Arizona weekly citizen., 1888-08-11

placed in charge ef San Xavier; he was
 succeeded by padre Gsspar Stiger. 6
 Swiss priest tJesuiD. In lI3G Stiser
 went to San Ygnacio as it appears that
 be was no, very popular, as the Indian
 sorcerers tried to kill him. Francisco Payer was afterwards in charge of the
 Mission until l75I, at the date of the re-
 volt of the Indians who killed some
 priests and soldiers. Mission work WAS
 interrupted until l767. the date of the
 expulsion of the Jesuits from Mexico (June 24, 1767J st that time Alonzo Espi- nosa wRSbin charge of the San Xavier
 Mission. After the expulsion of tbe
 Jesuits, the Franciscan priests took charge of tbe missions; the first padre
 of that order who was sent to San Xavier
 was Father Garces In l76S. During Gar
 ces absence in California with Anss, Juan Diaz was entrusted with the sd-
 mInistration of the Mission. GRrces re- | turned to Tubac in l7G9, went to Cali fornia on a second expedition as chap lain of Anss, and returned tO San Xavier
 in 1770 (Septl When Gsrces took charge of the Mission of San Xavier in | l76S. the Indians had scattered and for gotten their doctrine, (religious instruo- tion) but succeeded in inducing them to return to the Mission on the promise
 that they would not be compelled to
 work, In l779 the Apsehes killed the Indian Governor; from that date the Missions in Pimera Alta were admins tered by the Franciscan Fathers from Guadalsj ara (Wsh-dsh-lRh-h ahl Mex leo, until the breaking out of the Mexi- can War of Independence, when the Mission of San Xavier languished with the missions in the north of New Spain. In 1927 the new government of Mexico ordered the suppression of the missions, and the Apache destroyed the greater part of them; the San Xavier Mission was brsvely defended by the PapRgos, The writer hss been informed that the
 San Xavier Church was built aft l96S
 by two brothers, Gunas pronounced Govnas), who also built the Church st
 Caborcs, iu Altar District. Sonora, MeK,;
 the relatives of those two mssons still
 live at Csborcs, At the date of the or
 gsnizsiion of the Territory of Arizona,
 in 1868, two Jesuit priests from Los An
 geles. Cal, who accompanied Hon, Chas.
 D, POston, the then Commissioner Of
 Indian Affairs, took possession of the
 Church. sud after that date Right Rev.
 J, B. SRlrointe. Bishop of Arzons,
 took charge of it in the name
 and in trust for the Catholic Church.
 DESCRIPTION OF THE CHURCH.
 A brief description of the Church of
 San Xavier IS here appended taken
 from Bishop Sslpointe's Notes on Ari-
 zona," also photograph of the church
 from the Resources of ArlIong" edi-
 ton of 1883.
 Of all the mission churches built by
 the FrsnciscRns and Jesuits, but two
 remain in a state of preservation-thsi
 Of San Xavier del Bsc, nine miles south
 Of Tucson and the Church of Csboreo.
 Altar District. Sonora. This, the most important mission in the Territory, was
 established ID 1894, but the present
 building was not commenced until l16S, On the abandonment of the missions in 1927, the Pspsgo Indians, who resided st San Xavier, took charge of the church and preserved 1t from destruction by the Apaches. The style of architecture of San Xavier Is q mingling of the Moorish and the Spanish. It IS built of stone and brick, with fine coating of cement. It has a length of 105 and a width of 27 feet inside the walls. It is in the form of cross. The nave is divided into SIX parts, marked by as many arches. The building IS surmounted by dome and two tovers, one of which remains un- finished. The church faces to the south the facade being ornsmen:ed with scroll work and the coat of arms of the Fran cisc8n order. Around the roof is Q brick b8lusirsde, covered with cement, and with grifins' heads, also in cement, st each angle and corner. The interior is a mass of elaborate gliding, painting and tresco work. On the right hand side, between the front door and the main altar. there is fresco represent ing the Coming of the Holy Ghost" and on the left, a picture of the Last 1 Supper" The main altar is dedIcsted to San Francis Xavier. The frescoes near the sltLr are the Elaboration of the | Wise Men," the Flight into Egypt" the Alteration of the Shepherds" and | the "Annunciation,' still ID good state | of preservation. The main altar, und | those on either side are decorated with | columns and srsbesques in relief, gilded | and painted in many colors Tn the | M oorish style. Statutes of tue twelve | apostles are ElAced ID inches m the pil- | lars of the church. The ceilings were | with fresoc-vork, but much of | it has been defsced by the rain trickling the roof.
 Near the front door are two small | openings communicating with the tow ers, from these rooms commence the | walls. Inc second flight brings the wis flor to the choir of the church. There | are some fine frescoes here. Two flights Lad fg ha ha1Nr- g-v home made bells of small size. Twenty | two steps more lead 10 the Ii tie dome, covering the tower, about seventy-fve | feet above the gronnd. From thIs point | 8 fine view can be had of the beautiful | Santa Oruz valley, and the peaks and | ranges which surround It m every direction. On the west side of the church is SD enclosure and a small Il ,hspel. This was formerly used as Q the bodies being kept ID the ,hspel until the ceremony of burial ves performed.
 When we remember the age in which t was built, and the facilities at hand Tor Iis construction, the church of San Xavier must be considered remHrkR- ole structure. The traveller who first be- holds its perfect outlines, standing ID IDt eQkt or tlt | iesert plain, is sstonished to find in .his remote region a building which would sdorD any capital in Christendom
 oTHRs PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
 There is no other building of any im- oortance m the District except She Iehool house. of which the following k 
 One school room 54x90 and ID feet nigh inside; good French windows, dou- ,le glass doors, snd two smaller doors. hus sffordiDg sufficient light ard venti- stion. tIn root and good inch flooring. Fslls white washed. School furniture. ,ood enough, consists Of 25 double seats Iud desks that were formerly used at he Tucson Public School. Adjoining he school room on the west side IS @ | mall room used ss a store room. East f the school-room and twenty feet from |, is the residence of the teacher, built bis year. This consist of two rooms 4Il6 each and hall l0xl4; rooms well finished with sn iron roof The school ot covers a little less than an acre of and 10000 sq. ft.) fenced on the east, outh and west sides with bsrbed wire nd siI-inch boards and on the north < lde good picket fence; running along be south sIde of the public road wire nd boards set on redwood posts 10 feet