USA > Arizona > History of Arizona, Volume I > Part 23
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In the meantime Colorado City had been formed on the Colorado River, as we have here- tofore noted. An account of its survey and loca- tion by Charles D. Poston and party, is given in Pumpelly's "Across America and Asia." The party, having no money to pay Don Jaeger for their ferriage across the river, located the townsite on the Arizona side, surveyed and mapped the same, and gave their German friend a glowing account of the future possibilities of a steam ferry, and the large population which would inevitably people the new town, and had no difficulty in selling him several large lots and giving him a deed to one lot in exchange for $25.00, his price for ferrying the party across the river. Outside of the military post which was located on the California side, there were but few settlers at what is now Yuma City, although it remained for many years the principal port of entry to Arizona from the west, and also to Cali- fornia from the East.
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EXPLORATIONS FOR WAGON ROADS.
CHAPTER XXII.
EXPLORATIONS FOR WAGON ROADS-CAMELS.
FELIX AUBREY-APPROPRIATIONS BY CONGRESS FOR CAMELS-MAJOR HENRY C. WAYNE AND LIEUTENANT D. D. PORTER BRING CAMELS TO UNITED STATES-HABITS, ETC., OF CAMELS- LIEUTENANT E. F. BEALE'S EXPEDITION-USE OF CAMELS-LIEUTENANT BEALE'S ROUTE- ABANDONMENT OF CAMELS - CAPTURE AND EXPORTATION-GREEK GEORGE AND HI JOLLY.
Felix Aubrey, who was identified with the Santa Fe Trade, was the first explorer of a wagon route over the 35th parallel, he having driven a wagon all the way from San Jose, Cali- fornia, to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1854. Aubrey was accompanied by sixty men, and brought with him to Peralta the wagon which was driven the entire distance, thus furnishing irrefutable evidence that both a wagon road and a railroad were practicable to San Francisco over the 35th parallel. His notes of the journey were printed in the Missouri Republican of Sep- tember 26th, 1854, and it is to be regretted that they are nowhere to be found in the Government reports, as Aubrey was a private citizen. He also drove over this route a band of sheep into California, without loss.
Aubrey, whose name is thus identified with the early history of Arizona, on his return from this last trip, met his death on the 18th of August, 1854, in Santa Fe, at the hands of Major Weight- man in a personal encounter.
23
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HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
Aubrey's trip undoubtedly stirred up the Gov- ernment to make a further exploration of that route with a view to establishing a wagon route for the benefit of emigrants into California.
In Senate Document, Second Session, 33rd Congress, Chapter 169, will be found the follow- ing :
"Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the sum of thirty thousand dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated under the direction of the War Department in the purchase of camels and importation of dromedaries, to be employed for military purposes. Approved March 3, 1855."
Jeff Davis, the Secretary of War, appointed Major Henry C. Wayne, of the United States Army, and Lieutenant D. D. Porter, of the United States Navy, to visit Cairo, Smyrna and other points in the East for the purpose of selecting the best camels and bringing them to the United States, to be used in transportation across what was then called "The Great Ameri- can Desert." The camels were to be used as beasts of burden, their usual load being from six hundred pounds up to eight hundred pounds ; the dromedaries to be used for express purposes. A daily journey for the camel was about thirty miles, but the dromedaries would go seventy-five. The advantage in substituting these animals for horses and mules over the desert country was that they did not require anything like the care of a horse or mule; that they could go for days without water and would subsist on the coarsest of grass and the sprouts of young trees. The camel was a hardy animal that could do good
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EXPLORATIONS FOR WAGON ROADS.
work even in a cold climate. The information given in response to inquiries made in reference to them showed that while they travelled well over the plains in sand or gravel, yet they could also travel through a mountainous country, the rocks apparently having no effect upon their feet.
