The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-03-23
DRINK FROM CACTUS.
Tizwin, tho Favorite Of tho
Apache Indians.
Tho Grand Annual Carousc OF tho ArI-
IONA Tribes ut Which tho Rcdmcn
"Eill Up" and iIavo "a Grcnt
Time.

peculiar to Arizona. 1t is weird, I'M
couth specimen of vegetation, and is,
as Its name implies, n giant-the most
overgrown member Of a numerous and
prolific family. Contrary to the gen
eral rule with unique productions in
both the animal and vegetable king
doms, there is no immediate danger of
this curious plant becoming extinct,
for there are portions of Arizona where
its lofty tluted columns, standing in
open order, dot the landscape as far as
the eye can sec, covering the dcsolato
plains and foothills like an immense
army of sl1irmishcrs.
10 the native Indian, says the Kansas
City Journal, the Sahuarah pronounced
sah-wah-rah) is n valuable and useful
plant, standing in much the Same rela-
tion to him rs the cocoanut palm to tho
South Sea islanders. 1t supplies him
shelter, food, drink, and many other
nccessaries 1t is almost animal-lilke
in it's construction, having q frame
work or skeleton clothed with soft,
heshy matter which, in its turn, is pro-
tected by tough epidcrmis. This skin
being watertight, preserves moisture
in the interior, which would otherwise
quickly evnporatc under the RAYS of
the torrid sun, leaving it to dry up and
die. So important is the service of this
skin to the life of the plant that it is
itself protected from abrasion by for
midablc array of bristling thorns,
which guard the surface at every
point. 1t is thus that even in the midst
OF the most barren and thirsty deserts,
where there is sometimes no rainfall
Tor months, the Sahuarah is able to
preserve for its own use sufficient wI-
ter to live upon.
The heart of the plant, which con-
sists of soft white pith, is surrounded
with genuine skeleton, formed of
long, slender strips of soft though
tough and stringy wood, standing in a
circle and reaching from end to end of
the shaft, each strip parallel to the
others and all joined together at inter
walls by cross fbers. These make ex-
cellent ready made fishpolcs, and the
Indians also use them for making their
huts, or ''wickiups," and frequently
construct the entire building with
them. The fruit is about the size and
shape of rather small hen egg, and is
attached without stem directly to the
blunt end of the shaft and the various
limbs. When ripe, the green hull,
which has by this time assumed scar
let hue, splits open in four lobes, like
the calyX of tulip, disclosing to view
an upright, pulpy mass, with the con-
sistency of fig, and like the latter,
filled with innumcrablc black seeds.
| This is delicious when eaten fresh, and
also when dried and prepared by the
| squaws as II preserve resembling fig
| paste.
But the fruit is chiefly valued by the
dushy natives for it's use in the manu-
| facturc of the Indian intoxicant, tiz-
! win, which is made by fermentation,
| and by means of which every year at
the ripening each tribe INDUCES in
| grand annual carouse. 1t is during
| these "tizwin drunlls," as they arc
called by the whites, that most of the
raids and outragcs have occurred in
| past years. AS soon as the fruit ripcns
| the squaws, taking the children with
them, sally forth to the harvest, tramp
ing miles over mountain ana plain, and
| gather it into large, peculiar-shapcd
baskets, which they carry balanced on
| their heads.
When, after numerous journeys back
and forth, sufficient quantity has
been gathered, the juice is pressed out
| by treading the fruit in wide, shallow
baskets, and collected into large Garth
en- jars (ollas), where modicum of
water is added. These are then stored
in dark room of even temperature,
where q small fire is kept constantly
burning until white froth appearing
| on the surface indicates that fermenta-
ton has commenced. 1t has then at
tanned the requisite Intoxicating
! power, and the welcome news is
| passed from mouth to mouth and from
village to village, while everyone
hastens to the "tizwin camp" and
proceeds without further ceremony to
intoxicate himself as expcditiously as
can be accomplished. Meanwhile the
squaws and children, who are never
allowed to join in the rcvclry, manage
to get their fun out of the affair as
spectators. They climb on top of the
low roofs of the "wicLiups," and
there, pcrchci securely out of harms
way, they viqw with shouts of laughter
or howls of woe, as the case may be,
the drunken orgies of their lords
In truth, 1t is an interesting sight,
but should lie viewed by white men
only under the protection of strong
military escort, for the Apache is but q
devil at best, and when filled with "fire
water" the fothcr of evil himself is
a polite and benevolent gentleman in
comparison. Staggering about with
uplifted knives, or rushing mad;y to
and fro on horse back, discharging their
firearms, and giving vent to their feel
ings in blood-curdling yclls, they con-
tinuc the celebration night and day
until the supply of tizwin is exhausted,
i j,