|
THE FAMOUS CAMEL HERD WITH WHICH THE NAME OF HI JOLLY IS LINKED CONSTITUTES AN INTERESTING SIDELIGHT OF ARIZONA HISTORY.... JEFFERSON DAVIS (AFTERWARD PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY) AS SECRETARY OF WAR APPROVED A PLAN TO EXPERIMENT WITH CAMELS FOR FREIGHTING AND COMMUNICATION IN THE ARID SOUTHWEST.... MAJOR HENRY C. WAYNE, OF THE U.S. ARMY, AND LT. D.D. PORTER (LATER A DISTINGUISHED ADMIRAL OF THE CIVIL WAR) VISITED THE LEVANT WITH THE STORESHIP "SUPPLY" AND PROCURED 33 CAMELS WHICH WERE LANDED AT INDIANOLA, TEXAS, FEBRUARY 10, 1856. 41 WERE ADDED ON A SECOND VOYAGE... WITH THE FIRST CAMELS CAME, AS CARETAKER, HADJI ALI, WHOSE ARABIC NAME WAS PROMPTLY CHANGED TO "HI JOLLY" BY THE SOLDIERS. AND BY THIS NAME HE BECAME UNIVERSALLY KNOWN. HIS GREEK NAME WAS PHILLIP TEDRO... ON THE BEALE EXPEDITION (1857) TO OPEN A WAGON ROAD ACROSS ARIZONA FROM FORT DEFIANCE TO CALIFORNIA, THE CAMELS UNDER HI JOLLY'S CHARGE, PROVED THEIR WORTH... NEVERTHELESS THE WAR DEPARTMENT ABANDONED THE EXPERIMENT AND THE CAMELS WERE LEFT ON THE ARIZONA DESERT TO SHIFT FOR THEMSELVES. CHIEFLY ROAMING THIS PARTICULAR SECTION, THEY SURVIVED FOR MANY YEARS, CREATING INTEREST AND EXCITEMENT... OFFICIALLY THE CAMEL EXPERIMENT WAS A FAILURE, BUT BOTH LT. BEALE AND MAJOR WAYNE WERE ENTHUSIASTIC IN PRAISE OF THE ANIMALS. A FAIR TRIAL MIGHT HAVE RESULTED IN COMPLETE SUCCESS. ARIZ. HWY. DEPT. 1935 |
