The San Francisco call., 1904-08-15
Landmarks League Ap-
peals to Californians
to Lend a Hand.
Hearst Refuses to Give
Up the Money Lying
in His Safe.
By LAURA BRIDE POWERS.

The Landmarks League will this
week send forth an appeal to all pa
triouc Californians-nay Americans,
because the structures which the
league is seeking TO save are likewise
milestones in the nations history
that funds be obtained TO complete
the work now in hand and but half
complete.
The appeal goes first to the mem
bers OF the league that they who are
In arrears may pay up and that they
may bend their energies 10 recruit
new. members. A dollar-the yearly
oue-is but a thousandth part Of the
sum now needed to complete the roof
on Mission san Antonio de Padua. the
abandoned old sanctuary now leased
10 the league; but suppose a thou
sand people send IN a dollar-proving
their love Of State no bOastful fiction
then would the league go on its
way rejoicing Then would the men
about the mission be set 10 work to
complete their labors of last fall,
Which-tO our shame as CalifOrnians
be il said-was discontinued because
the fund on hand had become eX-
naUsted. Why hide from ourselves
the truth
Since that time the lumber has been
lying IN the old mission garden, 'tWiXt
The olive trees and the pOmegranates,
awaiting its destiny on old mission
IOof-and il is still waiting. The
han-ruined adobe walls have been re-
stored, the roOIess chapel, which is
the sepulcher Of five of the noblest
men who ever figured in the pages
OF American history. has been cleared
OF The debris Of q quarter century.
And with il went the Wildhowers-
the mute tribute planted by nature
over the graves Of the padres.
WORK DONE BY THE LEAGUE.
This much is done. And in the
doing let the following facts be
known: Every dollar paid into the
league has gone into actual work
no officer, not excepting the arehi-
tects lNewton j. Tharp and Will D.
Shea), receiving compensation for SER
vices.
All work including the bronze tab
let placed by the league two years
ago upon Fort Gunnybags, has been
done with extreme economy. The
q lumber now lying in the patio OF the
mission was obtained in a hitherto
unknown mill in the Santa Lucias-
tte sans Brothers mill-at a third
less than the market quota ton in
san Francisco, exclusive of freight
Then the labor at the mission was
ln measure the labor of love-for
among the people round about were
SIX men whose forbears sleep within
the shadow OF the mission, who con-
ulbuted a weeks work each-and
they worked that week with a will
born Of love. From September 1
until the end OF November these men
continued 10 work at s per day and
board, the secretary going down to
dolon and starting a provision camp,
Wnlch vas maintained at the cost OF
Ell per man per month, with good
ana plentiful rauOns. The superin-
stendent, ]. Alonzo Forbes. a practical
pullder and student Of mission archi-
lecture as IL was practiced bv the
padres, received $50 per month for
services worth three times that sum
nlt the mission must be saved and
2noneT was scarce. Living in its midst
Tor thirty years, watching il year
10y year falling victim to Vandals and
Ine elements. he, like all who have
fallen beneath the spell Of its beauty
ana It's tragedy, gave of his store of
knowledge generously.
And thus did the $500 Of the leagues
FUNDS avaunt- Now there's more lum-
Der 10 pay fOr-the lumber now in the
patio under the olive trees and the
pomegranates. II must be paid for and
4 must be lifted aloft TO clothe those
lrusses that stretch bare from wall 10
v All against the sky. And il is clearly
-llr AAAf OF AdnLDrnlanS TO 90 it. lest
t6ey prove themselves unworthy the
magic name.
HEARST STILL HOLDS FUNDS.
It had been the secret hope Of many
Of US who had helped with our tongues
ana pens TO raise the landmarks fund
q ~ the Examiner. that the $1,000 lying
IDLE in the safe would be turned over
10 the league that its work might go
.on unhamDered- The request was. how
ever, denied in polite and polite terms.
out denied none the less Mr. Hearst
wished the money 10 buy a pile of
adobes on back street Of Monterey.
called by courtesy the first theater in
Cahfornia-which carries with il no his
tcrlc value WhateVer-and a tumble
down nut that nobody wants and the
legislature won't take over as State
property, lest, indeed. Mr. Hearst can
hypnOttze * into doing an unpardon-
ably stupid thing. II is true that this
piece Of property was on the list fur
nished the Landmarks Fund advisory
committee by the Examiner. and so
EFere other worthless prOperties-worth
less historically and nearly worthless
commercially. But the committee picked
out the three really historical proper-