Upon the first expedition, Major Wayne brought over thirty-three of these animals, nine dromedaries or runners, twenty-three camels of burden, and one calf. Among them were two humpbacked Bactrian camels for use in breed- ing with the Arabian female. This cross breed- ing produced a hybrid something like our mule, with only one hump, but much stronger and more serviceable than the ordinary camel. Six Arabs, one of them a Bedouin of the Desert, and a professed camel doctor, came over with the herd, which was successfully transported from Smyrna to Indianola, Texas, where they were landed on May 14, 1856. After they were rested up from their journey, they were driven by easy stages to San Antonio where experiments were made by Major Wayne who was in charge, all of which were very satisfactory. It was found that three camels could carry as much as six mules could draw in a wagon over that country, and could travel twice as fast as the mules. They could, upon occasion, for a day or two at a time, carry burdens of eight hundred to a thousand pounds.
These animals were brought over in the United States vessel "Supply," Lieutenant D. D. Porter, afterwards an Admiral in the Union Navy in the Civil War, commanding. He made
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HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
a second trip to Africa, and, returning, landed at Indianola February 17th, 1857, another herd of these animals.
In the fall of 1857 Lieutenant Edward F. Beale, U. S. Topographical Engineers, was or- dered to open a wagon road from Fort Defiance, New Mexico, to the eastern frontier of Cali- fornia, and a part of the herd of the camels was put at his disposal for this expedition. The journey was through a wilderness of forest, plain and desert, and occupied forty-eight days, when the Colorado River was reached on Octo- ber 18th. Lieutenant Beale, in speaking of the work performed by the camels on this trip, de- clares that they saved the members of the expedi- tion very many hardships, and excited the admiration of the whole party by their ability and willingness to perform the tasks set them. Being determined to give a most thorough demonstration of the practicability of using camels on such expeditions, he subjected them to trials which no other animals could have en- dured. They carried the water on the desert for the mules; they traversed stretches of country covered with the sharpest volcanic rocks without injury to their feet; with heavy packs they climbed over mountains where mules found it difficult to go, even with the assistance of their dismounted drivers, and, to the surprise of all the party, the camels plunged into rivers without hesitation and swam them with ease. Lieuten- ant Beale left San Antonio June 25th, 1857, and, on July 11th, he says :
"The camels are now keeping up easily with the train, and came into camp with the wagons.
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EXPLORATIONS FOR WAGON ROADS.
My fears as to their feet giving out, as I had been led to believe from those who seemed to know, have so far proved entirely unfounded, though the character of the road is exceedingly trying to brutes of any kind. My dogs cannot travel at all upon it, and after going a short dis- tance run to the wagons and beg to be taken in. The camels, on the contrary, have not evinced the slightest distress or soreness; and this is the more remarkable, as mules or horses, in a very short time, get so sore-footed that shoes are in- dispensable. The road is very hard and firm, and strewn all over it is a fine, sharp, angular, flinty gravel-very small, about the size of a pea -and the least friction causes it to act like a rasp upon the opposing surface. The camel has no shuffle in his gait, but lifts his feet perpen- dicularly from the ground, and replaces them, without sliding, as a horse or other quadrupeds do. This, together with the coarsely granulated and yielding nature of his foot, which, though very tough, like gutta percha, yields sufficiently without wearing off, enables them to travel con- tinuously in a country where no other barefoot beast would last a week."
These camels, let it be said in passing, were under the charge of Orientals, "Greek George" and "Hi Jolly," who came with them from the Orient and attended to their packing.
In several places in his diary, Lieutenant Beale speaks in the same laudatory terms of the use of the camel, but it is significant that in his report to the Secretary of War, bearing date April 26th, 1858, there is no allusion made to these beasts. He speaks, however, in high terms
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HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
of the route passed over, and, in reference to the climate he says:
"Accompanying my journal is a table showing the thermometer at its highest elevation and low- est depression during the day on our outward journey in the months of September and Octo- ber, and another kept on my return in January and February for the same purpose. A com- parison of the two established the interesting fact that one may travel the road in winter and summer without suffering the extremes of heat or cold."
