The herald., 1894-01-01

near the southern Junction Of Main aud
Spring streets. By the laws OF Spain
the water of the river belongs abso-
lutely to the pueblo for irrigation and
domestic purposes. These rights were
continued under Mexican rule and
recognized, and now exist by virtue of
the treaty of Querstaro and our state
constition and laws.
The plaza was marked out 100 varas
"a vara is about 3315 inches) by rs
varss. It's present lines are the east
side of Upper Main, 100 varas; the
northern side of Marchessault street, 75
varas; the eastern side OF New High
street, 100 varae.
Around this plaza marches the pro-
cession in solemn step. The priests
chanting their sacred songs, the gov
ernor with his suite, the soldiers and
the IL families of the colonists. Mass
was said, the proclamation read, and
the ceremony of founding the new pue-
bio of Los Angeles was performed. The
governor, soldiers and priests then with
drew to San Gabriel and tue colonists
were left to work out their own saliva
t;on."
1t will here be interesting to note the
descriptions of the coloniets and their
families. They we're:
/. Jose de Lara, Spaniard, so years
old, had an Indian wife and three
children.
2. Jose Antonio Navarro, q mestizo,
AZ years old, had mulatto wife and
three children.
8. Basilio Rosas. an Indian, 6S years
old. had q mulatto vile and six chill
dren.
4. Antonio Mesa, negro, 33 years
old, had mulatto wife and two chill
dren.
5. Antonio Felix Villavicencio, a
Spanisrd, so years old, had an Indian
wife and one child.
6. Jose Vanegas, an Indian, % years
old, had an Indian wife and one child.
z. Alexandra Rosas. an Indian, 19
years old, had an Indian wife.
s. Pablo Rodriguez, an Indian, %
years old, had an Indian wife and one
child.
9. Manuel Camera. a mulatto, SO
years old, had mulatto wife.
10. Luis Quintero, negro, 55 years
old, had mulatto wife and five chill
dren.
IL. Jose Moreno. a mulatto. % years
old, had mulatto wife.
Not counting the children, there were
two Spaniards, nine Indians, one mes
tizo, eight mulattos and two negroes.
Truly, "a mixtie, maxtie, motley squad" F."
az Burns would say. Not one of them
could write. Only one had trade; that
was Navarro, and he wae tailor. They
were an impecunious set, as they had
hired themselves as colonists at $40 per
month for term of three years, and
rations at the rate of 21a cents per day.
Poor in purse, poor in learning and poor
in blood, the hired founders of Los An
geles we're certainly from the scum ol
Mexico. This was fully apparent the
next year, when Lara. Mesa and Quin-
tero were sent away as useless to the
town and to themselves"
Nevertheless these poor people, al
though they were employed to do it,
were the founders of that little pueblo
which afterwards became the capital oi
California, and is now the metropolis OF
Southern California, and as such are
entitled to honor, though not in such a
degree OF brilliancy as those who, desir-
ing freedom. founded our American cities
east of the Rockies. N-N
1t may be that among the Mexicant
here can be found descendants OF the
founders of Los Angeles. If so, their
genealogies can possibly be verified by
the registers OF San Gabriel mission and
the Los Angeles chapel.
The government of the pueblo was in
tructed to Corporal Vicente Felix, as
sisted by four private soldiers. He re-
ported to the commandant of the fort al
Santa Barbara.
Tho o0lnDiafa of 0nna Want m mor b
and erected rude huts and commenced
the digging of an irrigsting ditch, run
ming along about the came line as that
of the Zanja Madre. At the end Of
three years their huts were replaced by
neat homes, built of the adobe, or black
clay soil. These houses all faced on the
old plaza, and were rooted and foored
with asphaltum found near Westlake
park.
The rich bottom lands of the river
yielded bountful narvests, and the live
stock increased rapidly. The colonists
treasury. Still their numbers did not
while at least three Of their number
suficiency of good board and lodging
one instance on record where colonist
although the owner of large herds o.
horses and neat cattle. was compelled to
beg enough cloth at San Gabriel to get 6
shirt.
In 1886 the government formally
placed the coIonists in possession ol
their lands, and gave written instru
ments az evidence of the royal grants.
By 1890 the population had been
greatly increased by a new element
retired soldiers. The town fiourished
Its crops and herds of horses, sheep
hogs. goats and neat cattle continued tc
increase.
CAPITAL OF ALTA CALIFORNIA.
On May 23, 1885, President Barrigan
in accordance with an act of the Mexi
can congress, proclaimed Los Angeles {
city, and the capital of Alta, or Upper
California. The opposition of that par
of California north of Santa Barbars
was 30 strong that the decree was moi
carried into effect for some 10 years
In 1845 the California governor, legisla
ture and capital, however, were finally
located at Los Angeles.
August 13, 1916, Commodore R. F
Stockton, U. S. N. occupied Los Ange
les city and raised the stars and stripes
over the capitol, now the st. Charles
hotel. The small garrison he left wat
driven out by an uprising OF the people
but Commodore Stockton reoccupied tine
city January 10, l847.
April A, 1850 the city WAS incorpor
- 4 L.. +bo lauialotura Qf thu afato n