Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-04-15
PETE. THE CAMEL, IS
COMMENTED IN SALEM
Refuses to Go Aboard Train to
Make a Shriners'
Holiday.
CHEwS ITS GUM AS
CROWD LOOKS ON
With Unusual Firmness Ship of
Desert SHES of Portland
Slush.

III is easy 10 ieau q morse TO water
but no way has yet been discovered
by which he may be compelled to drink.
This is due to the natural and inherent
obstinaey of things animate as well as
inanimate, and applies to eamels as well
as all other quadrupeds, or bipeds eth
er. Yesterday afternoon in responce
to request from the Shriners in Port
land for real camel, one that could
not only tread with gum shoe feet and
proudly arched neck, set on upside
down, the arid sands Of any old desert,
but one that was also used to the Ore
gon climate and that could waddle
along through an ocean of slush or the
wild wastes of mud, without missing 4
stroke Of its teeth on its gum or what.
ever it is it chews on all the time; one
with webbed toes and sunny dispo-
sition and broke to be ridden by the
Giabur and Gentle alike
The supply of camels being somewhat
shy, the Shriners issued ukase, requi-
sition, or whatever it is the tribe issues
when it wants things, and forwarded
the same to Mr.. Barnes, the proprietor
of the greatest circus since the days of
Rome and the most wonderful and awe
inspiring aggregation Of wild, fierce and
strange animals, ever assembled under
canvas, including the unique of every
cline and even the eurculio, the only
one in captivity, except the dead one
now being stuffed, dried, embalmed,
dessicated and exploited in the news
papers as the latest OF the labors of the
1914 Hercules which that gentleman as
sassinated recently in Brazil.
Among these is a camel of the kind
needed. He answers to the name of
"Pete," when he feels like it and is
hungry, and he was at once selected
as the animal that would fill the bill
and gladden. the hearts of the pilgrims.
Barnes undertook to forward Pete by ex-
press, but Pete evidently had it in for
the company or preferred to travel as
a guest of the government by parcel
post. Be that as it may, Pete staggered
gently up to the Oregon Electric depot
where platform had been erected for
his especial benefit, so that he could
get aboard in state,
Everything was all right except
Pete's temper. He looked at the car,
winked at the bystanders, and with 4
sort of "Guess III wait for the Linz
tied, !" expression on his benevolent
eountenance, refused to enter the car
In vain were persuasions, useless all
objurgations even though made in choice
Egyptian with a Limerick accent by
his Bedouin keeper. Pete was obstin-
ate. He chewed his gum and became
pathic, and some one suggested to
''back him in"
This was tried. Pete was headed
away from the car and invited to make
his bow to the public and retire, bu5
Pete was not ready to oblterate him
self. He liked the company he was in
better than the solitary confinement in
an express ear with lot of packages
that were puseproud from the charges
they were compelled to stand and q
common clerk with 70 college diploma
and a rather slangy vocabulary. The
more Pete was urged the more he would
not. He got his back up more and more
but refused to do it. One back up was
enough for Pete and he had that. 1t
was all in vain, and so the dark skinned
camel driver from Cork ehirruped to
Petey and Petey smiled and walked
down the gang plank serene and peace
ful, and content with things Just az
they were. The Shriners are shy of a
camel, but considering the weather they
might send to Astoria and get whala
or borrow a submarine. Petey went
south with the show, his back still up,
his prehensile lower lip Hopping grace
fully under his rather spatulated nose,
his eyes a-twinkle, but happy, peace
full and contented. a victor with hon.
ors thick upon his unblushing AMI
/ fraudful old head.