In reference to the route he says:
"As far as the San Francisco Mountains, the road needs scarcely any other improvements than a few bridges. In one place alone a bridge at the Canyon Diablo would save twenty-five or thirty-five miles travel, and on the whole road its length might be shortened by subsequent ex- plorations and by straightening elbows, one hun- dred miles. As this will inevitably become the great emigrant road to California, as well as that by which all stock from New Mexico will reach this place, it is proper that the Govern- ment should put it in such condition as to relieve the emigrant and stock drivers of as many of the hardships incident to their business as possible."
To do this he recommended that water dams be constructed at short intervals over the entire route, and that a few military posts be estab- lished, and a few bridges constructed, as he was of the opinion that if this were done, the whole emigration to the Pacific Coast would pursue this one line, instead of being divided and scattered over a half a dozen different routes.
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EXPLORATIONS FOR WAGON ROADS.
He calls attention to the fact that it would be economical on the part of the Government to protect only one line instead of a dozen, and that the money thus saved would pay all the expenses attending the construction of the road. He says :
"I presume there can be no further question as to the practicability of the country near the thirty-fifth parallel for a wagon road, since Aubrey, Whipple and myself, have all travelled it successfully with wagon, neither of us in pre- cisely the same line, and yet through very much the same country. * * Starting with a drove of three hundred and fifty sheep, that number was increased by births upon the road, but not one was lost during the journey."
In order at all times to produce a sufficient quantity of water, he recommends a system of dams across the ravines and canyons. He says that during the year he was engaged upon this work, he had not lost a single man, nor was there the slightest case of sickness in the camp, that the medicine chest proved only an incumbrance. Continuing, he says :
"My surgeon having left me at the commence- ment of the journey, I did not employ, nor did I have need of one on the entire road. Even in midwinter, and on the most elevated portions of the road, not a tent was spread, the abundant fuel rendering them unnecessary for warmth and comfort."
He winds up his report by asking for an ap- propriation of one hundred thousand dollars, to build bridges, cut off elbows and straighten the road from point to point and make other im-
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HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
provements and explorations, claiming that the public lands, which would be brought into the market and sold within three years after the opening of this road would repay fourfold the appropriation asked.
Lieutenant Beale's route led through the Zuni Villages to Navaho Springs, passing south of the San Francisco Mountains and crossing the Colo- rado about one hundred and twenty-five miles above The Needles.
After this expedition, the camels were used in various capacities during the time of the over- land stages, but proved to be utterly useless, probably because inexperienced men were left to handle them. The true Westerner had no use for camels; horses and mules had an unconquer- able fear of them; packers and soldiers detested them. In or about the year 1863, the remainder of the herd, about 14, was turned loose in Arizona, and left to make their own living with- out the aid or assistance of man. At this writ- ing it is believed they are extinct.
In the year 1876, two Frenchmen gathered to- gether thirty odd head roaming over the desert section north of the Salt and Gila rivers, and took them to Nevada for the purpose of packing wood and salt into the Comstock mines. These ungainly beasts, however, so frightened the freighters' mules and became such a nuisance that the old Comstock freighters notified the Frenchmen to take the animals out of the coun- try, or else they would be shot. The Frenchmen then took them down to some mining camp in Sonora, which was the last ever heard of this particular band of animals.
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EXPLORATIONS FOR WAGON ROADS.
In 1879, according to the Expositor of Sep- tember 26th of that year, a great many camels were running wild along the banks of the Gila in Arizona. They were a source of much annoy- ance to the teamsters, sometimes making their appearance on the highway and frightening mules and horses. "We understand, " says that paper, "that arrangements are being made to collect the animals together and take them to Colorado where it is thought they can be sold at good prices."
