The Wichita daily eagle., 1901-05-05
GANELS IN AMERICA
Uncle Sam Once in the BuSi-
ness of Breeding Them.
WAS A DISMAL FAILURE
Some of Their Descendants
Still in Arizona District
WAS A DISMAL FAILURE

desert ia western Arizona by a Southern
Pacific railroad train was the first init
nation to millions of Americans That q
herd Of genuine ships of the desert p
ever ran at VIII anywhere within the do
main Of Uncle Sam. Indeed, there are
thousands Of people who have made their
home for years IN California who have
never heard that camels from Arabaia
and Egypt have been wandering over the
sandy wastes of the extreme southern
part Of their own state
The history of the camels Of western
Arizona and along the Colota5o river is
very interesting. and forms one c. the
comedies that may olce ,n awhile be
tounu ia even the aunest ard most Uan-
derous volumes of public records from
the government printing ofise AT Wash
in<ton. 10 some ways the procurement Of
the beasts in the orieit ANA their estab-
Iishment on The deserts Of tas southwest
resemble sceaes ANA .,'ecs Al tte opera
boune III the day Some half dozen Of
names OF the persons who were inter
ested in the scheme to domesticate cam
ais upon the American deserts have since
become famous in our national history
"A homely black. cioth-covered volume
Of almost 300 pages, bearing the title
'-se1ate Executive Document NO. e.. Of
the Thirty-Fourth Congress" tells the
early story Of Uncle SANS camels. The
Dbook was printed at the government
printing Office in 1857 ard probably few
copies are in existence.
tn lIs52. when millions of dollars ia gold
were mined annually in California when
thousands of people were crossing the
plaius and deserts 10 make homes in the
news n Dorado, and when a new trans
continental railway was only a vague
dream. Lieutenant Edward j. Beale. af-
forwards General Beale, was stationed at
Yuma. on the border between California
and Arizona. and on the edge of the
Colorado desert a stream of emigrant
wagons passed that way daily. The dis
eases suffering and frequent deaths
among tae horses and mules. laborng un-
Ger the terrific dry heat. convinced Lien
Tenant Beale that here. of an places the
cameIs Of ahara and Arabia could bee
i5sed to inesdmabie advantage. In con-
nc-tion with Captain Adams of the gar
ri7on. he wrote at length upon the sub
jecr of the utility of the camel to Jeffer-
son Davis, then secretary OF war. The
ideas Of the young military men in the
west had immediate and enthusiastic re-
certion by the secretary. A commission
was soon sent out from San Antonio.
Tex TO Arizona, TO ascertain the uses
that the camel could be put to in military
rlei7sp sportstion in the southwest The
commission made favorable report. and
IN connection with Secretary Davis an
.uai report to congress. in December,
% there was a request for an appro-
slatol for the purchase Of the beasts.
Burden from the orient for the use
~ the war department John NJ Mason,
subsequent Sideu and Mason fame,
ehamWoned the proposition to buy the
camais.
on March g. 1853. "a bin appropriating
$4,000 for the purchase and Importation
Of camels became a law 10y the presidents
signature. Secretary Davis appointed Ma
5ar Henry G. B. ayne in December 1854,
10 go 10 Egypt and Arabia TO buy sew
eaty-aTe camels. In May. 1850. Major
WAYNE sailed from New York. He was
Instructed to SO first TO 20 to London and
Paris ard there get All the practical IN
formation possible from military men.
vho had bbeen in oriental campaigns in
svhieh camels had been under fire. as to
warfare and TO consult with camel ex-
perts on the best means of caring for the
animals In the government publication,
Secretary Davis gave in detail his in-
structions % Major Wayne. who was TO
proeaed from Paris re- Cairo and when he
had bought his camels. TO bring them to
New York on the naval store ship Sup
ply thcn under command OF fLifutenant
afterwards AdmiraD d. .. Porter. The
secretary went into minute particulars.
Informing the major that Damascus and
Palmyra had once oeen famed Tor it's
dromedaries. and that Kmdistan stin
possessed animals of dne quality The
secretary believed. however that the
hest breed Of camels was to beb found in
Persia. He hade Major Wayne 20 keep
The war department informed of his
laoVements and of his guest
lieutenant Porter's instructions were
5o await Major Wayne at some con
Nenout poinr ID the Mediterranean. 10
disembark q land force AZ Beirut. and 10
see that thc expedition was amply pro-
1ected asinst attacks from the warlike
tribes az the interior. On returning the
lieutenant was to land his cargo at some
roiat ou the coast of Texas. Major
Wayne and Lieutenant Portc- accepted
Jheir quest in The same serious spirit in
which IL was eonaded 60 their execution
Ihe major promptly reported o. the Sec
retarv bis arrival in London. Ninster
Jamts Buchanan received the officer corr
diallz. and az once perceived The iu-
Hartance. of his mission. rs wax of in-
tradacfns THE major to the study of the
camel ne gave him . letter u Prot Rich