The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-12-07
QUAINT MISSION IN CALIFORNIA.
Founded as an Indian Retreat Before the
March of Civilization.

March of Civilization.
A quaint, isolat ted spot is the mission
of the Pala Indians, situated some ten
| miles back from the sea coast in San
| Diego county. California. So little
| sought is it that recent visitor found
in refuge there Chinaman on whom
the high binders OF Los Angeles had
passed sentence of death. He had been
at the mission sixteen years, never quit
ting it for fear of assassination. Pic
| lures of other missions in California
are to be had in plenty but one of Pala
is rarely met with. The mission was
founded many years ago as one of a
proposed chain of retreats to which the
Indians could repair before the press of
civilization. Education among them
is limited, their morality is not
of the best, and they are timorously
suspicious of strangers. One Amer
lean, a storel1eeper and blacksmith,
lives with them. The church is an odd
piece of architecture. To the visitor
who wished to inspect the interior the
Indian captain handed the keys, of iron
and heavy, after he had been placated
with a cast-off pair of trousers. The
building is long, narrow, low and
dark, with adobe walls and rough
beams set in them to support the roof,
under which are layers of canes and
tules. Rude paintings cover the walls.
and other ornaments a lfe-sized image
of Antonio Pala, the warrior and priest,
from whom the mission takes its name,
and wooden statue of ''St Louis.
King of France" which is held
in profound reverence by the In
dians, and on feast days is adorned
with trappings and borne at the head
of the procession of believers in the
true faith. The floor is of brick,
cracked and worn. In recesses copper
and brass utensils, evidently very old
and dented from use, excite the curl
osity of the visitor They play part
still on days of ceremonial observance.
The oaken door is plated with iron and
stoutly riveted. The visitor finding a
pile of church garments in an ancient
chest took them out and turned them
over. while the Indian crossed himself
ferventlv as though the act were
sacrilege. \ short distance from the
plain stands the belfry. the walls OF
which are crumbling fast, every storm
making inroads on them The bells
still ring out sweetly morning and
evening.
1t is an interesting circumstance that
the church authorities came near los
ing title to the old mission a few years
arO, and that If was SaveG TO them
through the foresight OF the American
who has made his home with the IN
dians While "a party OF surveyors were
at work in that part of San Diego
county one of them discovered that the
site. including the orchards and gar
dens, was government land and open
10 settlement. Before the secret leaked
out the American located" upon the
property and afterwards decided the
mission. church and buildings, TO the
churchmen But now a complication
arose. The American claimed legal
title to the orchard and garden, and
refused 10 yield possession Therenpon
the ecclesiastics decrccd that without
these appurtenauces no services should
be held in the church, and it remains
locked except when the curious
stranger seduces the captain by gift
TO open it for inspection The Indians
have a small wooden school-house on
the bank Of a stream and here they
are taught 20 read and write IN 4 de-
sultorv way. Race prejudice debars
them from the county schools--N y.
I1x-