In the Prescott Democrat of December 30th, 1881, there is this reference to the Arizona camels :
"A capture has at last been made by Indians in the vicinity of Gila Bend, and last Wednes- day a carload passed through on their way to the East. While they stopped at the depot quite a large crowd gathered to see them. The carload consisted of seven large and two small ones and were consigned to a circus menagerie at Kansas City. They were in charge of an Egyptian, Al Zel, who had been sent out expressly to get them. They do not differ from ordinary camels seen in this country except that they far exceed in size any ever yet exhibited. The price said to have been paid for them is trifling, the Indians being very anxious to get rid of them as their horses and cattle are greatly frightened by them. There are a large number still in that vicinity."
A dispatch from Tucson, under date of No- vember 28th, 1913, says:
"John Nelson, ax man with the Ajo railroad surveying party, at the La Favorita saloon on South Meyer Street last Monday afternoon,
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HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
solemnly averred that he had seen and hunted camels between the Baboquivari and Gunsight Mountains. He refers the doubting Thomases to Mr. Douglas, a draughtsman now at Gila Bend working up the results of the survey into maps, for confirmation.
"It was one morning about five weeks ago, as I lay in my tent, that I saw the head of an animal peeking at us over the mesquite trees, which stood 15 feet high at the least. It could not have been a horse.
"Have you ever seen a camel ?" was asked.
"I have, at circuses. Well, later in the day, Douglas and I mounted our horses and went out to hunt for the beast. We found three of them and ran them across the desert. They out- stripped our horses."
From this last statement it would appear that there are still some roving bands of camels along the deserts of the Lower Gila in the Ajo coun- try. That part of the state is almost exclusively desert, and would make a fine home for these animals, if any remain, but the probabilities are that the camels not accounted for, have long since been killed by the Indians, and made into "jerky."
This is not the first time camels were intro- duced as beasts of burden into Western America. The same plan was tested in Spanish America three centuries before Jefferson Davis' time. The first animals imported into the New World were six females and a male, for which Pedro Portocarrero, of Truxilo, paid 8,400 ducats. They proved as useless in the deserts of Peru as they did later upon the sand dunes of the Gila.
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EXPLORATIONS FOR WAGON ROADS.
Humboldt recommended the use of them for freighting on the Mexican and Peruvian Saha- ras, declaring that their earlier failures were on account of political "pull." Charles F. Lummis says :
"Major Wayne, chief hero of the camel ex- periment, is probably the only man that ever drove a pair of dromedaries to harness in the United States, outside of a circus. He did this in 1856, while bringing his charges up to Texas from the seaboard, and found the team satis- factory."
Of the abilities and habits of the camel, J. M. Guinn writes:
"He could travel sixteen miles an hour. Ab- stractly that was a virtue; but when camp was struck in the evening, and he was turned loose to sup off the succulent sage-brush, either to es- cape the noise and profanity of the camp or to view the country, he was always seized with a desire to take a pasear of twenty-five or thirty miles before supper. While this only took an hour or two of his time, it involved upon his un- fortunate driver the necessity of spending half the night in camel chasing; for if he was not rounded up there was a delay of half the next day in starting the caravan. He could carry a ton-this was a commendable virtue-but when two heavily laden 'ships of the desert' collided on a narrow trail, as they always did when an opportunity offered, and tons of supplies were scattered over miles of plain and the unfortu- nate camel pilots had to gather up the flotsam of the wreck, it is not strange that the mariners of the arid wastes anathematized the whole
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HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
camel race from the beast the prophet rode down to the smallest imp of Jefferson Davis' importa- tion."
Greek George, who accompanied Lieutenant Beale in his wagon road expedition, and, with Hi Jolly, had charge of the camels, when the Civil War commenced, left Arizona, and settled in California, where he died only a few years ago. Hi Jolly made his home in Arizona, being employed in various capacities by the military, several times as scout. He made an unsuccess- ful attempt to obtain a pension from the United States Government, and died in poverty about the year 1902.
INDEX.
ABO PUEBLOS-Visited by Zaldivars of Oñate's expedition, 40. ACOMA-Oñate puts down revolt of Indians at, 31; destruction of pueblo at, 46.
ACUMA, SERGT. ALFAREZ FRANCISCO-Accompanies one of Kino's expeditions, 59.
