Evening star., 1944-06-11
Capital Sidelights
Ru Will p. Kennedy.


Senator George G.. Vests Tribute to
Dog" The animal which prompted this
outstanding tribute to canine affection
and fidelity was Drum, fox hound
owned in johnson County, Mo. He was
shot by a man who later was sued for
damages ny Drums owner. Learned
counsel were engaged on both sides md
the case finally was tried in the state
Circuit Court in 1870. The late U-Bted
States Senator Vest made the closing
plea for the plaintiff. Senator Vest had
been q presidential elector in 1860. He
also had been Judge advocate in Gen.
Prices Confederate forces in Missouri in
1852. He served in both branches of the
Confederate Legislature and later served
"a years in the United States Senate.
Court, lawyers and audience were en-
tranced by Vests eulogy OF dogs de-
votion. Heavy damages were awarded,
to the plaintiff, and the Vest eulogy of
!. THE dog has stood for nearly three quar-
ters Of century as the most eloquent
and touching tribute ever paid to mans
most faithful friend"
= -
Amazing as it may seem In these
days of global warfare, this Nation sew
eral times has harked back to almost
prehistoric days in attempts to import
and raise camels for the Army.
The first cattle brought to America
from Europe were imported by Colum-
bus on his second voyage in 1893, ac-
cording to an Executive Document, no.
900 copies of which were ordered printed
by the House on March "a, 1854. This
contained the agricultural portion of the
annual report by Charles Mason, COM
missioner of patents, to Speaker Linn
Boyd, which led off with an article by
D. j. Browne on Domestic Animals"
It gives an interesting history Of
cattle in the Western Hemisphere and
their migration. 1t shows that the first
cattle introduced into Virginia was pre-
vious to 1910 and that "camels were
brought from Guinea to Virginia in l701,
and the enterprise failed"
This same report emphasizes that:
"Gen. Harlan of Cochransville, Chester
County, Pa, resided 10 years in the
East, during part of which period he
was actively involved in the military
operations of Dost Mahomed, amur of
Cabul, and Rungeet Sing, prince of Run-
jaub prior to the conquest of Cabul by
the British. AS general of the staff of
the former, he commanded a division
pf tho orp,u for ,vo cioy, If R,,lkh no ri
of ancient Bactria, with a caravan of
1900 camels of northern stock and 400
attached to his own command" He ad-
vised with United States officials re-
garding contemplated importations of
camels in prairie areas nearly destitute
of water and with only a scant supply
of herbage.
The most serious attempt to import
and breed camels for the United States
Army was made when Jefferson Davis
was Secretary of War. The Thirty-third
Congress, second session, adopted reso-
luton on March 3, 1855, appropriating
100000 to the War Department for the
purchase of camels and importation of
dromedaries to be employed for military
purposes" Two years later, when called
upon by the Senate for a report, Secre-
tary Davis officially notified Senator
James M. Mason, President pro tempore
of the Senate on February "a, 1857, that
rs camels had been imported into Texas
and New Mexico, on the storeship
Supply, returning from Mediterranean
waters, thus reducing the cost of the
experiment.
Two expeditions were headed by Maj.
Henry c. Wayne, Army Quartermaster,
and 1t David D. Porter, United States
Navy, commanding the Supply. They had
diplomatic and consular assistance on
their mission but their best assistance
came from Rev H. c. o. Dwight, D. D.,
a missionary at Constantinople. The
second expedition brought back Al
camels on the SuWanee, which were
landed at Indianola, Tex, February 10,
1857. The experiment, however, proved
failure The official report is a docu-
ment of 238 pages illustrated with many
sketches by G.. H. Heap, a civilian ex-
pert and purchasing agent.
The other report by D. J. Browne on
importation of Camels" closes with the
statement that the facts have been
corroborated by Representative Gale