The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-10-24
IMPORTED SHIPS
OF THE DESERT
rwo Shiploads Of Camels
Transplanted to
America.
FOR MILITARY USES
Jefferson Davis Backed Plan
to Make Animals Transpor-
tation Force for Army

WAsH1NGTO& oct %. -- The
skeleton OF camel which stands iu
case at tho National Museum
here constiut,s tho sole rolc of two
shipIunds Of ,tmrls brought from
the far cost iu the 'nttiCs whI"
jefferson Davis NH4 secretary OF war
in an effort @. solve the problem uf
transp. ..tInE military supplies b"-
tween yhc Mississippi river and the
posts scattered across tho western
d,ayrtA
Iofuurv of native mule drlvors 20
the '.hIps Of IN, desert" ana the
hpriuuiup of the civil war ore ns
signed boy government authorities as
tho reason for the failure ~ he
effort 60 utilize yumclH aH burden
carriers over the western plains
Or Charles G.. Carol, ~ the de-
partmcut nf agriculture. has writ
ten an official history uf tho i'm
portation OF cnmcls lie says the
idea OF trasplantinE the beasts to
America originated with tho spanish
after the conquest Of South America
and toward the end Of the sixteenth
century thcy were introduced into
Peru. The camcls were not looked
upon with favor by the ruling Of
ficinls, however, and they dwindlcd
away. Some Camels also were
transplantod 10 Virginia from
Guinea IN 1901 but there ~ no au-
thontic record of the enterprise OK
copt that II failed.
transportation troubles during tho
stubborn Indian war In Florida
caused Major George H. CrOsmnn to
advocate the use OF the desert
beasts for military purposes but
.f.VI IA ttaEs Ia ala
Some years later Major Henry
c. Wayne suggested 10 the war do
partment and members Of congress
plan for government Importation
His idea was endorsed by jefferson
Davis. then chairman OF the scn,tc
military committee, and after MT
Davis became secretary OF war under
President Pierce he pressed the
project. Finally In December 1854,
congress approved an amendment
by Senator Shields of Illinos to the
annual army appropriation bill pro-
viding $4,000 TO he expended under
the direction of the war department
- In the purchase OF chmels and drom-
edaries to be employed for military
purposes"
Secretary Davis at once sent Ma
jor Wayne TO the Levant to round
up the camcls. the secretary OF the
navy placing at the disposal OF Mr..
Davis the storcship supply, with her
crew. under the command Of Lieu
tenant David II. Porter (afterward
Admiral Portcr.) II was ordered
that the ship land Mt n Texas port
as II was supposed the climate there
would more resemble that OF the
far east.
Major Wayne and Lieutenant Por-
ter bought their first animal in
Tunis In August and upon applying
for n permit to bring the animal
away the hey of Tunls presented
TO the United States two other ami
mails, ono OF which finally became
the veteran of the American herd,
The ship then went to Constan
tinople, whore ia officers declined
an offer of the sultan of Turkey 20
present -four camels to tho United
States because it was found tn,
animals would have to be brought
from Asia and the officers did not
want to wait for them. The Supply
went from Constnntinoplc to Alex
andria Egypt whore Il was pro
posed to purchase ten dromcdarie,
and 30 Camels but "Tcd tapo" y,
dlsgusted the Americans that the,
loaded three drumCdarics and mad,
ready to sail Before leaving, how
ever, they secured six fairly goo,
beasts Tho ship sailed with min
dromedaricH and the camel pro
sonted by the hey OF Tunis tho tw,
others obtained in Tunis hnvin
been sold to Turkish butcher TO
$i4 after they were found to hav
sigma OF itch.
Gwyn II. Heap was sent on ahca
TO smyrna and when the suppl
arrived at that point the rcmainin
camcls were found assembled. Nj
Heap had purchased them at price
ranging from Sl0O TO $i00.
The voyage home was begun a