The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-02
REPLICA OF OLD
MISSIONS BUILT
VIII be a Feature of the Port
land Fair
THE STORY OF THE PADRES
Brave Franciscan Monks overeame
Many Obstacles to Erect the
Famed Missions of California.
Led BY Junipero Sierra.
THE STORY OF THE PADRES
BY BLAINE PHILLIPS,

BY BLAINE PHILLIPS.
In selecting a design for the California
building at the Lewis and Clark exposi-
ton, which opens at Portland, June l, the
state commission followed the precedent
established at Chicago in 1898. adopting
a replica of the famous mission built by
Junipero Sierra, the Franciscan friar, ana
his little band of followers. The Califor-
MIA building is planned in the form OF
Greek cross the face of each wing being
q replica of one of these remarkable
missions. Each has it's own historical sig
nificance, representing the progress OF the
FRANCISCAN fathers among the savages IN
converting them to Christianity, and
more beautiful story than that OF the
untiring struggles of Junipero Sierra and
his followers may not be written. OF the
twenty-one missions in California four are
reproduced in the California building at
the Lewis and Clark exposition-El Carr
melo, Dolores, San Luis Rey and santa
Barbara.
Toward the latter part of the seven
teenth century, Junipero Sierra and his
followers found themselves in the Carmel
valley, a beautiful region overlooking the
placid Pacific ocean. The Carmel valley
now forms part of what is known as
Monterey county in the Golden State
The building of the beautiful Ell Carmelo
mission was commenced With the crud-
est of tools, and naught but adobe for
material, it is astonishing that such
picturesque structure could have been.
erected. To obtain the adobe, the Fran
cscan friars were forced to travel afoot
for miles through the Carmel valley and
then hazardous climb up the mountain ,
side was necessary. Thousands of feet
above the floor of the beautiful valley
these intrepid priests found the source of
their building material fLaboriousy they
worked, digging the precious earth from
the mountain side as best they could, and
then carrying 1t upon their backs to the
site of the Mission. They were proffered
but little assistance, because, previous to
the building of the mission few, if any
of the Indians. were friendly Today. the
visitor to Carmel Mission may see great
cut upon the mountains that border the
Carmel valley. 1t was here that Junpero
= Sierra obtained his aterial for the con-
etruction of the most beautiful of all Cal
ifornias missions.
Moulded Bricks.
And while a few of the little band
worked untiringly mining the adobe others
cessing the odd material and moulding It
eessin gthe odd material and moulding it
into bricks which were dried in the sun
These were laid and made secure with
moist adobe and gradually the great pile
OF adobe bricks assumed the semblanee of
a building Then commenced the struggle
with, the Indians for friendship The com
Ing of the padres was not welcomed by
the sayages. But Junipero Sierra was not
to be deferred from his purpose. He had
come to tame the natures of the Indians
and introduce them to Catholicism Where
kindness was of avail he made Of
ferings of beads and trinkets. The hostile
attitude of the Indians was overcome ar
ter a hard struggle, and their final SUBJ
jugation was but one of the many aehiev-
ments which have marked the career of
Junipero Sierra.
The location of Ell Carmelo mission is
in itself an exemplfication of the superior
knowledge of topography possessed by
these persistent and devoted padres. It is
built upon rising ground near the Rio
Carmelo, surrounded by vast of
unusually fertile soil through which runs
the beautiful Carmeo river. On all sides
orchards abound. The visitor of Ell Car
melo today may pluck a luscious pear
from one of the trees planted by Junipero
Sierra. Surrounding the mission Is pro-
fusion of wel-matured grape vines and
myrads of roses popularity called the
roses of the CASTLE, which species they
closely resemble Just behind the mission
and tapping the foot of the eminence Is
broad lake which discharges its surplus
waters into the ocean beyond. And lending
ouriously sweet music to the enhancing
scene is the roar of the Pacifc's surf as
It lashes itself into foamy white against
the great dragged cliff. Point Lobos.
Beautiful Carmel Valley.
Extending as far as the eye can see.
Is the Carmel valley, with its vari-hued
pastures, fields and orchards. The blue
tinted mountains rise on either side to
dizzy heights ana are studded here and
there with spectre-like pines and cypress
trees. As one gazes upon this sublimely
peaceful valley. the masterful conception
OF topography of Junipero Sierra must
needs be accentuated With his work
among the Indians of the Carmel val
ley completed, he Travelled north. erect
ing many missions on the way. We find
another of the simply designed struc-
lures In Mon teray. at Santa Clara.
Mission San Jose, nesting in one of the
picturesque valleys of Alamada county.
and at San Francisco is the Mission Do
lores This is a prototype of one of tbs
facades of the California building at the
Lewis and Clark exposition and tells an
entirely different story from that of FL
Carmelo
In San Francisco. Junipero Sierra
found conditions widely different from
those of the peaceful Carmel valley. Here
hostility toward civilization was manifest
among the Indians, so it smouldered and
infamed with unexpected frequency
throughout the short-lived activity of this
mission.
No Indians witnessed the festivities that
marked Its dedication. Having been at
tackled by their mortal enemies the Sal
soma tribe. they had fed to the deserted
islands of San Francisco bay. Upon their
return to the mainland they entertained
the same bitter antagonistic attitude to-
ward the Franciscan fathers. The cor
poral of the guard was attacked and show
cred with heated arrows. soldiers wife
was insulted and a concerted attempt was
made to murder a Christian Indian from
Eel Carmelo The miscreants were captured
and punished with fioggings. This in
censed the Indians. and they attacked the
mission building In futile effort to res