Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-06-24
OUR ARMY CAMELS
The Festive 0rientaIs Uncle Sam
Once Tried to Adept.
A BRIEF AND UNRULY CAREER.
Their Deadly Hatred Toward Mules,
Their Craving For a Taste of Soldier
and Few Other Ecoentrieities
Proved Their lnelorious Undoing.

and a Few Other Eooentrieities
Proved Their lnslorious Undoing.
The United States governments first
and only venture into the use of cam
els as army transports on the south
western frontier was sanctioned by
congress through the efforts of Jeffer-
son Davis, then member of the mill
tary commission and later secretary OF
war. Davis had commanded troops In
the southwest in the Mexican war and
knew what 1t was to march for days
over dry, barren country in n scorch-
ing heat, with nothing to drink but
hot, dry air and nothing to greet the
eve except cactus and rattlcsnakes.
The rapid development of California
after the gold strike of 1SiS made nee
essary provision for the transportation
of troops and supplies to the new coun-
try over q desert trail, which was a
task that set patriotism at premium.
congress finally authorized an expedi-
ton to the orient to buy them.
The expedition brought back nearly
100 animals, which We're added to from
time to time till the number grew to
1913. They were stationed at El Paso,
Yuma, Ariz.; San Antonio and other
points on the frontier.
The return trip across the ocean
with the camels is recorded in anus
ing detail by Lieutenant d. ID. Porter,
who was in charge. Each animal was
provided with q competent chauffeur,
who was caretaker, interpreter and bag
gage master in one Most of the animals
got seasick, and SO did the drivers, and
both complained bitterly of the ar
rangements. The.camels wished they
hadn't come and showed it by kicking
and biting pieces from various officers,
who were not to blame.
After landing in Texas the camels
did not improve perceptibly in their ma
lures. Their particular aversion was
the army mules. Even the younger,
inexperienced camels learned quickly
to kill a mule with one blow of the
hind foot and INDUCED in that pas
time frequently. Their taste for army
officers remained undiminished. and the
chauffeurs got the blame every time q
captain lost some of his anatomy.
The soldiers took to the camel with
reciprocal affection. In the first place,
they didn't like his looks, contending
that the soft, faraway look in the cam
els eye indicated that his mind was
not on his business. Then the soldiers
couldn't get used to the odor radiated
by the orleatal beast-circuses not be
ing in vogue-and many of them said
that Kipling was perfectly correct In
his opinion that a camel smelled most
awful vile. Kipling hadn't said 1t yet
but soldiers are farseeing and knew he
was going to say 1t.
Besides, the camel was no good &c
ride, the soldiers agreed. His ambling
rapid stride made them seasick, and
they wanted no animal which 1t tooB
ten minutes to awaken when the In
dians attacked them In the night. Nc
American had lived up to that period
who could tie cargo on one of the
beasts so 1t would stay on. The cam
ell is not constructed fiat on top, 1t is
remembered, and only clever Arat
chauffeur could load one to travel any
distance without losing the supplies.
The high record in dead mules wa!
made, 1t is said. by camel In San An
tonic whose name was Major. Majo
kicked seven valuable mules into eter
nifty, and one day some soldiers, friends
Of the late mules, took Major off up OF
high cliff and came back and said h,
had fallen off accidentally" No eX
haustive probe was made of Major.
disappearance.
A caravan loaded with supplies wen
into the city Of Sutherland Springs OF
one occasion, and the camels We're wa
tered at the town well. 1t was tn,
boast of the city that the well hat
never gone dry. About half the cam
els took q drink and the well was dry
The disturbance caused by the remain
ing thirsty camels set the population
into panic.
But the endless feud between tn
camels and the soldiers soon convince,
the government that railroads woul,
do just as well. The rush to Califor
MIA was well over and frontier trou
bles We're well under control by tn
time the war broke out The govern
ment withdrew the foreign came
agents and closed the foreign offices
By the time the war was over the cam
els died and some We're stolen. Other
escaped to the desert, and even toda,
hoary wild camel, white with age
occasionally terrifies Sunday newspa
per feature writers into writing some
thing about it. Very likely the one
which didn't so to the desert swaI
back to Egypt. Both reports are au
thenticated in the same degree.-KaI
sas City Star.
Car Windows and Fussy Women.
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