The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-13
UNCLE SANS TRIAL
OF CAMELS FAILURE.
Experiment Was Made BY the Gov
eminent in the Southwest
in the Fifties.

Victoria, Texas, Oct. 12.-The report,
that some camels are roaming about inss
the. deserts of Arizona is discredited by.
Captain ""Tom" Fields of this place,
who is familiar with the experiment.
made in the ffties by the United States
plies thru the southwest by means Of:
caravans Of camels. Captain Fields
says that most Of these cam
els, which were brought from;
Africa, made their way back to-
the gulf coast of Texas after being
abandoned at the army posts Of Texas
that any should have survived and left
their progeny in Arizona.
This herd of camels was brought tod
Texas from Egypt in 1857 by an agent
of the government, !" he said. s'They5s
were landed at the port of Indianola, 4
where they were kept several months
to recuperate from the effects of the
ocean voyage.
Supplies Of every description for all
the territory lying west and north Of
the Colorado to and including Austin,
to Santa Fe, N. M, and Chihuahua
Mexico, had to be hauled on wagons and
carts by OK and mule teams, except
what was brought to Victoria from In
dianola by water on the steamers Katie
Ward, Lizzie Lake and William Penn,
plying the Guadalupe river:
"From San Antonio to Ell Paso and
on thru Mexico there were many
stretches of forty to ninety miles be-
tween watering places, which made it
difficult to transport the supplies for
the troops stationed in that country,
on the border between Texas and
Mexico: Camels being noted for
! their long travels over the plains
and deserts of the southern hemis-
| phere, the government had con-
ceived the idea Of camel transportation
over the deserts Of west Texas and New
Mexico. ..E.... a.
| Gin due season every camel Of the
| 100 was fitted with pack saddle and
! burdened according to it's ability, and
were placed under the control Of Egyp-
tians brought with the camels for that
purpose, and all under the command Of
an officer of the army. @>s..c#
| Camel Caravan Moves. In
"After remaining at Victoria a day
or 50 to reft and readjust saddles and
packs, the caravan started for San An
tonic. Everything was lovely and the
goose hung high. The first report to
the Washington government was favor
able, and the problem Of transporta-
ton seemed to have been solved. The
news had gone ahead that the cam
els were coming and the soldiers, as
well as the people of San Antonio, turned
halt was made for few days. Then the
line Of march was taken up for Ell Paso,
their place Of destination. Every thing
moved along well at first, but finally
the cold, chilly winds Of December be-
gan to trouble the camels and it was
necessary to supply each with blanket
to protect it from the cold. The Egyp-
tians themselves shook like leaves Of
the forests and sighed for the Egyptian
cline. The rough rock road began to
tell on the feet Of the camels, which
are shaped like the foot of COW, and
have about as much protection on the
bottom Of the foot as a negro has on his
heel. It was soon found that the mat
or pad was wearing to the quick and in
! some cases stonebruises had appeared.
/ Tried to Shoe the Burden Bearers. z
! GAS to shooting a divided foot with
out hoof on it that was the all,absorb-
! ing question The best blacksmiths
were appealed to for a remedy. Half
shoes, whole slices and solid shoes were
Imade, but all to no purpose; having no
Ihoof to fasten them to, the blacksmiths
gave up the job. -: =. .-@@s L s..
"The butcher was the next man APP
piled to, but it required a piece Of raw
hide the size of the bottom Of a chair,
and as there were $40 feet a hide did
not go far Rawhide shoes were found
best, but they wore away like snow
| ball under tropical sun.
| After two years the experiment
proved a failure. The camels were con-
! demned and turned loose in 1860, at the
1 forts where they had been left when
laid up for repairs. After obtaining
their freedom camel instinct told them
that they. had come from the south or
eastward. They gradually turned their
heads to the gulf coast and during the
civil war part &c them were rounded
up on Hines bay. In 1876 some OF
the camels were roaming in the eastern
and southern portions Of Refugio
county. g..
TIN the winter Of 1867 saw John
Sidick. now living near the mouth OF
the San Antonio river, mount one OF
them bareback, not even having a rope
81 around it's neck. No sooner was he
astride the camel than it ran off sew
eral miles across the prairie. and i
had to be roped before Johnnie coult
get off,.