Smyrna times., 1883-01-17
The Queen of the Angels.
BY BISHOP JOHN F. HURST, D. D., L. L.

CallfOrnla. Ii you DO not SURRENDER dG
one place, you will have to do it at
another. In the North you can resist b
very we'll, even in the Yosemite; but a
you are in hopeless danger if you drift t
southwark and sunward. San Francis {
co, no peor approach to New York, {
with it's constant Oriental reminders,
will likely begin your conquest. The
Santa Clara Valley, bathed in sunlight,
fragrant with it's ceaseless round of
fruits and flowers and overhowing with
the rich old romances of the Spaniard
and his Mission Padres, more than half
masters you. But, if there is a rebel
lious trace of you left, the Los Angeles
Valley will complete the welcome sub
jugation.
The chief city of the region bears the
same name as the Valley. No wonder
the Franciscan Fathers from old Spain
called it La Reina de los Angeles, or
Queen of the Angels, for, so beautiful |
is the situation and so abundant are all |
the tropical fruits in and about it, and
the atmosphere so balmy and invigor-
ating withal, that, when they once
reached the spot and began to build,
they attributed to it both queenly and
angelic attributes. Rare, indeed, was
the inspiration, and happy the moments
when those mission fathers, tending
ever northward, saw one object after
another bearing hideous names and
changed them into such as their faith
and hopes had made most dear to
them. So, when they saw that pre-
cious thread of silver flowing through
the Yosemite, they called it the
Merced, or River of Mercy. From
another and larger they stripped its
old name, and called it the Sacramento,
or River of the Sacrament. From still
another they snatched its Spanish mis-
nomer, Temblores, or Earthquakes
and called it the San Gabriel, after
him of the sweeter trumpet; and that
fair place overlooking the sea they
called Santa Barbara, after her o
wonderous beauty, who lived in ;
tower prison for her faiths sake anC
died for it in savage old Bithynia
The whole geography of California
abounds in this sanity and theologica
nomenclature. twill never disappear
!. Soon it will be about all that is left t
! tell the coming generations who's
: were the first Christian footprint
I along the Pacific Coast.
i My first visit to Los Angeles was b
e ~ the sea, landing at Wilmington an
goingby railroad thirty miles westward
to the fascinating place. The secon
time was a few weeks later, by til
g Southern Pacific Road, when we wei
\ on our way eastward, through Arizon
A. New Mexico, and Colorado. One hi
Of no disposition to see anything ne
g when he goes again. He is quite sati
= fed to traverse again the same path
ID to wander through the same orani
r. groves, to gather fruit from the san
"a trees, to linger about the falling rui
nd of San Gabriel, La Mission Vieja,
tn Old Mission, for a second time; an
- more than all, to be welcomed by t
~ same hearts, which seem to ha
u caught from the very Nature abe
them no little of its subtle warm
an Los Angeles was first an offshOot
er: Sam Gabriel; but it soon took or
he political and -tominercial character a
ity now YOU drive out ten miles from
ms vigorous child to see the parent in
hopeless decrepitude. The story
Los Angeles covers a century and !
romance of, daring adventure, bio
ers shed, fidelity, love, and hate, ant
md constant struggle for supremacy
on ownership. No one would suspect
= he walks along the cheerful streets,
bold and lawless life of the ear
ipu decades, and the only suspicion of
for existence is what comes to you Fl
ent your walk through Sonora, the Spar
aor quarter, where, in the mixed all
on sadness and hopeless revenge OF
by olive faces that half sleep in the
iur- about the low doorways of the &C
..,.. huts. you read again the Anglo-Sax
inevitable conquest of the Spaniard
81 The pueblo, or town of Los Ang
was founded by order of the Spa
3. ~ governor of California, Phelipe
Neye. ON September 4th, 1881.
f-ul first citizens were twelve in nun
. two. being natives of Spain, min
ed 1852 Sinaloa, Sonora, and Lower Califo
and, if 1 must reveal it, whether
I. fhi Californian likes it or not, one
:, D..,l native of heathen China Theale
''''' or governor, was supreme in auth
SAM. over the condition and destiny o
sss's town. The year 1921, when Ne
.,a under Iturbide, became independe
Spain, was the death-knell of al
-oargiI twenty-one Californian missions, I
result in 1928 the missions were
\ @ sal verted into pueblos or towns, and
~ great estates practically secula
W. In 1886 Los Angeles was made
.,11o- and created capital of Alta Calf
= by the Mexican Congress. Do'
1S46 it remained the seat of GO
,..,.,, hment, when PEco and Castro, tn
ITS and representatives of Mexico ant
,<>fgd Spain, retreated before the com
forces of Commodore Stockton
e WOrS Gen Fremont. A year later, will
Kearney added to their number
hing in established tho United States G'
ment for the whole future. Ho'
Horse as late as 1850 it was still peopl
srs. the Spanish !; but In that year
ian AZ American citizensTNichols' M
- and Granger--chose to come une
ai Blue dO@inion e sns nssH TSs g ,s. IN Ne,
- sermon was preached in June 3
Ia rly both 49, H., fRoxyt II Nv Brter,