AGUATUVI, SAN BERNARDINO DE-Early Spanish mission, 55. AGUILAR, CAPT .- Member of Ouate's expedition, 39.
AHACUS-See Hawaikuh.
AJO COPPER MINES-Taken possession of by Arizona Mining and Trading Company and worked, 278.
ALARCON, HERNANDO DE-Sent in command of naval expedi-
tion and discovers Colorado River, 19; returns to New Spain, 21.
ALBUQUERQUE-Mention of by Lieut. Pike, 83.
ALCARAZ, DIEGO DE-Placed in command of Village of the Hearts, 20.
ALDRICH, MARK-First treasurer of Territory, 326.
ALLEN, MAJOR B .- One of organizers of Arizona Mining & Trading Co., 278.
ALLENCASTER, GOVERNOR-Early governor of New Mexico, 87.
ALTAR, PRESIDIO OF-Ordered changed, 68.
ALVARADO, HERNANDO DE-Helps save Coronado at fight at Seven Cities of Cibola, 18.
AMPUDIA, GENL .- Mexican who ordered Gen. Zachary Taylor from banks of Rio Grande, 128.
ANTISELL, DR. THOMAS-Member of Lieut. Parke's exploring party, 269.
ANTONIO, JUAN-Principal chief of Pimas, gives assistance to Gen. Kearny and Lieut .- Col. Cooke, 143.
ANZA, CAPT. JUAN B .- In command of Presidio of Tubac, 74. APACHES-First mention of, 13; make trouble, 68; unceasing
campaigns against, 69; friendly rancheria at Tubac, 76; de- stroy missions, 76; rations cut off, go on warpath, 78; mas- sacre of by Johnson, and reprisals, 117; meet Gen. Kearny and trade mules, 135; craftiness, signals, attacks, characteristics, etc., 199, et seq .; rescue of two Mexican boys from by Bound- ary Commission Survey, 210 et seq .; killing of one by Bound- ary Commission Survey teamster and restitution, 218 et seq .; steal stock of Boundary Commission Survey, 227 et seq .; Tonto Apaches commit Oatman Massacre, 258; attack Capt. Cre- mony's party, 272 et seq .; early attacks on Tucson, 349 et seq. APACHE RESERVATION-Mention of, 17; early name, "The Wilderness," 26.
(365)
366
INDEX.
ARCHEVEQUE, PEDRO-One of trading party that purchased Inez Gonzales from Indians, 203.
ARCHULETA-Second in command at Santa Fe; obstructs Ameri- cans, 131; leads revolt of natives against Americans, 147; flees to South, 147.
ARCHULETTI-Navajo chief, 307.
AREDIA, SAVERO-Mexican boy captured by Apaches and res- cued by Boundary Commission Survey, 211.
ARIBAC-See Arivaca.
ARISTA, GENL .- Mexican who advised Gen. Taylor hostilities were considered commenced, 128.
ARISTAIN, MIGUEL-Mexican Commissioner in matter of treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, 153.
ARIVACA-Early history, 77; deserted after Pima revolt, 77; rich in mines, 77.
ARIZONA-Name suggested for territory and adopted, 322.
ARIZONA CITY-See Colorado City.
"ARIZONIAN"-First newspaper in territory, printed by Col. Ed. Cross at Tubac, 352.
ARIZONA MINING & TRADING COMPANY-Formation of, 278; sends out exploring party, 278; takes possession of Ajo Copper Mines, 278; rediscovers Planchas de la Plata, 278; ordered to leave country by Mexicans, 279.
ARIZUMA-Name suggested for Territory, 326.
ARMIJO, GOVERNOR OF SANTA FE-Establishes duties on goods, 91; Ambassador Magoffin and Capt. P. St. George Cooke visit to treat with, 130 et seq .; sends commissioner to United States, 131.
ASUNSION, JUAN DE LA-Supposed to have been first Spaniard to enter Arizona, 7.
