The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-02-08

the Early 'Fifties Also Proved Most
 Like Them.
 A few lines in the telegraphic news
 the other day concerning the killing of
 a camel on the Colorado desert in vest ern Arizona by Southern Pacific rail
 road train was the first intimation that millions of Americans had that herd
 of genuine "ships of the desert" were ever running at will anywhere within the domain of Uncle Sam, Indeed,
 there are thousands of people who have
 made their homes for years in Califor-
 mia who have never heard that camels from Arabia and Egypt have been wan dering over the sandy wastes of the eX- tfeme southern part Of their own state
 In 1852, when millions of dollars in gold were mined annually in California, and when thousands of people were crossing the plains and deserts to make homes in the new colorado, and when transcontinental railroad was only a
  Beale, afterward General Beale, was stationed at Fort Yuma, on the border between California and Arizona, and on the edge of the Colorado desert. A stream of emigration and wagons of freight passed that way daily. The dis eases and suffering and frequent deaths among the horses and mules convinced Lieutenant Beale that here was where the camel of Sahara and Arabia could be used to inestimable advantage. In connection with Captain Adams of the garrison he wrote at length to Secretary of War Jefferson Davis upon the sub ject of the utility of the camel,
 The idea had immediate and enthusi- astc reception by the secretary. on March 3, 1853, bill appropriating thir- ty thousand dollars for the purchase and importation of camels became law by the presidents signature Sec-f retary Davis appointed Major Henry c. Wayne in December, 1851, to go to Egypt and Arabia to buy seventy-tive camels. In May, 1855, Major Wayne sailed from New York. He was in- structed first to go to London and Par is and there get all the practical lnfof- mation possible from military men, who had been in Oriental campaigns where camels had been under fire, as to the habit, diet and uses of the beasts in warfare, and to consult with camel ex- perts upon the best fodder and care of the tnimals In the government book, Secretary Davis tells at length how he instructed Lieutenant Wayne to pro- ceed from Paris to Cairo, and when he had bought his camels, to bring them to New York on the naval storeship Sup ply then under command of Lieutenant D. D. Porter.
 Major Wayne and Lieutenant Porter accepted their quest. In London, Min ister Buchanan received the officer cor dially and at once perceived the impor tant nature of his business. The min ister, by way of introducing the major to the study of the camel, gave him a letter to Professor Richard Owen, F. B. S., the Cuvier of England,' Major Wayne assures MT. Davis. The profess sor was quite as much impressed with the quest as was MT. Buchanan, and so were the authorities of the London Ioo- logical gardens. Major Wayne visited the gardens, and there as he informs MT. Davis, studied the feeding, care and hygiene of the industry.
 Major Wayne next writes from Paris, where he was pleasantly received by Minister Mason. Through the minister of war, Major Wayne was introduced to | General Dumas, an African campaign | CT, who had not only seen the camel in | action, but had written an article on ! the camel as well as one on the war horse. In a communication to MT. Da- | wis Major Wayne confesses that his ex- petition received less encourag cement in [ Paris than in London.
 : The next important communication | announces that Major Wayne and Lin- [ ten and Porter had joined forces. | They had bought a camel at Tunis for the purpose of studying the creature on { Furthermore, the Bey of | Tunis, upon whom they had called, learning the momentous nature of their quest, had presented to the United States government two dromedaries, ,ne-half grown. Both had been hoisted aboard ship, and were to be the sub ects of study along with the camel al 'eady purchased Major Wayne and Porter were ungrateful | enough some weeks later to look one of he bey's gift camels in the mouth and finding it q poor creature of it's kind to cave it at Constantinople
 Meanwhile the great camel quest had oeen the subject of discussion in the abinet of the Egyptian khediye for the wo adventurous officers had communi- ,ated with our consul at Alexandria md asked him to learn whether the United States could purchase few amels in Egypt.
 MAN WITH ITCHING PALM.
 The reply was a communication in French From a member of the cabinet aying that, although it was contrary 0 the laws of Egypt that camels should ,e sold out of the country, yet, by req on of the love that the viceroy bore to he great republic of the west he was ontent that Major Wayne should pur- hase two camels at Alexandria. Later anne a present of six fine dromedaries i rom the stables of the pasha. One of he Egyptian officials seems to have ,een a gen ntleman of an itching palm, or it is recorded that in the course of he negotiations rendering the cameis e managed to indicate his wish to pos ess a fine weapon belonging to the < tore ship. It was conveyed to him tith proper expressions. i The major about this time wrote a f