The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-24

as to the efficiency of the camel in war. In the Grimea they saw Colonel Me- Murdo who said he then had 25,O00 camels in military service and had found them' of invaluable aid in the expedition against Sind It was found that two soldiers mounted back to back on a camel could do effective gun work, that CD a march an animal could make 70 miles between sunset and sunrise, and in transporting military supplies they were invaluable. All these facts the American envoys com munieated to Secretary Davis, with the Information that presents of such animals had been offered by the Sultan of Turkey and the Vieeroy of Egypt. Hekekyan' Bey, an Egyptian gentleman, prepared brochure on the camel for the edification of the United States government.
 Two voyages were made for camels. On the first 34 were brought over, Arab at tendants being on board and a careful arrangement of swinging harness pre- vented accidents to the animals while on the transport. They were landed in Texas after three months journey. whereupon the glad animals proceeded to cavort wildly around in their great joy at being once more on land, and were with difficulty corralled. The next year the second consignment brought the num- Der of camels to 75. A ranch near San Antonio, Tex, was secured and men from the army went conscientiously about studying the camels and preparing them for work the deserts of California, Nevada and Arizona. Test trips were taken, and careful records were kept of the speed. weight and forage. Wool from the hump of one camel was spun and knit into a pair of socks for President Pierce by a lady of Victoria TeXas-the only garment ever made from American grown camels hair Up to 1857 the camel l,N.,1 were as healthy as their Old World rea tives they stood the endurance tests re- qured of them by the army-and then the records of the department of war make no further mention of them. A change of administration lost Secretary Davis his position and no one else seemed to care whit whether the problem of transportation in the western deserts was solved or not. All that is known Is that the camels were turned loose to shift for themselves in the new country.
 What has become of them? History here leaves the matter greatly to specu- lation. They wandered toward the desert lands of the west, and it is claimed that there are still several running wild in the unsettled regions of Arizona. Ask the Indians and they will tell you of the Red Ghost' that has more than once invaded their camps at night, stamped ing the horses eating the forage, and fighting like a fend if attacked. Ask the cowboys and they will repeat the story of one of their number who was found dying in a canyon and who re- vived only long enough to tell of a great misshapen red beast that had turned upon him in the narrow deile, biting and trampling him when he had wounded it. Ask the Mexicans of the border and they will cross themselves and look quickly from side to side as they whisper mys- teriously of La Phantasmia," a great shape that lives in the neighborhood of the Upper Salt and Gila rivers, and falls upon them an averaging angel. It was on the back of such fiend that Indians years before had bound a captive peon, leaving him there until his bones had dropped to the desert one by one, and the great creature had been crazed by it's horrible burden. Whether one, or more than one, or none at all of the war departments camels and their descend ants are left, no one can say
 Angora goats known in Asia Minor 2400 years ago, have taken kindly to Amer ican haunts and American ways There are several hundred breeders of these animals in the United States. There are large ranches in Arizona. Texas New Mexico. Montana and the Willamette val ley, while Boston, Portland, Ore, and San Jose are the leading buying centers for the mohair, all of which and more be- sides can be used in the mohair mills at Sanford, Me The first flock of An goraS numbered nine. These were q present from the Sultan of Turkey to President Polk in recognition of the fact that when the Sultan had asked that a cotton expert be sent him the President had promptly commissioned Dr. James B. Davis of South Carolina to go over and introduce American cotton-growing methods in the Sick Mans land
 The llama has. been suggested as an acceptable immigrant to this country, but the bureau of animal industry sees no advantage in such movement. It hopes, however, to soon make wide ex- periments with the alpaca, and suggests the importation of Swiss goats, or better still. encourages the improvement of local stock, the object being primarily to offer better food for babies and get milk for cheese making. The adoption of reindeer in Alaska practically saved the Eskimo. Fifteen years ago there were Is deer there now there are 15,000 supplying food clothes and transportation for the Eski- mo and foraging for themselves on the | moss under the snow. pr. Sheldon Jack son. Presbyterian clergyman is respon- sible for this great work, aided and en- couraged by the bureau of education though his plan was at first laughed to scorn by skeptics. The deer have brought prosperity to the little people of the north that is resulting in tie supstitu- tion of houses for huts, and in the awak- enins of broader life among them.
 Tomorrow: In the Realm of the Auto.