The herald., 1897-09-10

with his soldiers and signed there the
armistice which closed hostilities be-
tween the United States and the Califor-
mans.
Thus for more than sixty years the
noble buildings and fertile fields about
them have been left to the ravages of
decay until, as the Land of Sunshine
most graphically described it in the De-
cember, 1896, issue:
San Fernando has become but the
shadow of its former glory. Only two
Of the principal buildings are left, and
they are swiftly going to ruin. OF the
minor buildings-the sheds and work.
shops and quarters-one crumbling line
remains; the rest have sunk into vague
mounds of adobe. The noble old olive or
chard, after nearly a. century of useful :
ness, is still vigorous, and needs only
care to be highly productive. The su-
perb palms, SO long untended, lift their
tall columns to the sky as If so puny a
thing as man or mans cares were of no
significance to them. But the massive
buildings are not so fortunate. Two
years more of public heedlessness and
they would fall and be lost forever.
THE convento or monastery, is two
hundred and forty feet long by sixty
feet wide-figures which give some hint
of the hugeness of the entire plan. 1t is
an extremely strong, impressive edifice,
one of the finest monuments in the
United States. It's grand cloisters with
their long vista of Roman arches, its
third of an acre of red tiled roof, its
strong walls, quaint window grills, giant
chimney dark vaults and watts, strong
| har of fy,np bead ict a nj
all go to make it an architectural treas
ure whose dignity awes even the careless
tourist as 1t inspires the intelligent stu
dent.
This splendid old building is totter-
ing to it's fall-for want of repairs to the
roof. Through the gaps in the tiles the
strenuous winter rains of California are
devouring the adobe walls; and already
| there Is great breach on the north side
About $500 would put on a solid root
structure, replace the tiles, close the
gaps in the walls and save the building
to be admired by our descendants a
hundred years from now.
The church Is far nearer a complete
ruin. Its roof is altogether destroyed;
and it's adobe walls, fully exposed to the
weather, will not last much longer un-
very interesting building, one hundred
and thirty-four feet long; and by the i'm
mediate expenditure of $500 could be
saved. This would involve the, putting on
of temporary but substantial roof to
protect for the present. The roof could
be later covered with tiles as it was orig
| inally."
| This summer, owing to the efforts OF
| the landmarks club, solid roof struc-
ture has been put on the monastery, the
tiles replaced, the gaps in the walls have
been closed, and the eastern end of the
building has been converted into a
chapel. The church is as yet untouched
and it was for the purpose of showing
their friends what had been accom-
/ plished, as we'll as to give them more
definite idea of what is yet in sore neec
of being done, that the excursion yester.
day was given.
The Landmarks club incorporated
has for it's object to conserve the mis-.
sions and other historic landmarks o.
Southern California Its officers are
President. Charles F. Lummis; vice.
president, Margaret Collier Graham
secretary, Arthur b. Benton; treasurer
Frank A. Gibson; corresponding secre
tary, Mrs. NJ. E. Stileon; directors
Frank A. Gibson, Henry w. OMelveny
Rev. ]. Adam, Sumner P. Hunt, Arthur
B. Benton, Margaret Collier Graham
Charles f. Lummis; advisory board
Jesse Benton Fremont. Col. H. G. Otis
X. Egan, w. c. Patterson. Adelins