Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1897-03-25
LIQUOR FROM THE CACTUS.
TIzvytn, the Faxorite Triple OF South
western Indians

IlZwln Is the 1ntOXlcant produced
among the most uncivilized Indian
tribes that live away up in the noun
tains. over 200 miles from civilization,
on the border land between Arizona
and Mexico. 1t is made from the fruit
of the giant cactus of the hot deserts OF
the southwest territories, known as
sahuara fruit. Irwin is in common use
or abuse among the southern Arizona
Indian tribes. The fluid has recently
been analysed by the scientific experts
sent to the southwest by the Smith
sonian institution to study the mode
of life of the most primitive savages
in the union. 1t has been found be-
yond any doubt that the tizwin of the
Indians to-day is manufactured in ex-
actly the same way as in. the days of
the aborigines of this region long be-
fore the white men came to these shores
from the old world.
Thus another stigma is removed from
the long-suffering white man. who has
been accused by the Bostonians of
teaching his poor red brother the use
of fire water. With the facts before
Us it appears not only probable, but
certain, that for years before Columbus
discovered America and contracted the
G:sgraceful habit of chewing and smok-
ing tobacco from the natives, the art
of painting things red was well known
in the quiet streets of the Zuni vii
lagos and the avenues of the seven
cities of Cibola. 1t was doubtless, even
at that venerable date, no uncommon
sight for the good savage housewife
ia see the partner of her joys and sor-
rows come reeiing to the doorstep max
ing night hideous with drunken song.
The sahuara (Cereus giganteus) is
the largest and most remarkable of
the cactus family, and is peculiar to
Arizona. Travellers through the terri
tory see thousands of these giant tree
cacti from the car windows. They
abound in the hot. sandy wastes. The
sahuara blossoms in October and early
November, having large. starIike flow
ers Of pure white, with a golden CEN
ter. In December the fruit is ripe.
1t is pearshaped, being attached to the
limb at its pointed end, and when ma
ture turns brilliant red and splits
open at the top and sides, like a chest
Eut burr, exposing to view a luscious
red morsel of pulp filled with minute
black seeds. 1t resembles strawberry
jam. In taste it is slightly like the
raspberry, though not so sweet.
AS soon as the fruit ripens the squaws
and children travel miles over noun
tain and plain TO gather it in large
baskets, which they carry on their
heads. As these giant cacti are from
10 to so feet in height, much of the fruit
is out of their reach and is left for the
woodpeckers and bluejays, which are
eXtravagantly fond of it, and frequent
ly indulge TO such extent as to be-
come stupefied and unable to fly for
a time. The squaws, however, easily
gather as much as they want from the
smaller plants by means of long. thin
poles, with hooks dashed at the ends,
with which they pull down the fruit.
The gathered fruit is deposited day
by day at common center, where it is
pressed and the juice collected into
large earthen oilas, where a modiculn
of water is added. These olIas are
stored in a closed, dark room, where
slow fire is kept up for several days
until the liquid begins to show a foam
on top, which is a sign that it is fer
mcnting. 1t has then attained the de-
sired Intoxicating power. and word
passes from mouth to mouth and from
village to village.
AS soon as the welcome news ar
riyes all hands knock offevarious other
kinds of loafing and hasten to the tiz-
win camp to put in their time around
the improvised barroom, Supplying
themselves with frequent draughts of
the liquor and dancing or fighting be-
tween drinks. The squaws and chill
dren, who are never allowed to join
in the revelry, manage to get their
fun out OF the affair by climbing to the
low roofs of the wickiups and viewing
the drunken revels of their lords and
masters. Thus the orgie continues
night and day until the supply is ex-
.hausted; and by this time the passions
OF the Indians, naturally fierce and
cruel, having been infamed hundred
fold, some one in the crowd utters a
war whoop, and they leap on their
ponies and are off on raid against the
whites.
The Apache at best is but devil.
but when his blood is heated with tiz-
win the father OF evil himself is a re-
fined gentleman in comparison.
As sahuara fruit ripens only once a
year, it is a whole twelvemonth be-
tween drinks with the Indians, and all
their worst outbreaks have occurred in
the Irwin camp. The old settlers who
still manage to worry along in this
sunny cline have good reason to re-