The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-07
BAD MISSION INDIANS.
DEGESERITEs BEYOND Am HOPE
OF BEITERH
Devoid OF Gratitude nnd Consumed b, Vice
drunkenness. Gambling. ana immortality
Their Deiights-s Petition To Congress for n
Commission 20 lnquIre Into Their Condition.

Commission TO Inquire Into Their Condition.
POMONA, Cal, March 3.-Thc preparation in
California of a giant petition to the incoming
Congress for the appointment of n commission
to inquire into the condition Of the Mission
Indians In California, has directed general at
tcntion to this degenerate group. descended from
u splendid race. There are some 5000 Indians
who are known rs the Mission Indians OF Cali.
fornia. Their ancestors numbered fully $4,000
a century ago and were supposed to be IA per.
foot and interesting specimens OF the red .skinncd
race rs could be found at that time. To-day
the Mission Indians are scattered in commune.
ties OF 800 or 400, among mountains and foo,hill
valleys, remote from the towns and cities. Thcy
grow fewer and sink further in usclcssncss every
year. Occasionally some wealthy person of
philanthropic spirit sends "A few teachers among
them. and buys them farming implements and
new clothes. but the philanthropist becomes dis.
Outraged soon and nbandons his plans.
For several years many persons from New
England and the Middle States who have come to
live in California have talked about directing
the attention Of Congress 10 the pitinblc needs Of
these wards OF the nation. They have created
much public interest in this State for The In.
dians, whose ancestors chccrfully gave up all
their tribal lands and water rights to the horde
Of palc.faccd immigrants in California years
hGO' icn'' inc pcll''On 10 OnRrcSs.
A vast amount has been written in song and
romance In books. magazines and newspapers
for twenty years about the unique Franciscan
missions of Southern California. but curiously
~ 1ugh the Indians. for whom the missions were
founded. have been overlooked. Possibly tho
explanation OF this lies in the fact that around
most Of the missions cities and towns have crown
up. and the Indian has been crowded out. Ever
since the discstablishmcnt OF tho missions under
Mexican rule. in 1899, the Indians have been
neglected and almost forgotten. except by writer's
and artists. who ace the picturesque in the de.
generacy and feeblencss OF the red men Of this
day. There have been Indian agents. II IL true,
but the appropriations for the Indians were
small. the tribes scattered and their rescrva.
tions underlined. Four or five years ago Congress
appointed n commission TO establish the reser.
vations for the Mission Indians. and MS n result
there are some twenty.six reservations. ranging
in size from eighty acres 10 several thousand, In
San Diego and Inyo counties. After the rescr-
vations were definitely arranged, Congress pro.
vided that the lands should he allotted to the In.
dians In severalty. giving twenty acres OF arabic
land TO heads OF families and ten acres to single
persons. Grants Of grazing lands. rs much as n
section to heads OF families. were also provided
for, but on very few reservations urn these allot.
ments possible. owing 10 the small size Of The
reservations and to the helpless condition to
which the Indians have fallen.
When Father J~unipcro Sierra and his followers
came NJ Franciscan missionaries and established
missions nj San Diego, Lns Angeles, san Gnhiicl
Monterey. Santa Clara, san Buena ventura. san
San Luis ObispO, from 1867 until l7s3. they csti.
mated that there were over 10000 Inil ms in
Alta California. A. the mission OF san Gabriel
there were about 1000. Tho priests wrote that
they had never found anywhere such frnctahlc
and energetic say"gis as those in California.
afraid to trust their lives and property anywhere
among the Indians. They taught the indians
TO sow wheat. grind corn, I'LL the, soil, TO raise
cattle, to dress hides, and make clothing. The
priests brought grape vines, olive, fruits. and
nuts from their old homes in Spain and CASTLE,
and taught the Indians how to cultivate them
in California soil. In time the miss!onrri,s Ind
induced all The Indian families 10, come and
dwell in pueblo communities about the missions.
In the year l1gs over 1900 Indians joined the
Roman Catholic churches and became Jealous
Sierra died rejoicing that he himself Ind bpp-
tizcd more than 900 slvages. Vancouver, the
British Columbia. was named, visited several
missions along the coast OF Alta California in
tonished 10 SEE how quickly the franciscan priests
had brought n race Of cruel 81 vuges to civilized in
dqstry and regard for, Christianity. Life In the
mission pucblos was largely on the community
plan. The Indians arose AT u certain hour. at.
tended mass. went 10 work. and in the evening
assembled for devotion and prayer. There was
no drunkenness, and, fighting and quarrelling
Were punished ny Enhlic whinpinss' When the
the Mexican Government, and the lands were
partitioncd among Mexican families. the herds
and tlockS sold, and the, missionaries told to seek
other walks Of life, the lndinn puehlOs soon went
to pieces. The Indians themselves wandered
away, settling here and there. aud being driven
from place TO place by the whites. That was the
The decrease in the population Of the Mission
fornia is marvellous. For instance. on the little
island OF Santa Catalina, thirty miles of the
shore OF Los Angeles, county. the Franciscan
mission records show there were about 200 In
dams IN 1903. To-day not "a single one Of the
tribe remains there. There were some 5000 In.
dians about the mission of san Fernando in
1910; no Indians have been seen there in twenty
years. The largest Indian settlements in Cali
fornia nrc miles away from any white mans
town, and out OF sight OF railroad or steamboat.
Saboba. in Riverside county, is the largest In
dian town In southern California. and it is far
where white men seldom so.
The young women, who have, charge Of the
lives. They are forced to live on the reservation.
miles away from any white persons. The Indians
not only expect them TO teach the children, but
TO write all their letters for them, and to supply
them with food whenever the Indian is pleased
TO call for flour or bread; ana for all this, abuse
is the only reward the teachers get.
Miss Golsh. who had charge of the school at
the Potrero reservation IN San Diego county, lisa
venerable SToman Of culture, s]pcakipg seven
teaching, feeding, and clothing the Indians on
the reservation, ~deyoting to them her own small
and without cause some Indian concluded TO
make u chgrgc against her. II was disproved at
ol'', DHl MISS 'blSll ASkfl IIldt the lnulttfla
should vote whether she should remain on the
reservation or not. Only one voted yes" The
Indians were rather surprised that she left their
town after the vote was announced, ms they
said they had nothing against her, and did not
know why they had voted against her. One old
buck said he had voted against her just to see
what he could do. This Is but one instance OF a
hundred that might he given u. the ingratitude
OF the Indians. They seem 10 think II u con-
dcsccnsionO ON their pnrt To accept tavorS.
The moral condition Of the Indians is dCplora-
BILE. They are not vicious or reNcngcful, hut
chastity IL an unknown virtue among them.
They are passi0natoly fond of drinking. gam.
bling, and horse racing. There IL no nonsense
about their races. The horses are ridden bare
back by little boys. The boys beat the horses
numerically and ride for all that IL In them.
Drunkenness IL the worst vice of the mission
Indians, and all the murders and other crimes
over committed by these lattcr-day red men
have come from alcohol. An Indian can no
more resist temptation 10 drink liquor, II il il
lump OF s'hyar III II within his reach and when
the Indian gets drunk he fights with his com.
panions, beats his squnw. frightcns his children
so that they run away AMI hide in the brush.
breaks the furniture in his house. and rides
his horse nearly Ia death. The Revised
Statutes of the United States prohibit The
sale, Of liquor to Indians, and prescribe
methods for the trial and punishment
OF those who violate the law. but The statutes
are seldom enforced. The duty Of seeing that
the Indians do not get liquor dCvOlves upon tho
Indian agent, who often does not care whether