AUBREY, FELIX-Mention of, 94; gives name to localities in Arizona, 99; his famous ride, 100 et seq .; exploration for wagon road, 353; death of, 353.
AVAVARES-Mention of, 2.
AZTECS-Mention of, 16.
BAC-See San Xavier del Bac.
BACUACHI, VALLEY OF-Mention of, 11.
BANCROFT, GEORGE, SECRETARY OF NAVY-Sends instruc-
tions to Commodore Sloat in regard to conquest of California, 123.
BARRANCHE, PADRE-Killed by Yumas, 74.
BARTLETT, JOHN R .- Supersedes J. C. Fremont as Boundary Survey Commissioner, 183; succeeded by Maj. W. H. Emory, 187; accounts of interviews with Indians, 212 et seq.
BASCONZALES, DON JOSEPH DE-Supposed to have been first Spaniard to enter Arizona, 6.
BEALE, LIEUT. EDW. F .- With Kit Carson makes trip to San Diego for aid for Genl. Kearny, 110; opens wagon road from Fort Defiance, N. M., to California, 356; use of camels, 356, et seq.
367
INDEX.
BEAN, SAMUEL C .- First marshal of Territory of Arizona, 326. BEARD-Early trader over Santa Fe trail, 87.
BEAR FLAG-Raised by Americans in California, 123.
BEAUBIEN, CHARLES-One of first American judges in New Mexico, 133.
BECKNELL, CAPT .- Early trader over Santa Fe trail, 88.
BELTRAN, FRA-Accompanies Espejo's expedition, 28.
BENDEL-Member of Arizona Mining & Trading Company's ex- ploring party, 278.
BENT, CHARLES-First American Governor of New Mexico, 133; killed in revolt of natives, 147.
BENT'S FORT-Mention of, 107; 130.
BENTON, SENATOR THOS. H .- Mention of, 105; begins agita- tion in Congress for Pacific railroad, 263.
BERNAL, LIEUT. CRISTOBAL MARTIN-In command of mili- tary escort on one of Kino's expeditions, 59.
BERNAVE, PADRE JUAN CRISTOBERMO GIL DE-In charge at Guevavi, 76.
BIG BUG MINING DISTRICT-Worked by Walker party, 298.
BIGELOW, DR. J. M .- Member of Lieut. Whipple's exploring party, 266.
BILL WILLIAMS' FORK - Reached by Onate, 49; reached by Father Jacob Sedelmair, 61.
BLACK CANYON OF COLORADO-First discovered by the younger Pattie, 98.
BLACKLAWS, PETER-Head of trading party that purchased Inez Gonzales from Indians, 203.
BLAIR, FRANCIS P. JR .- First U. S. Attorney in New Mexico, 133.
BLAKE, COL .- With First Dragoons arrives in Santa Cruz Val- ley, 288.
BLANDING, WM .- One of organizers of Arizona Mining & Trad- ing Company, 278.
BLOOMFIELD-Henry Wickenburg's partner, 298.
BLUMMER, CHARLES-First American treasurer in New Mexico, 133.
BOCANEGRA, JUAN GUTIERREZ-Member of Oñate's Expedi- tion, 45.
BONILLA, DON MANUEL DIAZ-Commissioner for Mexico for purpose of arranging details of "Gadsden Purchase," 189-190. BOOK-First published in Territory of Arizona, 325.
BOUNDARY COMMISSION SURVEY-J. B. Weller, first Com- missioner, superseded by J. C. Fremont, who was superseded by J. R. Bartlett, 183; boundary line under treaty of Guada- lupe Hidalgo not established, 186; boundary line under Gads- den Purchase established, 187; troubles with Indians, story of Inez Gonzales, 199 et seq .; story of two Mexican boys and interviews with Mangus Colorado and Delgadito, 210 et seq .; killing of Apache by teamster and restitution, 218 et seq .; stock stolen by Apaches, 227; Dr. Webb's experience with the Yumas, 237 et seq .; survey completed, 264.
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