Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-10-15
DIGGER INDIAN FAKE.
a.tter Male from tho Larvae Oh Dug
Gnats anil Gu asshoppers.

.,.. Mall, from tho Larvae of Bugs.
Gnats anil GiAsshoppsrs.
..No acorns. no Indians" senten-
,;onslv said Chief Bonnell. the Zap
tain of the remnant of the fotemite
.r;be In his rude and imperfect form
~ sneech the chief without following
substantially said:
.The acorn crop Of this valley has
b.en a failure for the past five years.
Whenever the crop is a failure In TINS
valley the crop is bountiful ON the
coast range. and when it is large there
IT is sparse here" Noexplanation can
ne given of this seeming peoullarlty'
only that it ..iust happens So" The
Mono and other Indians that frequented
this valley to gather the acorn crop
come no more. and have abandoned
this lovely vale to bowling tourists ana
professional sight-seers. Through the
L;ndness of the chief l was shown
through his small camp OF few nuts
and perhaps twenty-five or thirty FOL
lowers of u tribe that few years ago
numbered more than one thousand.
Though the acorns have disappeared.
the ..caches" or store baskets remain.
These baskets are queerly, II not won
derfully made, being twelve and a half
by three feet. and placed on
nlatform four feet from the
ground. The sides are formed OF
bushes interlaced with pine boughs in-
verified. the needles Of which prevent
SQUIRRELS from climbing up, and also
conduct the rain downward on the out
side. The top is rooted with pine Dark
and made water-tight. The acorns
are stored here and preserved during
winter for future use, just rs the wood
pecker drives the acorn in the holes
he drills in the pine trees. 1t Is ooth
interesting and amusing to see the
sauaws prepare the frugal meal OF
acorn bread. The women and children
gather the acorns in small baskets
the more worms in the acorns the bet
ter they are relished Each acorn Is
placed on its particular end and hit on
the head with pebble, which opens
it, separating the bark from the kernel;
then the acorn is spread on rock to
dry, after which the women grind the
, acorns into neal by means of mortar
and pestle, something like druggists
mix compounds for the disorganization
of the stomach OF the pale face. In
: the meantime the bucks have built a
fire surrounded BY rocks. which are
:, made white heat" The meal is
=. poured in a water-tight basket, and
= the white-heated rocks are dropped in
The water is not permitted to boil, bu
. is hot enough to cook the meal. The
stuff is stirred like Cruel until it As
; sumes a thickness like paste. A hole
" is .scoOped" into the bed of a stream
and water permitted to run over it
. This removes the tannin. or bite
~ taste. and although little sand ad
heres to the cake it does not seem Il
u make much difference.
y The butter used for this bread /
=. also very primitive, and is, perhaps
10 oleomargarine. When foam forms O
T.. the margin of Mirror Lake it is Gov
~ cred with flies and other insects, whic
- make it thick with larvae and pupa
The women and children always tn
women and children-skim off thi
-. ~ scum OF living and dead insects, was
" away the foam in fresh water, an
=. thus they have good, fresh butte
~. Butter is also made of gnats and grass
~ hoppers. The grasshoppers are caugh
~ threaded on strings and filed away fC
IA future use until they become a lit
- mellow. as in green state they a,
y. considered too rich for the red man
~ blood. The grasshoppers are caugl
~ by forming line of women and chi
~ dred and driving them into a ditch du
70 by the women and children. Som
,nr times, when an impromptu meal
:. wanted. the grass is set on fire, al
"a the jumping grasshopper is not on
~. caught, but is cooked at the same tim
ny Cor. Los Angeles (Cal.) Times.