, the secretary Of
war.
The war department approved the
suggestion and a commission was sent
out to ascertain the military uses to
which camels could be put in the south
west 1t reported favorably and an
appropriation was secured of $4,000
for the purchase and importation Of
camels.
In December of the following year
Major Charles Wayne was sent by the
department to the orient, commissioned
to buy seventy-five camels. In Egypt
he bought half that number and secur
ed the others in Smyrna. paying about
5000 for each. The naval transport
Supply brought the camels, in charge
of Hi Jolly. to the United States in
1857. Three died on the voyage. They
were landed OH the Texas coast, and.
under the care Of Captain ]. N. Palmer,
half of the herd were driven to Camp
Verde, Arizona, and the others were
left at Indianola, Tex.
Months were devoted to a series Of
tests Of the physical strength. and en-
durance Of the animals. Their employ
ment met with great opposition from
the army hostlers and teamsters. The
camels were neglected, and a number
of them died despite the efforts of the
officers to give them a fair trial. 1t
was frequently reported that one or
two had broken away and escaped dur
ing the night, and it was suspected that
unusual zeal was not used to recapture
the animals.
Until 1861 about thirty Of them were
at Forts Verde, Ell Paso and Yuma.
The troopers and teamsters, however,
could not be induced to use the beasts
instead of horses and mules. partly be-
cause Of the clumsiness Of the camel
harness and the labor necessary in pre-
pairing camel for trip, but largely
because of an antipathy for the beasts.
For the last year or two of their stay
at the forts the camels were pension
erS.
Then the civil war came, and in the
were forgotten. The forts We're aban-
doned when the troops were sent east.
and the camels were allowed to wander
away on the deserts. sometimes in pairs
and sometimes in herds. They scat
tered through the deserts and noun
tains Of Arizona, Texas and New Mex
leo and even wandered into northern
Mexico, where several of them We're
seen years afterward in the Sierra Ma
Dire mountains.
In some instances they multiplied
rapidly, and numbers of them were
caught by white settlers, Mexicans and
Indians, who tried, usually in vain, to
0Oh1VoNiNdtC kOOlAC CuScS dIC
known in which descendants Of the
original herd were tanned and used as
pack animals, and several Of them were
captured and sold to circus people. P.
T. Barnum at one time secured four of
them and added them to his exhibition
herd.
Reports have frequently been brought
in by prospectors that stray camels
were seen in the foothills and among
the cacti and sagebrush of the desert.
They had become as wild as deer and
life in the rocky hills had brought
about a change in their appearance
Their hides had lost their hair, and
their hoofs their cushions, becoming
hard and horny.
Then for several years none of them
was seen and the failure Of offers of