The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-10-24

at tnat point the remaining camelS were
 found assembled. Mir Heap had pur- chased them at prices ranging from s1eQ to s4oO
 CARGO STARTS HOME
 The voyage Nome Iwas begun an Feb
 ruary I5. 1856. with 8 animals, nine
 dromedaries, or runners. 2s cames of
 burden, and one calf. Six Arabs were
 engaged to 50 along with the animals,
 as it was thought they would prove
 useful in the;r aage.neut. A Turk
 was employed as camel M. D." but
 his medical services were dispensed with
 after it was found that his cure for a
 cold was a piece of, cheese. for swelled
 legs, tea mixed with grnpowder, and
 for trifl!ng complaints tickling the ani-
 n.als nose with a chameieon's tail. The cargo was landed at Iadisnola, Texas May IA, 1858. and the beasts were taken by easy stages to San Antonio, x miles away, where Major Wayne planned to establish a camel ranch and
 to attempt the breeding of the animals.
 oat Secretary Davis instructed him te find out whether the anima's were adapt
 ed to military uses.
 Major Wayne found the animals high, ly satisfactory for the purposes for which they were secured and as some
 thing over s200e0 of the original appro- priation remained, Lieutenant Porter Twas sent for another shipload. The Sul- tan of Turkey gave six dromedaries, which were included in the lot, of Al animals landed at Indanola, February 10. 1857. The camels were taken to Camp Verde which had been established camel station. Five of the first herd had died one, it was said, from blows received from mule driver The Senate in February. 1857, directed the Secretary of War to make a report on the camel experiment. which was done, and John B. Floyd. who became Secre tarV of War under President Buch- anan, continued to urge buying of more camels, saying in his annual report of 1858:
 "The experiments thus far made, and they are pretty full, demonstrate that eamels constitute a most useful and eco homie means of transportation for men and supplies through the great deserts and barr en portions of our interior Secretary Floyd recommended that Congress authorize an appropriation for the purchase of 1000 camels, but the law makers did not agree with him and no further expenditures were authorized. JOURNEY OF AS DAYS During the summer of 1857 the camels were used in carrying water and for scout duty. That fall Lieutenant Edward Fitzgerald Beale opened wagon road from Fort Defiance. N. M, to the east ern frontier of California. using part oi a herd of camels. The journey took 4s days through unexplored wilderness plains and desert The camels carrie. water for the mules on the desert; tra- versed stretches of country covered with the sharpest of volcanic rocks and swan rivers without hesitation.
 When Lincolns administration began : in 1861 the var department had 28 camels in California These with several others brought on from Texas were held in various forts and military reservations in California without being put ito any use. In 1882 Lieutenant Beale wrote Sec retary Stanton of their idle condition, and proposed to use them for further exploration and in packing supplies across the great basin, but his proposal was elected. as was one a year later | to use came1s in carrying mail between Fort Mohave, N. M, and New San Pedro, Cal.
 The herd finally was sold by the gov ernment to Samuel Mclaughlin. in whose care the herds had been for some time. Some of the camels found their way into circuses and hands of other parties. At the beginning of the Civil war the camels at the Camp Verde station in Texas passed into the hands of the Cor federate government. which paid little heed to them and some wandered away. Of these there is an official account of three captured in Arkansas by tine Union forces and 'sent to MT. Peden, near the Des Moines river in Iowa, for the bene- 1 fit of his care and economy in their support.
 Some of the herd is thought to have wandered into the Texas panhandle Ari- sona and New Mexico. where they lived free and half wild. the prey of white and red hunters
 When the federal government camf again into control of Camp Verde after 1 the close of the Civil war they found q canels, which were finally ordered 1 sold at public auction. Bids were opened in New Orleans. three persons eing willing to buy Horace Bell of cred s each. Joseph Hallam $l0 and Colonel Bethel Coopwood's bid was B. Some of the camels eventually wer. driven into Mexico and as late as 1901 the San Antonio Express spoke of hav- | ing obse rved g camel in a midway shon with tie brand of the United States ot ] It and the cumberland of a subsequent purchaser.