By Harold Fuller


Excitement Among the Paiutes

The Indians north of town were in an extreme state of agitation yesterday when it was discovered, accidentally, that one of the head sachems who had lived on the Walker River Reservation for years, was a white man. No one is saying how he was discovered but the Natives were so worked up over the discovery that the renegade, fearing for his life, came to town seeking refuge.

Upon being interviewed by a reporter he said he was a native of Massachusetts and was now forty seven years of age. He became entangled in a scrape when he was eighteen and running away from home, followed the sea for two years. Arriving in San Francisco, he joined the rush to the gold fields.

After a pretty rough experience going from camp to camp, he finally, after the collapse of the Meadow Lake boom, joined the Paiutes at the Pyramid Reservation. He remained there until he had fully mastered the language and the habits of his dusky friends and then, painting himself and assuming the garb of the natives, came to Walker Lake, where, in consideration of his able advice in the councils of the tribe he was elected a chief and allowed three wives.

He says that, although he sometimes longed for news of the Bay State, he was perfectly content to remain where he was, as he found the roaming, independent life of the Paiute just the thing for a man tired of the busy scenes of civilization. Now that he has the paint washed off and has donned a decent suit of clothes, he is a very intelligent looking man, and it’s a wonder he could have kept himself from his race for so many years. Getting tired and apprehensive from looking over his shoulder, he would soon be returning to the home of his youth.