Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-05-25

The Gait gazette reports the following
| concerning an Indian well-known by many
old SacTamentans
An interesting visitor paid his respects to
| Gait this week, in the person of Chief
| MaxiinO an old warrior of the Digger In
| dian tribe, whose wigH-am and headuuar-
tiers are located at COmanche, Calaveras
county The old native is gray and stopped
| with age, and presents a rather dilapidated
| appearance at present. The feathers that
! once decorated the chieftain's brow are
now supplied with a well wOrn-out gray
| hat and the war paint on his cheeks is
| covered with a sparse growth of whiskers
| He describes his early life and experience
| with kindred tribes as having been eventf1ll
Of many strange episodes. He is quite
conversant with the English language, and
| speaks it rather intelligently, and is well
| posted regarding the different changes in
| the early history of the State. He ex-
| presses great sorrow for the downfall and
| almost fetal determination of his tribe, and
states that only few years more remain to
wipe ont the existing remnant. Maxine is
| over leo years old, and was born and raised
in the little valley now known as Locke
ford, about fifteen miles southeast of Gait,
near the Mokelumne river, at one time the
scene Of a large Indian settlement Chief
MaXimO was recognized by his tribe as
chief ruler, and obeyed accordingly.
When General Suffer put in an appearance
in California he Immediately cultivated the
acquaintance of Maxine and was treated
friendly by the chief Whenever Suffer
wanted Indians to do work around his fort
i'll Sacramento he applied TO Maxine for
men, and they were always forthcoming
The Chief also used TO furnish men 10
work at the old San Jose Mission and at
other points in early times. Maxine at
one time became tiercely angry with Cen
eral Suffer for the killing Of his eldest SON
1t seems MaXimo's boy took part in some
Indian engagement in the Jackson valley
where a number of lives were lost. and
among the participants arrested was Young
Maxine, who was taken before Suffer
tried, condemned and ordered shot. Chief
Maxine, about the year 1880, established a
rancho on the Costumes river. on the
premises now known as the old Billy Hicks
ranch, but always made his headquarters
at his wigWam on the Mokelumne. Billy
Hicks, like all our pale face selfish breth-
rem took a fancy to MaXimos rancho on
the Costumes. and through the interposi-
ton of Suffer he came into possession of it
in 1916. Chief Maxine succeeded in re-
tanning his old home and property at
Loclletord until few years ago, when
finally he was cheated out of what little
property he possessed, some forty acres, and
was driven, himself and family. into the
chaparral hills of Calaveras county, where
he manages to exc out a miserable exist
ence. The Chief was married twice, and
his second wife is still living. He had a
son by his second wife, of rather portlv
form and six feet tall. The old Chief nose
is pierced, and shows signs Of having worn
nasal ornamental appendages i'll his
younger days. His exact age cannot be ac-
curately ascertained, but old Indians OF his
tribe, who were acquainted with his eldest
son that was shot, state that he was a full
grown man forty-siX years ago, and iudg-
ing from his age, the Chief must be n cen
tenarian pas. by thisstime. Maxine is Wis
ihng an old Indian mate of his in this vi
entity, Acadia Alexandra PerquiIlO, famil-
iarly known as Acadia and who states
that when a boy he remembers seeing his
father with 4 band of Indians sowing grain
for SItter on the land now occupied by
Odells slaughter-houSe in Sacramento.
The fact that the Chief of the Digger In
dian tribe, who sixty or seventy years ago
was at the head Of quite q nation on this
coast, still roams in this great valley. of
which he was once monarch is interesting
news to many people. 1t was supposed
that Chief Maxine had passed over 10 the
happy hunting ground years ago, and not
few of our early pioneers who were in
tlnately acquainted with him, and rcmcm-
bering the friendly feelings he entertained
towards white settlements on this coast,
but will be pleased to learn that he still
survives