The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-06-10
DROVE gANELS
DURING War
Romance of Only Camel Drlv-
er Under Uncle Sam
HDOLY WAS YOUNG TURK
"reminiscences of This Mexi-
can Border Character
HDOLY WAS YOUNG TURK

Phoenix. Ariz., June g. Twelve
cov,bovs who performed obsequies
over the body of Hipoly as it rest
ed on the bier improvised of NaVoJo
blanket and cactus stems were not the
only mourners. Two days before brief
press despatch had announced that Hi
tolv. the government camel driver, was
dead. When the despatch fell into the
hands of old Indian fighters and pros
pectors and cattlemen-any of the Marcy
men who in the last nalf century took
& part in making the great Southwest
habitable and productive-there was ADD
ed by those who spoke or thought a trl-
butte of loving remembrance TO the
strangest character that ever became
q part of the United States government
Hijoly counted himself a part of the
government. and he was so in fact. Sol
diers who fought the Apaches and Utes
in the Southwest knew the part that ne
had acted; cowboys had been his com
panions and shared his good or i'll for
tune. and prospectors were his partners
in days of luck and adversely.
Hiioly was a Turk, a native of Asia
Minor. In his youth and young manhood
he had another name, but it was never
known in Arizona. The Mexicans gave
him a Spanish name, but it didn't seem
10 fit, so plain Hijoly he was to the last.
1t is rather a title than a name once
in the old days and in the old life he
made a pilgrimage from Khoristan TO
Mecca, crossing the Syrian desert to
visit the tomb Of the great prophet, Mo-
manned In the native tongue the pill
grim who has visited Mecca is dlstin-
euished by a title corresponding in sound
to .Hijoly."
In 1857 the War Department sent to
Arabia for fifty camels. They were to
be employed as pack animals in the cam
paign against the Apaches along the
Mexican border An american vessel
was despatched to bring home the cameis
which agents of the War Department
had purchased, but no American could be
found who knew or cared to learn how to
care for and manage the camels.
a stalwart young Turk who had as
sisted in bringing the camels to the place
of embarkation, was asked to accom-
pany them to America. His companions,
the other camel drivers, were heard to
address him as HijoIy, so Hijoly was
employed by the agents of the War De
partment
\ contract was made in which he
agreed to accompany the camels to Arizo-
ma and there take charge of them for the
army. He was TO receive 500 q month, a
salary which the government agreed to
pay him to the last day or his life on the
condition that he remained in its en-
ployment and did not leave the United
States.
Il was no fault of Hijoly's that the
cameIs proved failure in the American
army. He performed his part. and the
government was so well satisfied that no
question was raised about his continuing
on the pay roll of the army. But the
camels were turned adrift on the Arizona
desert all but one Of them. a great bull
that Hijoly kept for his own use.
Mounted on this beast. he travelled
from end TO end of Arizona. He crossed
the desert and went into the mountains,
where he prospected and he freighted
stores for cattlemen and miners. Mean
time the camels increased i'm number.
and they became "a menace To the cattle
men. because they stampeded the cattle
and frightened the cowboys horses and
scared the Mexicans until it was feared
that every "Ereaser' OF them would
bolt across the border. never TO return.
Then the cowboys and prospectors be-
gan "a compaisn TO eXteTminate the wild
Uameis They hunted them down and
killed them until only one remained in
Yuma and Maricopa counties. and that
one was shot but a few months ago. The
cowboys 'jerSed" the meat and brought
II into Tyson's Wells, where they sold
# to Mike Weltz for "jerked" venison.
Mike didn't care and his boarders never
knew the difference. Mike Weiz was
the government keeper Of Tyson's Wells
during the days of Indian wars, when
this oasis in the desert was the rendez-
vous of the army He is still there, as
great a man as ever.
When he had no further care with the
camels, but was nomad on the desert,
JIijoly turned his attention 10 prospect
ing. About twenty years or so ago the
course of his life was turned into new
charels when he discovered a rich mine
near Tombstone He developed il and
sold il for $22,ooo. Then he began to feel
the lonliness Of his state. Senorita Teresa
Ruiz. a pretty Mexican girl maybe
heightened Hijoly's feeling Of lonliness.
lie offered TO share his fortune with her
he - NF..fnl r-4re, Fl.t