The herald., 1893-09-21
CALIFORNIA ATTHE FAIR

Chicago Herald: California has an
other history--it is written in authenti-
Gated relics and anthropological finds--
that rightly studied. gives one correct
knowledge OF interesting peoples who
not very lonx years ago lived in low val
leys and upon the mountain sides. II
is these finds and relics that are brought
together in the historical room OF the
California state building, where they
are so displayed and explained by the
attentive custodian. Mrs. Mary Il. Hart.
as to afford true object Lessons OF great
value. To the inquirer in this field OF
knowledge the objects here classified
and exhibited are among the most at
tractive in this wonderfully filed build
ing. The learned Professor Putnam
covets some of these things for the Co
are not to be given away, nor are they
for sale. A few of the articles belong to
private persons, but the most are either
the property OF the Los Angeles historical
society or of the Catholic fathers at the
old MISSIONS. No money that might be
offered would buy them. They are not
relics in the main OF ancient peoples,
but OF q civilization that is not wholly
gone and yet is fast going out. The old
Spanish or Mexican population iH nearly
all dead or blood-merged in the Yankes
and his variants. The aboriginal In-
dians are looked for in occasional pot.
terv finds; while the latter, or mission,
Ir,flf fhan
mated, and are fast vanishing the scene.
The pioneers are departing one after
another, and none will be left. At the
old missions Catholic fathers still rule.
and dispenee at once pous consolation
and needed charity; but their religious
children and dependents are few, and
are constantly lessening their numbers.
No wonder that the things in the his
toricsi department. OF the California
state building are highly priced
x*x
The memorials of the pioneers here
exhibited are nearly all OF more value
than anywhere exist. They are regarded
with lively interest by hundreds daily
from all sections of the country. men
that went to California and returned in
the gold excitement period. In Chicago
alone there are 800 of these surviving
adventurers. The so-called Marshall
pictures, mostly lithro-engravings or
photographs showing San Francieco as
as it wac in l8l9 80, and also number
of mining camps, are turned to again
and again by the rejecting ex-pioneer
as he walks up and down this depart
ment. These are the property OF the
Argonaur society OF San Francisco, and
~ g.. tt hxx
Phelan, the memb ber fer California OF
the national commission of the worlds
fair who suggested the old mission
style of architecture for the Cali
f,rnia state building. Certificates
men in the various pioneer associations
are shown. Among these is the certifi-
cate OF membership of General William
T. Sherman in the pioneer association of
San Francisco. ct will be remembered
that General Sherman was banker in
that city little time before the war;
Mining implements and miners suits OF
clothing are preserved, and they tell
their own stories. With there to look
at, and panoramic paintings OF the gold
country ell round on the walle, it cannot
be regarded as passing strange that G.
G. z. Holden OF this city the other day
exclaimed that he could imagine him
sell back in the gulch a-siiting the gold
en- sands.
Back of the pioneers and back of the
Mission Indians were the aborigines. The
relics of these are mostly in pottery, but
there are besides some cutting tools and
indictments OF war. They are not dis
similar to those found in Arizona, but
scholars tell US that the Indians that used
them were not of the Arizona tribes.
They were not OF the Alaskan. Probably
they were an offsboot from some degen-
Grated Aztec settlement in Mexico. Their
pottery ia we'll fashioned and OF material
more enduring than any stone. There is
one case OF pottery that has history all
it's own. IL is the contribution of +
Elliott OF Santa Barbara. 1t came from
the San Nicholas island, off the coast 81
miles from that town. This island wac
formerly known to be inhabited by In
dians that had little or almost 40 com
munication with the mainland. For a
tims, years ago, il WAS lost sight OF. Six
yeara ago some fishermen called there
and found one Indian woman. very old,
nearly naked and entirely wild. They
captured her and brought her to this
coast but che could not be tanned and
soon died, The exploration OF the island
afterward by Elliott led to the discovery
OF quantity of pottery, examples OF
which are here exhibited. 1t is the same
in shape and finish as that found on the
coast and known to be the work of the
aborigines.
x*x
Between the aborigines and the pion-
eers appear. in an historical sense, tho
Mission Indians. How long they had
existed in Southern California when the
Catholic missionaries came among them.
they did not know-no man will ever
know. Down to the latter part OF the
last century they were eavages. Tho
missionaries came, some from Spain,
others from Mexico, and undertook to
christianize them. Great was the sue
cess Of their work. The Indians became
tractahle, and showed disposition to
live near the priests. Among these
missionaries were some who had studied
architecture and they were set about
erecting mission houses, using the In
dians as laborers. Such was the origin
OF each one OF the twenty-f0ur struc-
lures, Moorish in etyle, that now adorn
the finest building sites in California
that now, also, are fact running TO decay.
It ia from several OF these mission
churches that the most interesting of
the relics here seen were obtained. ihe
mission fathers early took au interest in