, 1879-07-05
HOOTCHENOO.
The Satire Tippte Of -tiaska-- Hosr 10 d
Made.

The Nafire TiPpfc OF -ttaska-- Hoe 70 q
Made.
As the pilot thought our visit would be
incomplete without seeins the under strata
of the Indian domesticlty We followed him
into rather dingy lodge, and saw pretty
much what have already noted in Jacks
palatial residence, only not 50 clear, and
We accidentally cropped upon heotche-
moo still In full operation, which the owner
did not wish us 10 see. With innocent
simplicity the squaw in charge Of this
miniature distil.ery thought she would
conceal it by standing in front OF it, but
she had unfortunately not breadth enough.
Even Indian ladies' can blush and be dis
turbed when surprised in doubtful busi-
Ness, and she exhibited quite facial COM
motion. She at length stepped aside, and
the simple machinery Was revealed. In
corner, resting upon two small rocks, WAS
placed a five gallon coal oll can contain
ing the "mash. Beneath the can was q
slow fire, and the mash vas boiling nicely,
the steam ascending through small tan
pipe, then horizontally passing to barrel
OF cooling water, about four feet away
from the mash can. Not being sufficiently
skilled in pipe making as to create "a
worm," the Indian found a substitute in
shaping the pipe with half dozen OF more
acute angles. The cooling water IN tho
barrel condensed the vapor In the pipe,
and at the bottom out trckled the Insplr
ing hootchenoo. The pitcher " that re-
ceived the dripping liquid was handed
round but there was no sampling" on
that occasion-its odor was sufficient for
the Boston men present II Is said, and
expect it is true, that there is not fam
lily of these Indians i'll these inland waters
ignorant of this distillery business, and
who make hootchenoo whenever they have
the material to make it with
As this hoochsnoo business is the most
interesting feature of Southeastern Alas
ka at the present time, the source OF all
trouble. and is destined to command the
serious attention Of the revenue depart
ment, and require from it rules and regu-
lations, may as well here tell OF what 1t
is made. The temperance people may
also want to say something about 1t.
A citizen was kind enough to enhghten
Take bits worth Of beans, rice, po-
tatOes, q few raisins, two bits worth OF
hops or V, asst and handful of -four pour
a little water upon these ingredients, stir
well, boil for an hour, then leave 1t till 1t
ferments. When this is satisfactory, then
put the quantity of molasses to be used
saw a gallon-wIth double the quantity of
luke warm water, and the whole Is stirred
until it is thoroughly mixed, and left to
ferment When this is over 1t Is called
&" the mash.
As oil cans are easily obtainable, they
are generally used be the Indians, placed
over regular fire, and the manufacture
proceeded with as have already described.
Whoever may be tempted to enter upon
the manufacture of hootchenoo may lind
"a bits worth" of anything at Sitka diff
ferent in its proportions to that amount
invested in the same article elsewhere /;
but, as | am not writing with the view OF
increasing the manufacture Of hVotchenoo,
and paid nothing for the recipe, the am
biguity of proportions Will have to be ac-
cepted as 8 near enough. N. Y. Herald.
A KANSAS CITY paper announces the
appearance IN that locality OF the seven
teen year locusts. Boring holes up
through the ground they emerge IN the
form. of grubs Of pale, whitish yellow,
and soon the grubs split open in the back
and the winged insects come forth. They
are of a black color, with brilliant red
eyes, and rings on the body edged with
dull orange. The expanse of wings Is
from two and half to three and half
inches, ribbed, veined and transparent
Unlike the human family, the males are
the noisy ones, the females having no
organs to produce sound. But most of
us have seen this merry insect, or read
descriptions Of it. The paper says the
woods IN the vicinity of Kansas City
are full of them, and the air resOunds
with their peculiar noise, produced by
drum-like attachment, covered with deli
cate membranes moved by muscle cords,
which are rapialy contracted and relaxed
When two or three million of .he little
creatures beat their drums-they might
be called snare -drulns-at the same time
time, the sound is anything but harmon
ious and pleasant. The most noteworthy
peculiarly Of this species of locust Is
that it is always promptly on ham, every
seventeen years 1t Is perfectly reliable
In this respect, never having failed to put
ip an appearance when the almanac said
it x.s due-at any rate, not during the
period covered oy the records kept IN this
country, which reach back more than
hundred years They were last seen IN
Western Missouri in 1862, at which time
they had the letter " W on their wings,
supposed to mean that the country may
look out for war. But as We were then
in the midst of war, the prophecy came
too late to be Of any service. 1t Is IN
teresting, if not startling, to learn that
the mysterious 4" W" now appears oI tie
wings of the Missouri locusts- Let us
hope the prediction may prove false
There is good ground for doubling It's
trustworthiness, inasmuch as those who
have investigated the matter carefully say
il ia ALWAYS tW," or character like an
inverted M" on each wing though
there are persons who are quite positive
thew have seen the letter P"-meanlng
neace. it is saia-on the wings Of the
seyenteen-year insect. 1t is very easy
to he deceived on this point, as the locust
family embraces more than half hun
dred species, and the average person -
liable TO confound another branch of the
family with the genuine and only orig-
nal seventeen year species
THE Ohio democratic convention which
put two Union soldiers at the head OF It's
ticket, was presided over by third, the
Gallant General James B. Steedman- In
bis speech on taking the chair, General
Steedlnan related that after the battle OF
chickamauga he was summoned to Wash