The herald., 1893-10-15
TIE CURIOUS PALA INDIANS,
Their Reservation and Their
Old Mission.
The Ancient Church and Its Old Bell
Tower. &
A Statue Of ct, Louis Held in High Honor
A Real Estate Transaction Result
ing in the Ownership ofa
Church.

tie old Pala Ml6slOu, sltuatou ooAS -
miles back from the sea coast. Inc
mission was founded as one of the pro-
posed chain of mountain missions 10
which the Indiana could retreat as CIVIL
ization advanced. The Indians are
ie-icus and Suspicious OF all, and the
sick. instead Of being brought to the
settlements for treatment, are often
secreted in the mountains. Both edu-
eesion and morality are on a very low
DlRne.
Only one American resides at Pala,
and he has q long, low adobe house IN
which he keeps store, and across the
vav ia his blacksmith shop. Near the
old church are the booths used IN the
Indian festivals. These, with the ruin
of the mission buildings, the corral
walls and the quaint Indian church,
with it's beautiful bell tower, constitute
/ the pala of TODAY. The adjacent valley
is narrow and admits of little cultlva-
tion. The Indians have small wooden
school house near the bank OF the
stream which flows through the valley;
Travellers are a novelty in that isolated
region, and on their arrival the Indians
swarm around and eye them as if they
were curiosities.
f. Policy thus relates his expert
ence at Pala:
ssThe Indian children do not attend
the county school, nor are they en-
couraged to come, owing to race prelu-
dice, but attend the government school.
s'Desiring to visit the ruins OF the
mission church | first placated the
Indian captain with cast-off pair OF
psntaloons, when he handed me the
KEYS of the church, of which he had
charge. The captain is elected by the
tribe. His duties are mainly to watch
the government agent and see that his
people get their quota OF government
supplies. The keys are immense pieces
of iron. The building is veritable
curiosity-narrow long, low and dark,
with adobe sides and heavy beams
roughly let in the walls to support the
roof. Under the roof are layers OF
canes and tules. The esrthen walls
are covered with rude paintings OF
Indian design and with strange color
ings that have well preserved their
coloring.
"The floor is Of great square bricks,
now we'll worn and broken. In deep
inches in the wall are brass and copper
utensils, battered and almost ruined,
that would arouse the curiosity OF the
relic hunters. The door is stoutly
barred, having iron plates set with large
rivets. The struggling light that comes
through the narrow windows and broken
roof sheds an almost unnatural glow
upon the paintings and puts into strange
relief the ruined altar, upon which is a
life size image of Antonio Pala, the war
rior and priest for whom the church was
named. Two other wooden images re-
main upon the altar. These were
brought from San Luis Rey mission for
safe keeping during one of the Indian
raid. When Buchord, the pirate, visited
the coast the plate and other treasures
OF San Luis Rey were also stored in this
mountain mission building. The wooden
images are broken. One is statue of
st. Louis. king of France, and is held in
great veneration by the Indians. When
there is q feast day this image is adorned
with trappings made by the Indians
and 10 given the post OF honor in the
procession around the church. The
dust lay thick upon the garments in an
old chest in the dark, dingy robing
room. l took them out and gave them
an airing, and was amused at the capi-
tan, who continually crossed himself as
if were committing sacrilege.
Through gaps in the walls we passed
from one enclosure to another, and
found that in some of the old workshop
rooms few Indians had located them
selves. They cultivate a few flowers
and vegetables, and prepare their food
in the followed stone basins sunk in
AL xx,skh De-
making with them is almost a lost art,
the most valuable ones having long age
been gathered by collectors and gov
ernment agents. The squaws know the
value of money as purchasing agent
gle until the last for the stipulated
price. Psla is very little known, an
isolated corner, and hence the demand
for artists to make pictures. Views OF
California missions are common enough,
excepting the Pals, which are very rare.
The charm of charms, apart from the
natural scenery, are the bells. The
beifry stands a short distance from the
old building, rising from the fiat plain.
In all other instances the belfry sur.
mounts the building. The walls of the
: belfry are crumbling, and each rain
adds to their insecurity.
: "The law has invaded this sheltered
haven, and every inch of ground and
every adobe has passed through bap-
Z tism worse than fire. While party oi
government surveyors were at work some
time since, one Of them told Mr.. Viele,
who now lives upon the ground and has
@ store there, that the entire grounds
including the orchards at the Mission
building, were included in the govern.
ment lands. Being told in confidence
Mr.. Viele at once attempted to settle
; and locate upon all OF the property, and
did 80. The secret leaked out, however
! and others came and attempted to settle
/ upon parts of the property under various
claims of title. The Catholic church
and the various claimants were involved
in lawsuits, which proved the death
struggle of the church interests in the
land. Mr.. Viele came out vic.
torious, sole owner of the church
building, the bells and the quaint old
belfry that is built upon the ground
the orchards, and even of the
graveyard. Afterwards, however, he
desded to the church authorities the
tumble down ruin Iof the mission, the
bells, and dark robing-room, the bells
and the graveyard, but retained the
orchard grounds. The authorities &C
cepted the gift, but decreed that un'
less the orchard and other valuable
property were restored no services would
be held. Mr.. Viele clings to what BIZ
deems his legal rights, the church re-
mains locked, no services are held and
the Indian is left largely to hia OWE