New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-31
OLD CALIFORNIA MISSIONS
,uNIpERn sERRNs WORK.

| TER AND INFLUENCE.
| rrRoM An occAsIoNAL CORRESPONDENT oF rur rRmuNrl
! SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 2O.-lo appreciate
| fully tho nfo-work OF Padre Junipcro sorrn. which
tho centenary celebration the old mission of han
Carlos do Monterey commentaries one must Walt Tho
places IN which he lab0r,d aud SEQ the natural obstacles
which his genius and enthusiasm oyerctmo. HIS story
II virtually the story Of the founding OF the Franciscan
missions In CALIFORNIA; narrative OF hardship nnd prl-
walton suffered for the Of religion unsurpassed IN
the history OF the Catholic Church. No ono can write
other than CoOrlcss narrative OF his who mas
fae TO this California coast country In the desolao
dry scasol No Judge fairly OF the work winch
these early Franciscan fathers accomplished who has not
tocd over dusty trails and through tceess aud water
less deserts this coast. fair 10 the eye In mid
winter, forbdI,ng IN its tawny monotOny in mid
summer Even now when thousands OF settlers scat
tered all along the coast from this city to San Diego;
when large cities dot the line OF the old MISSION
trails the trip is still which will weary tho tourist
unused the saddle and he will ind him elf compelled
to cover long stretches OF wild and barren country, OF
which the jackr and the gopher the sole ten
ants There are few parts OF Eastern OF the
Southern in which tho hand OF man has left SO few
traces Below Monterey for hundred miles the coast
is succession OF bold rocky hepllauds, on which the
Pacific beats in long lines OF foam There u not single
bay or inlet which affords anchorage even for small
vessels Tic chief industry is hunting and fishing. The
! Indians live in rancheraa, hidden away IN mountain
canons They raise only the merest neccssaries, and
their example Is followed by the few white settlers who
are along the coast The country il broken up
OF high ridges by lofty spur OF the
| Coast Range which placed eiectua barrier to the
continuance OF the Southern Pacific Railroad beyond
Monterey Hence il has remained isolated from the
mander of the Statccut oil from all communication save
by STAGE and mule back. North south Of this COUP
try California has been Transformed since the days OF
the mission fathers; but the change OF barren
like Of Riverside into OF the great orange
NJ Tho Gfafp nj
the Spanish padres in less than fifty years.
EARLY TRIALS OF THE Fathers.
this wild country then inhabited only BY scattered
tribes Of Indians, the Padre Juuipero Sierra and
small body of his followers from Mexico They had been
sent by the rancscans take possession OF the country
from which imperial edict had elected the Jesuts
Sierra had had hard noytate in Mexico, preaching and
founding missions nearly twenty lie was in the
prime life; full OF the salvation of the
the heather; u too Of that simple, un1uestion
Ing faith which has almost ceased 20 exist in church
to-day; a OF iron will and doeseJ obstinaey, 40
carried away by ervOr Of tho missionary spirit that
hunger thirst and bodily weakness had power to turn
him his great purpose OF oyaugel1lng the California
Indians. Paon Of his associates, who has left about
the only Trustworthy materials for biography. records
the rapture of Sierra when he able to bapze an In
dian child, and thus soul from pcrIition. Upon
nature Encouragement and hardship simply served
a. stimulus cEertion. The story OF the first trip
from reads like the account OF the exploration OF
. savage land barren was the country so destitute or
water 40 overgrown with tue giant cactus which I'm
many places grew thick that a roadway had TO be
bcwcd through IT, After nearly two months Of hard
ships the band reached Diego and founded there tho
A., n, tho Franct.can rni.s,ns nm tny Is 1864 No
sooner WAS this mission established and the establish
mcn consisted OF nothing than the conservation OF
bit ground enclosed by rude brush feucc, where
,''.', , ,,,. ,,, r, y, ,,,t, If ,to.e sager prosc
80, -, ,,,.,a-,. ., ,,,, , ,i,.,,,, nm ,,,
.,,., -, t,., y,, 4, -, ii.,,,s,,d ne,,tv t,yo
,,,,,,o, beforo rlov made their ,oil4otuo way up
,i,,, ,bo b,rron cn,st receiving many prcscnta ~
- ,r,, fla, fabian, That. p,.sod bv I'M. object OF
,,o,,, ,,iot o.,r tc,,,tcs NJ sand and mazda their
t,,, - 49,. ,i,,,,.r milo. M rl,rpar,l until AZ last
49,, a.. t.,.,,, s,, t.,,,,,,cn Il w,,o,lv an d,
80 -, ma, ,,.,.,..v ,y.., f,,ud man IN,
t,t d - ,,,,,,ittion, united In tho cousecr,tion OF
no, ANA, buso ,to,. WA. pit ~, on tho nhoc which
h,a been renewed with poua caro- amt aul marks the
place Juno ., l75o, the date OF to erection oi tha
the nl-n Of the permanent foothod ot the FRAN
ci,cant On The coast
R\rip GROWTH or THE MISSIONS
The ycir, which followed until Scras death In 1884,
years Ut constant work IN founding new missions,
Of frequent conflicts with the military authorities and OF
no small pcrpcNtes keeping undcr control the large
bodies Indian neophtyes the various MISSIONS 80
much work WA, needed t. develop the station, that
no effort could spared for the church building. which
altcrvaId became Of the chief ambitions Of the |
FatLer, After starting mission the Indians were in
,uctrl in the ra-ins OF grain. means ~ irrigation
devised fIu-tr,cs planted, temporary sJruc
lures for residence and worship were erected The
pioneer labor very heavy and in this rough work
Father SIERRA, who was made president OF the missions
took hand. not d>dainns To made adobe with the In
dams to clear the chappara for the crops Be
fore ms death missions were founded, rs follows:
San Diego Monterey, san Antonio de PHiua san Gabriel
san Luis Obspo, san francisco san Juan Capstrdno
these missions mark the site Of cities and large |
towns and give to the geography Of California the sono-
Spanish element so pleasing in comparison with the
rude Indian names Of Oregon and Washington Territory |