West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1895-05-16
OUR CALIFORNIA LETTER.
A Visit to Some OF the Many Old
Catholic Missions Located Through
out the Southern Portion OF Cali
fornia.

| out the DOutnoTn tOrtiOn Oh taii-
fornia.
Correspondence OF the Argus.
MARTINEZ INDIAN School,
INDIo, CAL, April 80, 1895.
This country was thoroughly ex-
plored by the jesuit missionaries
about two centuries ago, who built
mission schools and taught the
Roman Catholic religion to the In
dams. The majority of these have
gone to decay, but some are yet in
state of preservation, and num-
Der are yet run by the Catholics,
with the nuns as teachers.
There is no greater object of in
terest than these old mission schools.
Some have history moro romantic
than fiction. 1 will name but a
few located along the route of the
Southern California Railroad.
San Diego-The first mission
erected. 1t was built by Father
Junepero, and the walls are still
standing.
San Gabriel. This was built by
Father Junipero Sierra about the
middle of the eighteenth century.
Its style of architecture is different
from most Of the others. Its en-
trance is on the side near the foot
of an outside stairway leading to
the choir loft. At its extreme east
ern end is a chime of six bells,
which are still used by the priest to
call together the devout worshippers,
but there is no school there now.
Its massive adobe walls show the
imprints of the sharp tooth of time.
San Juan Capistrano. This was
also founded by Father Junipero
Sierra. An earthquake In 1912
shook down it's massive adobe
walls and it was never rebuilt, but
still retains evidence of the archi-
tectural beauty. A number of valu-
able relics are in possession of the
Fathers in charge, and visitors are
by them shown around and treated
with great courtesy. This mission
is sixty-nine miles south of Los
Angeles.
Santa Barbara. These structures
are to-day the most imposing of the
old missions and are carefully pre-
served, and beautiful landmark
of the untlring zeal of the Fathers.
Its double towers stand out in bold
relief, and with as much dignity as
when more than q hundred years
ago its chime of bells, fresh from
the moulds of Spain, rang out the
joyful peal, calling hundreds of
devoted Indian worshippers to the
sunrise mass and evening vespers.
San Fernando Rey.-Much may
be written about this imposing
structure and beautiful surround
lngs. Its tile paved floors, its long
cloisters, it's ruined foundations,
and its surrounding lemon and
orange groves, all speak volumes of
tireless labor of hands long at rest.
This building has a chime of
seven bells, long since silent, but
their music in former times caused
hundreds of Indians to fall on their
faces at the first peal and pray to
the saints or the madonna, rarely to
her son.
Whether we believe in the Jesuit
doctrine or not, one cannot help
feeling a reverence for these ruined
missions and the hands who 80
faithfully labored for years in order
to establish and teach their faith.
The labor was entirely Indian in
the erection of these buildings,
under the supervision Of the priests.
1t took years at some of them.
They had very crude tools and
scarcely any machinery. In order
to get the massive stones ia place,
DIRT was hauled and filled around
the outside of the wall as fast as it
arose, so the material could be
drawn up by horses. When com
pleted, small mountain of earth
encased the walls and had to be
removed. was automatically told
that it took three years to get the
dirt away from the San Tornado
Rey Mission after the building was
completed.
Much OF the customs and religion
Of these earlier days still remain.
The Hermit,
r. +. THOMAS.