The San Francisco call., 1903-12-28
BY LAURA BRIDE POWERS

Mrs. Alice Morse, Mrs. J. J. Donnolly.
Mrs. Ernest Leigh. Mrs. Sydney Palmer
and Miss Eliza d. Keith.
The California Landmarks League
has made some interesting discoveries
in the lire of the prehensile proclivities
Of the species Of man known as the
'vandaL"
The league has just completed re-
building the five foot thick walls Of the
beautiful Cd Mission of San Antonio de
Padua. in Monterey County, and had,
before interfered with by the rain. re-
built the roof, thirty feet of which is
completed, while the rest had to be pro-
tected by sheathing until spring.
That done, the league has been cast
ing about for the furnishings Of the
sanctuary that is older by four years
than our nation, but that Is the lesser
Of the claims ii has upon our loves.
The doors, big, hand carved affairs Of
cedar, had been carted off by an emil
nently respectable woman to adorn her
home in this city. And so they wouldn't
be lonely in exile, she tore off several
rings from the altar rail, while a less
strenuous companion bore off a bella
blessed old copper bell that long had
swung from an oak tree, calling the In
dians to matin hymns and to vespers.
The bell has been located and the
league viii probably take steps to re-
cover it. Another, dated 1912, has been
traced to an abandoned schoolhouse at
Watsonville. Is American sentiment
still a living thing?
Another relic has been located-one
that should interest every lover of
CaIifornia-the baptismal font of
Father Junipero (Serra) of sainted
memory. It stood for over half a CEN
tury in a stone recess at Carmel, but
one day there wandered into the sane
tuary a sightseer in the person of the
then Secretary Of State. Without any
hesitation but that caused by the re-
sistance Of the cement, he wrenched
the font loose and caused it to be
carted off. 1t finally degenerated into
a howerpot in the long-reaching Secre-
tary's back yard and is now in Santa
Cruz fulfilling similarly fitting career.
The huge, double-lidded copper bap-
tismal font OF San Antonio was van
dalized in much the same manner, but
is now in safe hands. Likewise many
Of the musical instruments, vestments,
etc, have been traced. The Macondray
family have held possession of some
vestments since the despoliation Of the
mission in 1882, and await the restora-
ton Of the beautiful structure to re-
turn the vestments to their proper
places.
The California Club celebrates
Founders day tomorrow, when the
members viii gather together after the
manner Of q big family-and no guests
to properly commemorate the birth
of the city's first civic club. The
auspicious date was December q, 1897,
and It viii thus be seen that the club
is seven years old. A lusty big club
for seven years!
The names Of the women who have
the honor to go down TO posterity as
progenitors of the club follow:
DR.. Jane Bowen, Mrs. Alice Ludlam,
DR.. Amy Bowen, Mrs. Clara Long, Mrs.
Tilden Brown, Mrs. J. B. Mitchell, Mrs.
c. c. Burr, Mrs. ]. c. Orr, Mrs. A. R.
Cotton, Miss Sarah T. Donnelly Cde-
ceased), Miss c. E. Provost, Mrs. ]. ].
Scoville, Miss Berenice Scoville,
Miss NJ Louise Donnelly, Miss
Mary Donnelly, Mrs. Austin Sperry,
Mrs. Alanson Swain, Mrs. May
Gillian, Mrs. Hadwin Swain, Mrs.
John F. Swift Mrs. Helen T.
Townshend, Mrs. Lowell White, Mrs.
L. A. Hayward, Miss Elizabeth Hill,