The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-30
ARMY WORMS MEET DISASTER
Ckiah Valley indians Acted while tho Men -
Science Were Debating.

CKIAH. Cal, May 22.-The Ckiah Valley has
been suffering from a raid of army worms,
which in solid phalanx crawled through fields
and groves and vineyards and left devastation
behind. Entomologists came to study the
character and habits OF the pest, and looked al
one another and wondered what could be done
to stop the destruction.
The Indians at the reservation here heard thai
the army worms had come. and forthwith let No
grass grow under their feet. They did not know
as much as the entomologists, but in executive
ability regarding army worms the whole lot of
learned bug hunters could not equal one mahala.
There was great excitement at the rancheriA
over the news, and old and young. bucks and
mahalas, pappooses and dogs. gathered up blan.
OF battle. The worms travel in an almost
solid body and with n fairly straight front.
The mahales: several dozens OF them. s9uatted
worms crawl all over them. When one was
we'll coyered-hair, face, clothing. and ail-with
the wrlggltnR creatures, she got up very care
fully, trying not to drop u single one, spread out
a blanket, and gave herself a good shaking over
quickly and very skilfuliy transferred them
into r ba sket. which she covered tightly. and
then squatted down again in front OF the creep
ing host. The process required but a few min
utes. and the women were constantly jumping
up and shaking themselves and squattins down
In the mean time the bucks, with true Indian
dignity. stood around snd oessed things. occas
eating them. au naturei. The children ran
about in unchecked glee. stuffing themselves
fuls into the baskets 1t was a regular picnic
for the whole village, even the dogs sharing in
the general excitement and delight, for the In
dian dogs are as fond OF q worm feast as are the
Indians themselves, and the beasts ranged about
and dashed into the thick OF the travelling
army, and even stopped barking at one another
70 dsvoqr worms. These dogs Will leave a break
fast OF beefsteak any time to ~gormandizs On
worms. And so will their masters.
Excepting a plague Of grasshoppers. a pest Of
army worms is about the greatest blessing that
cen befall the Indians OF this valley, who are
mainly OF the Sanel and Tokia tribes, and be-
long in general classic cation to the Diggera.
They, kept at their work all day. until they
rancheria: They captured millions upon mil
lions of the things. and where there had been
an army Of T Smsn th fy. left only q few
their, prizes tightly. into, the receptacles, and
left them there to die. Then the worms were
ground up in stone mortars and dried. What
else is done to them no white man knows. The
exact process Of preparing the delicacy 10
guarded as sacredly as a Mason's oath. and none
but the old mahalas Is allowed to touch the
into, the secret OF the process. For, although
the Indians are ravenously fond OF this diet OF
worms, II has a religious Significance. and Is sup
posed TO have a medicinal value that the whites
know nothing about. Most OF these Indians are
apparently Christians. but they all cling
to the traditions and practise the ceremonials OF
their former religion; And worm meal and
Injuries known TO their untutored minds, are
used in all their most important ceremonies.
They believe that the worms are sent directly
benefit.
The entomologists can now relax their minds
concerning the army worm so far as this localb
ty Is concerned. And II any other region is in
Vaded by the pest its people would better say
nothing to the scientists and import a few doaen
squaws from the Ukiah Valley.