Arizona weekly citizen., 1882-07-16
Ex-Governor PIcO. AL ul-

Los Angeles Times
 A relic of the past history of Ca flor
 :Id, and of the ante-Mexican war times nd one upon which We are always proud
 look, IS our now aged but a astIve auI nert fellow-citizen eK-Goyernor Pio Pi 'O. He has lived to See most marvel
 us changes ID the land over winch b, 'nce ruled. He was here when the mis
 ions were m tbeIr prime, when, as 'rlter of the time gives ii, "the lovely
 AllfOrnia landscape was dotted oyei with missions, surrounded by orchards
 Iney ards, gram fields and countless
 erds Of domestic animals; the kneelIng Irongs of neOphytes iu the churches be sweet pealIng or the blessed bells
 Il over the land at certain hours; the -ast days, and Sunday afternoon spec. acles, ard the seeming gentle sway and orderly lives of the padres.' And he vas here tOo when the mission fathers sere deposed from the management of he st lblishments their labors had ere
 ted, and saw the ruin and desulati0u fhlch took the place of tue former ieace and plenty. He was possibly an ye witness to their revengeful acts 7hen they hastened to destroy as they
 ad before labored to build up Some It those acts of vandalism are mentioned
 Y the historian: "It is said that in 1854 he missions owned four hundred hnusand cattle. Up to this time cattle lad been killed just sufficient on- to feed the Indians and keep he increase within limits. Now, in ,pite of the law to the contrary, at eyersl of the missions contracts were
 | for slaughtering them on shares, for he hides and tallow. VacqueIos threw hem with the lasso, the knife was put D their tbroats, the hides torn of 'hile the flesh still quivered, anc tretched upon the ground to dry.
 here were not vessels enough in the 'ouqtry to hold the tallow, which was run into pits dug in the earth. The rsctice was followed at San Gabriel.
 here, Tn 1881, Sanchez had died of eKatlon at the state of the missions.
 he olive and other orchards were cut own buildings dismautled, and what
 as perishable used for fuel. Even the ineyards would have been torn up, but ne Indians refused"
 In lS46, Gov. Pico reported to the Iexican Assembly the condition of the ountry under bis charge And iu nst report there was tbe language of rophesy, though probably uttered
 Ith no wish that there should be d
 ilfillment of it. He evidently saw ne coming giant that has swallowed D his lands and his people. lie
 rote: I've are threatened with Irdes of Yankee immigrants who ave already begun to flock into our 'untry, and whose progress We can .Ot arrest. Already have the wagons [ that pertidiOus people scaled the most inaccessible summIts of the terra Nevada, crossed the entire con- lDent and penetrated the fruitful alley of the Sacramento. What that stonlshing people will next undertake, cannot say; but m whatever enterprise Iey embark, they will be successful lready these adventurous vOyagers, JreadIng themselves over country that ems to suit their tastes, are cultivat- ig farms, establishing vineyards. erect lg saw mills, saving lumber, and doing thousand other things that seem nat -nl tJ them" Yes, the venerable Governor has seen le immense changes from the days Of he carreta and the adobe hut, to the -on-horse an1 the palatial mansion: and le greater change in the intelligence nd energy of the new element that has l rOught hither SO many improvements . nd cOnveniences to sweeten the too ! ten acrid cup of life. And he has . zen the greatest change of them all ne school house and the new church. :. hich here, as everywhere they have . cen planted. are raising men above the ! nsatisfying life of the mere creature to ! ne gr ater pleasures of the intellectual | 'orld to which education introduces us. l Ve doubt not onr venerable friend ap- l reciates some of the changes wrought, | nd we sincerely hope he may live many | ears to receive the congratulations of | le yet coming "hor,les of Yankee i'm iigrants," and learn that we are not all "perfidious people