The San Francisco call., 1905-04-25
MISS CALHOUN
GIVES HER AID
Will Produce Ramona at
Alhambra for Benefit of
Landmarks League Cause
HER OFFER A BIG BOON
San Antonio de Padua to Be
Rooted Anew, It's Walls
Being Already Rebuilt
BY SALLY SHARP.


Really Californians are not 50 bad
as they're painted.
They do love and revere their beau
tiful old missions-away down deep in
their hearts-even though they haven't
demonstrated their love to any mad
degree.
That they love their old missions
the heirlooms of picturesque past
was touchingly demonstrated yester-
day.
Learning that the Landmarks
League was struggling hard to dig up
funds to complete the roofing of Mis-
sion San Antonio de Padua Monterey
County,, and to provide a care-taker
for Mission Dolores, Miss Virginia Cal
houn, author and leading woman of
| the Ramona" production, generously
offered to present her beautiful play
to help raise the funds that are needed
Ramona" to be played for the pur-
pose Of restoring old San Antonio!
Think of that!-could anything be
more eternally fit?
And played too. by a daughter of
California, who has been reared 'tw1xt
the missions of San Jose and Santa
Clara and saturated with their history
and romance.
! Poor old San Antonio, the most beau
/ tiful of all the northern missions. save,
perhaps, San Juan Bautista. had long
| been in ruins.
Two years ago the Landmarks
League set to work to save it.
By dint of hard work and almost
miserly economy, the league succeed
ed in raising 1882 in dues and con-
tributions. With this. work was begun
and carried on until the funds were
exhausted-the Indian laborers receiv-
4 Inwv
intendent 81 30, all other services, even
| those Of the architect, being gratui
| tous.
Lumber was purchased from a mill
| in the mountains-twenty-fi miles
distant from the mission-and recon-
struction was carried on until the
walls were completely rebuilt, the
| ing (Which will underlie the tiles) put
In place.
| Then funds gave out-and the league
| was forced to suspend work.
| Superintendent Forbes caused the re-
| built walls to be safeguarded from the
rains, and lumber piled in the old
sanctuary for future use, where it is
! lying still, waiting to be lifted into it's
place.
All the tiles and the ancient adobes
have been gathered from around the
mission acres, and these, too, are wait
| ing-almoSt begging-to be put back
in their wonted places.
Now, money must be forthcoming
| for this patriotic work. Are you going
to help?
Likewise must funds be rustled to
provide a caretaker at Mission Dolores,
which the league desires to have open
to the people-to our children, to tour
] lists, to ourselves. We need a place
of quiet reverie. 1 know of none so al
| Turing as the romantic old mission of
which Bret Harte sang SO sweetly in
the long ago.
Thus does the Landmarks League
welcome the offer of Miss Calhoun of
her pastoral play, "Ramona"-the story
that breathes In every line the tale of
the old missions and of the life that
| sprung from them.
Details will follow later, when Con-
gressman Joseph r. Knowland, presi-
dent of the league, returns from the
Grand Parlor of Native Sons at Mon
terey.
\ But the facts known are these: On
the evenings of May and (Friday
and Saturday, and the afternoon of
Saturday performances will be given
at the Alhambra Theater, the Land
marks League to be the beneficiary for
the purposes named
And every loyal Californian who
truly loves his State will appoint him
self a committee of one to make the
affair a stupendous success.
Let 1t not be said of us further-as
1t is said daily by Eastern and Euro
pean visitors-that we have no concep-
ton of the value Of our missions
commercial or esthetfc.
Let us prove that we love them by
taking care of them-that's the kind of
love that counts.
More news tomorrow. But tell this
to your friends. Wake them up!