The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-05-17
THE ROMANCE or CALIFORNIA.
The State Was Born of 1t and Bred
in If


there il romance in abundance and ruins
i one only looks for them. For Cali
fornia il Of the very essence Of romance
born Of II, bred in it and creating
each day i new chapter in its romantic
history.
Statistics are for the publicist and
dull reading at best. Broadly speaking,
CALIFORNIA; life-history is divided into
three great chapters, each one more
marvellous than the preceding. and each
pulsing with the fcyers and desires that
gave II birth and made it history.
How infinitely wide apart are the
Mission Fathers, the gold -crazed sol
diers of fortune and the wizards Of the
twentieth century who have created al
most new heaven and surely a new
earth, and have made possible our faith
in the scliptural prophecy that the des
ert shall rejoice and blossom an the
rose. But each followed logically its
forerunner and filed its place in that
great unfolding of d new and glorious
country.
IL il hard for AS to realize that dur
Ing those old colonial days. when men
lived in grander way and olir fore
fathers were enjoying the lnll before
the Storm of 1T75. outside Of the col
ionies Of Massachusetts Bay, beyond
Uhios western frontier, across the vast
plains and prairies of the West and
over The impossible barrier of the Rocky
mountains, d faithful servant Of the
church Of Rome was slowly but surely
settling the great CALIFORNIA;. then I'M
der control of the Spanish crown. Faith
ef Jnnipero Sierra was one Of our great
est pioneers and Dne of the few carly
explorers Who worked by faith rather
thun the sword. The history OF the
missions OF old California Ii indeed d
romance and Il revelation 10 the stu.
dent Of our early days. Daunted not
by almost unreasonable distance, by
hack Of any means OF communication
and by the natural barriers of noun
tains, desert and drought, this ! indc
fatigsiblc priest founded a chain Of mis-
sion settlements, extending from some
miles north of what is now San Fran
cisco to San Deigo, almost on the bof-
der line Of old Mexico Around each
church grew a thriving, industrious viii
lage If Mexirans and Indians, taught by
the fathers to till their soil, improve the
native products, to live simply and de
Gently and to become communicates and
faithful adhcrents OF the Roman church.
Their ruling methods Of loye and every
day living are i silent rcproach to a
iater-day system Of repression and hos
Utility.
One has umbounded respect for these
kind and shrewd old padres, for the
missions or the ruins that nc find today
are monuments to their foresight and
good judgment There are no loyeler
valleys in the world than where stood
these settlements and the little churches
are nearly always close by a clear wa.
terway. sheltered from the autumnal
winds and yet so placed as to derive full
advantage OF the soils fertility and the
suns warming rays. As the missions
grew ia number aud extent--''cl canine
realHthc old highway connecting vii
lage with village developed, until in
the very zenith OF their powers this
roadway was the link which forged the
churehly chain. A few Of them today
land notably Santa Barbara mission
are still houses OF worship and abiding
places Tor the Fathers. and eventually
more viii be restored But there are
many picturesque ruins, with decided
Old World charm. and SAN Juan Capis.
trano is never ending source OF de-
light to the lover Of antiquity IN stone
and mortar. The broken walls and
shadowy corridors with their many MEM
cries Of life and love and death have
not yet the charm Of ages. but the
far greater fascination % 4 world old
faith transplanted and transmitted in
4 new and ~untried country. Gone, how
ever. are the thrifty Villages, the peace
ful Indians and the great power OF the
church, and one cannot but feel sad
ness as one realizes that the old days
OF the Fathers who ministered not
alone 10 the fedmen, but % the lorlly
Spanish senior, who represented still an.
other phase 81 that infinite variety Of
Californian HISTORIC are forever past
and the once busy missions only now
cIriositics for the indefatigable tourist.
The spanish Fathers have left, how
ever. an imperishablc record in their
churches, aud in limitations of mission
architecture" their name Is passing the
world over. II Il the type for the very
finest buildings in southern California.
During the recent earthquake In San
Francisco the old adobe walls Of the
mission withstoed the shock and would
have been Umhnrmcd had not Il modern
iieighboriug structure toppled over onto
its roof However, had the first monk
who rudely fashioned for their simple
needs beds aud chairs and table. realized
all he was to be responsible for at
this aye Of the world in the way of
mission furniture am sure he would
never have attempted anything but beds
Of boughs and employed for tables a
Nayside stone.
Like bowling dervishcs on an evening
prayer must baxo come the gold hunt
ers If the great inuption OF lsia. The
world went mad and from that time
the lust OF gold has never ceased TO
direct The modern adyentuters Califor.
niaward not always adventurers of
pick and shovel, but Of finance. daring
and deviltiy. The news Of gold swept
like tornado across the country and
all the world-.thc world OF capital, of
crime, Of adventure. OF the get-some-
thing-ior-nothine spirit went West.
They walked. they rode, they padded
Is river aud creek, they sailed III
prairie schooners, they yoyagcd around
the Horne no obstacle was too great.
no mountain too high 10 keep out the
men who stakcd all for gold. IL is
romance in the concrete, but the sad
dest, widest. most tragic romance this
country has even known. II has yielded
fortunes 20 the few, II hfs sacrificed
thousands OF lives and demanded thou
sands more in disappointmcnts and
hopes deferred. But it has opened ilp