The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-12-05
CALIFORNIA MISSIONS.

The oldest California mission is that
at San Diego. founded in 1853. By the
end of the century there we're seven
teen more missions, and three others
followed later. 1t was their purpose to
instruct and civilize the Indians. The
founding OF a mission was very simple.
After a suitable place had been selected
in a fertile valley a cross was set up,
a booth of branches built, and the
ground and the booth were consecrated
by holy water and christened in the
name of a saint. If there were Indians
in the vicinity they were attracted to
the spot by the ringing of bells swung
on the limbs of trees, and presents of
food, cloth and trinkets were given
them to win their confidence. Each
rev mission had at first only 1--we
monks. The booth and cross were IN
their charge, inc they were to con-
vert and teach all the Indians of the
-neighborhood. Several soldiers and per-
haps a few Christianized Indians
served as a guard and helpers. The
community would have a number of
head of cattle and some tools and
seeds, and with this humble equipment
those in charge were expected to con-
quer the wilderness and it's savage in
habitants.
The missions were established at about
a days journey apart on the natural route
the usual stopping places for travellers;
Whenever one of these sojourners arrived
ne was welcomed with the hospitality OF
was led way to the stables and the man
escorted TO a bath. Afterward he was
given a plentiful meal and a comfortable
bod aud la uraG nt liberty IN CfAy ia 1nnr
as he chose.
The maximum of mission prosperity was
attained in the first quarter Of the nine
teenth century. The friars and their
neophytes owned countless herds of cattle,
horses, sheep. goats and swine, and pro-
duced from the ground all their simple
needs required. At each mission were en-
closed gardens and orchards, where grew n
considerable variety of vegetables and
many fruits, including figs, oranges, olives
and grapes. But meanwhile settlers were
increasing, and contact with them tended
to corrupt the Indians and to make them
less easily controlled. The greed of the
newcomers was aroused by the wealth OF
the missions in land and herds, and in
1888 they influence the Mexican Congress
TO pass a law secularizing the missions
and turning over their property to public
purposes, except for some small allow
ances to maintain the churches. This en-
abled the politicians of the period to plum
der the missions very thoroughly, and the
administrators who were appointed wasted
no time in getting the tangible property
into the hands of themselves and their
friends.
and so evil were the effects on the Indians
that the law was %resclnded, but the mis-
chief had been done, and the missions were
not able TO recuperate. The ruin was COM
pleted by the American conquest, and the
few remaining Indians were driven or en-
ticed away. That they and their ances-
tors had been cultivatlng the lands for
-three-quarters of a century made no diff
fcrapnA Uha p1rFippr 70 xrFilhfnO 70 f,Ya-
empt claims did not regard the presence
of Indian families or communities as any
more a deterrent than they would nave So
many coyotes. What cared the rude from
tiersmen for missionary friars or civilized
Indians? They came to squat on public
lands. and they not only took such tracts
as pleased their fancy, but in some cases
the sake of the timber. titles and other
building materials that were In them.-The
Village.