The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-03-11
THE pRoMEDARv OF ASIA MINOR

part of Asia Minor. writes Consult
General Harris from Smyra, are in.
reality a common species Of drome-
Diary. Camels have two humps, while
the race found in Smyrna has but one.
There is no scientific system Of camel
breeding in that section of the coun-
try, and now they are only to be found
in the villages Of the ancient nomads,
or Yuruks, who are numerous in every
part Of the country. The nomads make
| living for the most part in trans
| porting merchandise from one part Of T.
the country to another where there
are no railway communications.
There exist at present three varie-
ties of the dromedary. The first var
iety is distinguished by the long hair
| OF its name, and more especially by
the length Of the hair OF the shoulders
and neck in the winter time; the sec
| ond has short, curly hair on the name,
neck and shoulders; the hair Of the
| third Is perfectly smooth, and this
variety is chiefly found in the noun
tain districts OF Asia Minor. These
varieties are obtained from cross
! breeding with the two-humped camel,
which certain proprietors bring from
the district Of Konia and Angora every
winter.
| The food Of camels and dromedaries
In the district OF Smyrna from the
month of September to March consists
OF straw and beans, which are mois-
tened, pounded and kneaded before
being given to them each evening.
[ From the month of March on and dur
ing the extreme heat of the summer,
they live chiefly on hay and grass.
! The Yuruks of the highland districts
plant grain and valonia acorns in
fields where camels have pastured for
a season. The prices Of dromedaries
the as follows: First variety, $sS to
$11O; second variety, S66 to $50, third
variety, s53 to $66; while the animals
bred for the third variety are worth
only $26 to $44.
Dromedaries are used principally for
transporting merchandise, such as ce-
reals, valonia, figs emery stone, lie
orice root, etc, and In this capacity
many as a hundred sometimes in q
single row led by little donkey, each
laden with the products OF the inter-
Tor Of Asia Minor and all bound for
Smyrna, the nearest seaport They
are SO numerous sometimes in the
streets of this city that they block
traffic. In the rough mountain dis
| fTipta fhaty much n than
horses and donkeys, especially in
many districts where there are no
country roads, while at the same time
they can carry much greater loads to
market. Then, again, the cost of main
tenance is very much less than that
OF any other beast Of burden. The
third variety is especially adapted for
hilly country, and this is one reason,
perhaps, why only this breed Is to be
found among the villages situated In
the mountains.
At the age Of three they are broken
10 loads, but It is only at the age OF
five or six that they can do the max
imum of the work which devolves up
on them. The strength OF a camel be-
gins TO decline at the age OF 20, as
the average life Of the toughest breed
is only about 25 years. The cost OF
maintenance depends a great deal up
on the liberality OF the proprietors.
Among the Yuruks, who inhabit the
high mountain districts, their keep
amounts to practically nothing. The
cost Of keeping a camel, however, in
the Menemen plain near Smyrna, dur
ing the winter months only-that ia.
about four-months stabling--may bS
estimated at S25.
The ordinary caravans consist usI-
ally OF seven camels, and experience
has shown that this all that can be
conveniently intrusted to one driver.
The price for transportation varies
according to the locality and the
amount of work, but the average cost
of a camel will come to about so cents
a day. In Smyrna one Turkish mer-
chant owns about 400 camels,
Will :, as the time passes, the camel
will not be able to Withstand the keen
competition Of the new railways.
which are Piercing every part of Asia
|
tradition over the Turkish inhabitants
of the country and their fondness for
these animols, the caravan routes to-
day are still able to hold their own
side by side with the Anatolia, Cas-
saba and kndin railways. Hundreds Of
cRmels pass over the caravan bridge
into the city OF Smyrna every day.
and in the market place in front Of
the mosque of Mahomet, at Constants
nople, many camels may still be seen.
AS far back as the middle OF last
century Gen. Won Moltke. in hie de-
soriptive letters from Asia Minor had
= many good words TO say about the
camel. This animal" he said, 'can
carry a burden of nearly 500 pounds.
. and is used by the nomads and Ara
/, bians In taking their women, children,
: old men. tents, food, water, etc, from
place to place. It is able to withstand
march of ten days without drink.
and a fifth stomach even reserves a