Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-17
HAULING ONTHEDE
METHODS OF TRANSPORTATION
IN THE SOUTHWEST.
Burros as Burden Carriers-Great
Mule Teams-Atteppt to Use
Characterization Engines.
From the Los Angeles Times.

From the Los Angeles Times
The history of desert transportation
from the beginning of time has been the
history of success and failure, principally
failure. Few efforts within the realm. of
commercial life have been attended with
so many complications and distressing
situations as the question Of desert traffic.
Exclusive of the railroad, four specific
methods of transportation have been en-
ployed-Arabian camels. traction engines,
mules and burros, and within the last year
and a half the automobile has come into
use to some extent. The steam traction
engine passed reyerently over into the
valley of sublime antiquity years ago; the
jolting, rambling camel. with his aXio-
matte patience, also long since paused by
the roadside with his heavy burden and
fell asleep, and the burro and mule only
remain to tell the story of the long ago.
After 200 years of faithful service how
ever, the wise men of Washington. during
the administration of Pierce, when Jeffer-
son Davis was Secretary of War. said one
to another: I'VE must have camels for our
desert work: the mule and burro are all
right; they have stood by US when every
one else had taken TO the tall timber, but
the time has come when we must have the
tIusty camel" So in the early COS High
Jolly" a Grecian camel driver, arrived In
California with half hundred BactrIan
and Arabian camels direct from Smyrna.
Great was the rejoicing.
The Camel Experiment.
Fort Wilmington the Pacific, Fort
Yuma and Fort Mojave on the Colorado
river were now to be brought into such
cicse communication as to promote sociabil-
ity on the part of the commanding officers.
Fort Mojave lying north of the Needles
was 500 miles away by way of Yuma. and
over one of the driest sandiest deserts that
ever invited q traveller out into Its bewilder-
ing depths; but bah, the Syrian driver with
the red cap said: What is that when
camel go six or seven days without
water and remain perfectly happy each day
or a few mesquite beans and a handful of
carob pods" All of that was indeed true.
The bumped beast would also close his nos
trlls as High Henry represented when the
desert sand blew as only desert sand can
blow.
Great, indeed were the expectations OF
the commanding officers. especially al Fort
Wilmington and Fort Motive, and there
was likewise hope born of anticipation at
Washington. So far the plan had worked
immensely but, like the ma jority of plans
woven in the brain of ambitious man, II
had its weakness and its little vulnerable
points that lay hidden away from the rosy
after the first trip to Fort Mojave, were not
as rugged as they had formerly been among
the sand of far away Smyrna. Instead of
making three miles an hour under their
heavy burden they failed 10 average more
than one and one-half or two. True. they
paid no more attention 10 the blazing heat
and the burning sand than an Indian does
to social etiquette at massacre out there
was that somethig in the climate that
caused a partial cessation of progress
THE slow record was discouraging TO the
commanding officers, but still the great
circus moved ON like a mighty phalanx
on the deserted sands.
Traction Engines.
At last the feet of the trusty beasts be-
gan to grow sore. 1t was found that the
hard sand on some parts of the desert soon
affected the heavy pads of their feet, grad
ually cutting them into small threads.
After a thorough trial of six or eight
months the government abandoned the ex-
pertinent and the camels were turned loose
upon the desert along the Colorado river
While the herd is almost extinct, there are
remaining along the Sonora and Arizona
borders, existing in a wild state, and whose
appearance frequently stampedes horses
and cattle to an alarming extent
After the decline OF the camel as means
of transport the burro and mule again re-
turned to favor. Then came the heavy
borax wagons with their twenty and twen-
ty-two-mule regimental line.
Soon these great ponderous wagons, pro-
neIled by an army of mules began to out
live their usefulness, at least in the minds
of the enterprising men engaged In desert
traffic and in obedience to a general de-
mand for a faster and more economical
method of transit the steam traction en-
CINE. with It's enormous bulk, huge iron
tires and tremendous horsepower. was in
troduced on the scene. Not the small trac-
ton engines that we have been accustomed
to see hauling thrasher machines over the
country roads, but gigantic iron structure
weighing 20 900 to 10000 pounds and re-
road locomotive.