Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-07-11
DELICIOUS PURPLE WORMS.
An Article of Food Which the Pluto
Indians Gather.


When, in 1849, the California gold
fever was making itself felt throughout
the country, j. NJ. Keller was a young
man living in the East. He was not
proof against the impulse TO seek his
fortune in the mines, and came to New
York with the hope of finding partners.
In this he was not disappointed, and
with a number OF others he chartered n
New Orleans packet, stocked it with
provisions 10 last q year and half,
sailed around Cape Horn and reached
the Golden Gate in safety. Since then
Mr.. Keller has almost lived continuously
in California, but is now visiting this city,
and has brought with him many fine
meteorological specimens. After showing
these to a reporter the other day, he
handed to the latter a small bottle, say
ing: ssDo you know what those things
are 4" In the bottle were a dozen or
more dark colored objects, shrivelled,
but Juicy looking. The average length
was about one inch, and they had the
appearance of luscious raisins. The re-
porter said he supposed that was what
they were. Tue Californian smiled,
too, as he said: s'No, they are not;
they're worms" Then he went on to
say that they were considered a great
luxury by the Pluse Indians.
~ call them the nut pine worm, be-
cause they feed ON the nut pine tree;
what the scientific name is / do not
know. On the Eastern slope of the ST.
ezra Nevada Mountains in Southern
California, between Bodie and Bishops
Creeks is a great stretch of these nut
pine trees. They bear small nut ex-
tremely rich in oil. So rich are they
that you don't want to eat many of
them. In August the ground under the
trees begins to be covered with green
worms, thick as a man. finger and from
one and half to two and half inches
in length. The worms soon grow wings
and fy into the trees. The worm, which
should now be dignified by the name of
butterfly, does not leave the tree, but
scars around among the branches ex-
tracing the oil from the nuts. In about
a month the body is full of oil; so full,
in fact, that the entrails have been
forced out. Then the wings fall off.
at is about this time that the Piutes
make their appearance and camp among
the trees. They come in large numbers
and provided with sacks. The worm
having lost its wings again, it crawls
along the limbs of the tree to the trunk
and falls to the ground. Incidentally it
falls into a trap prepared by the Indians
To prevent the worms from escaping
they dig trenches around the roots of
the tree, the trenches having concaye
sides. / have known of bushel of
worms being taken from one of these
trenches. When the crop Of worms has
been harvested, the Indians build fires
on fiat stones or the hard earth. When
the bed has become hot, not hot enough
to roast, the worms are spread upon 1t
and dried. They are then placed In the
sacks and carried 10 the Piute camps. A
friend of mine once told me that he had
one season estimated that fifty tons OF
these worms were gathered and dried"
''How do the Indians use the wormsl'
sIn soups. The Piutes seem never
to tire of soup. They have it almost
every day. A buck is allowed two worms
and squaw, enc for each dish of soup.
gallant Indian gives
pretty or popular squaw one of his por-
lion. The worms are not eaten until the
soup has been consumed, they being re-
served rs a final tid-bit. / have tasted
the worms and found them very palat-
able. They are rich and oily, like the
nut upon which they feed. ~ New York
Tribune.