I am currently reading Orphans Preferred: The Twisted Truth and Lasting Legend of the Pony Express by Christopher Corbett. So far, I've enjoyed it. My favorite bit so far is the bit about a pre-pony attempt at getting the mail across the continent:
"The next step was camels. . . . . This was a stroke of genius, so the thinking went. Camels were ships of the desert, after all. They could walk tremendous distances without water. They were patient and strong. They were proven and reliable. . . . But the rocky western terrain proved too hard on their hooves, accustomed to soft desert sand. The camels had to be outfitted with leather boots. The leather boots slowed them down, and the camels did not want to wear them anyway" (35).
Can you imagine trying to put boots on a camel?
The mind boggles.
When I was a kid we saw a bad 70's movie called "Hawmps," about a 19th Century cavalry unit in the SW that was given camels instead of horses. When I was 10, I thought it was funny-- I don't know if it actually was.
ReplyDeleteWow! People will try any solution to a problem. It was rather brilliant if flawed.
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