El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-05-15

. on foot crossing lOLly ranges OF snow
clad mountains swimming or wading
icy-coId rivers, and deeming himself
/ fortunate when he could obtain lodging
at an inn where he occupied the same
room with horses. and in which there
/ were no tables. no chairs. and no
lamps.
The natives Of the region. who had
! never seen a white man before. and
I who regarded him with a natural
I curiosity. were friendly enough; but
! it was by mere good luck that his liz
! tie caravan. comprising an escort Of
! seven Chinese coolies and five ponies
/ packed with baggage, escaped attack
/ who rove in predatory bands. seeking
I just such opportunities for theft and
/ murder. The only weapon in the party
was Dr. Meyers revolver
Part OF the Game
Such risks as these, however. are all
part Of the game from the viewpoint
/ Of the adventurous explorers who. To
obtain new plants and animals for in
| PRODUCTION to the United States seek the
! least known and most remote corners Of
| the world. The ever-tempting posi-
/ bility Of a fresh discovery and useful
acquisition lures them, as with beck
Oning finger, into wild and often
dangerous places, where venomOus
reptiles, deadly mlasmas, and blood
4
their chances Of return.
DR.. c. c. Young Warned
Thus. not long ago. when DR.. C. c.
/ Young, a well known FL PasOan, a world
I traveller of note, went to Bokara- for
| the purpose Of procuring the karakul
sheep, whose pelt is the much priZed
-astrachan" (the skin Of the newborn
animal being known commercially as
Persian lamb he was warned 1y the
Russians that the attempt would cost
h. n
logged by official spies. the local gov
eminent being vigorously opposed to
ten enterprise he had undertaken, he
managed to secure a number OF pure
bred specimens and brought them to
this country-the result being that
thanks to his successful endeaVor. we
shall be able before long 10 produce,
through scientific breeding, grades Of
Persian lamb and astrachan FAR su-
periOr to the best hitherto known IN
the market
Californian Encounters PerIls.
Perils equally great were encountered
by DR.. W. c. Bailey, of San Jose, Cal,
when, a few years back. he undertook
10 obtain some pure-bred angOra goats
from turkey. Their expectation was
forbidden by law. and to get them out
Of the country seemed almost an i'm
possibility. Having secretly purchased
four, resort was had TO a series Of
most ingenious eXpedlents to elude the
vigilance Of the authOrities-the first
thing done being TO cut off their long,
silky hair and transport them over a
long distance on muleback.
Another stage Of their journey was
accomplished on camels- Then they
were transferred TO a closed carriage:
and. later on they were carried for
many miles on mems backs, in sacks.
Thus at length they reached the Bos-
phOrus, across which they voyaged IN
der boatlOad Of loose hay
Disguise Goats as Sheep.
Still the danger Of detection was far
from being over The goaJs. worth
literally their weight in gold. were
sprinkled plentifully with coal dust
and, disguised as black sheep, were
carried through the streets OF Con-
stantinople- in an open wagon, Three
times the wagon was stopped by Tur-
klsh officials and police; but q liberal
hestOWal Of "baksheesh' eXtinguished
curiosity. and at last the precious ami
mails were safe on shipbOard
Angora goats IN TINS country are
now annually producing more than
Sl,OoO,OOu worth OF wool, the finest
Of which owes Its quality TO the blood
Of the four specimens secured by DR..
Bailey
Occasionally it happens that our
consular officers abroad act as volun-
teer explorers. Thus, not long ago Mr.
Nightingale vice consul at Fu-chau,
went forth to seek the wonderful tea
winch hitherto mas been mOnOpOliZed
by royalty and the highest nobility OF
the Chinese empire, much care being
taken 70 prevent any OF the seeds from
getting abroad. To obtain the seeds.
Mr. Nightingale was obliged to take a
long boat trip. and then to proceed on
loot distance Of 200 miles. At length
nc came 10 the River Of Nine Windings
which runs through district Of huge
sandstone eli IS and boulders- In the
shadow Of the cliffs. and in clefts
among the boulders. wherever, a small
quantity OF the poor sandy soil is I
found. the marvellous tea grows
Discovering New Plants.
There is nothing more picturesque in (
agriculture than the role played Oy the /
dlscoYerery or Introduction OF a new
kind Of plant The vines Of the ChauJau-
qua grape belt producing annually I
zUO,OOO'gOO pounds OF grapes. are de- !
rived almost entirely from cutting of /
a single Seeding planted at Concord, 4
Mass, Il years ago.
The liberia and Belle peahces, which I
have earned many millions Of dollars 4
Tor Irulr growers since 1870, both or
iginated in Georgia from one tree OF an I
imported Chinese cling" The cultiva-
ton in California Of many square miles
Of such Organges (nayals) as the world
never saw before Is the result Of the
Importation of a single bunch of I
sciOns" from Brazil
These are familiar examples of dis
coveries in the plant world which are
comparable TO the inventions of the
telephone and the typewriter IN the
mechanical world. Yet Ephraim Bull.
who discovered the Concord grape; the
Rumph brothers, who originated the I
Belle and liberia peaches. and William I
saunders, who introduced the navel
orange, received no financial advan-
-ages from the benefactions they be-
slowed upon mankind
KlOndike OF New Plants.
In northern China has been found !
what the government Plant bureau calls
! veritable Klondike of new plants
from that source one Of our aSricul-
ural explorers obtained not long ago /
/ new and very curious kind of cab
)age which grows on a tall stalk 1t IS
believed TO be well adapted for cultiva-
ion in the United States. He also Sc
cured at kirin. a. frost-prOof peach that
promises TO be very valuable. A Bud
hist priest secretly sold him the cut
-ings, of it for 81. But in the Shan
ung province he got hold Of budwOod
# the most remarkable peaches IN
the world, which weigh a pound apiece
They are so delicious in flavor that
100000 Of them are sent each year to
'eking. for the exclusive DELEGATION I
Of the imperial court
In the same province were found
some most curious WatermelOns-not {
red inside like ours, but salmon
;olored and white Also strawberry
rec" which bears small. round wine
Cd - rrrF