The San Francisco call., 1909-12-21
WHY THE BELL
WAS SELECTED
Chairman of Ell Canine Real
Makes Reply to Critics
OF Sign Posts

called to several articles of recent GATE
that have appeared in newspapers OF
San Francisco, purporting to be critl-
cisms made by James d. Phelan and
Samuel Nj. Shortridge regarding the
bells and signs erected on Ell Canine
real
If these gentlemen have been mis-
quoted, inadvertently or otherwise, they
have had ample time to make due rep
aration to the association and parties
injured; but as they have not. done so, l,
as chairman of Ell Canine real bell
committee, would like to reply and
state the position taken by the Ca
mino real association in the matter of
the material and design for the bells as
well as the spelling on the signs.
With forethought we deliberately Sc
lected iron as the material of which to
construct the bells, for the reason that
the entire proposition to reconstruct Ell
Canine real is one of emblematic SEN
timent and the iron is intended to rep
resent the austere iron will of the meh
who made the first roads in California.
The bell guidepost is of plain. severe
design, to represent the simple, austere
life led by these men of God.
We Intentionally did not use brass or
tinkIing metal, as the bell is intended
as composite emblem of the work and
lives of these holy men. The proper
tions of the bell are true, the curve of
the standard graceful. the material
substantial and the coloring harmoni-
ous--a connoisseur must know that it
is the design and harmony that con-
stitute art, not value of material As
understand it,, Mr.. Phelan has at
tackled the material. not the design.
AS to the spelling on the signs:
The Canine real association had no
intention of teaching the public Spanish
or providing it with Spanish signs.
Our purpose is to present ineligible
road signs plain enough that ''he who
runs may read" We decided to use
the name of each mission as it appears
in the official records of the work done
by the Franciscan fathers in California.
giving the rest of the sign in English.
AS to the sign at the. junction of
Phelan referred to. the official designa-
tion of the establishment mentioned
thereon is san Francisco de Asis' and
the word mission is not part of the
name, but implies the object or charac-
ter of the institution, as miles" ex-
plains the presence of the figures upon
the sign. We might as well be expect
ed to use the word "millaT as to use the
word mission"
The fact that the word is in the same
line with de los Dolores is of small
import, for the criticism has far greater
reach and would leave the one word
mile" to be the prey of the next self
constituted critic.
1 am conversant with the Spanish
language, have resided some years in
Spain and even have a Spanish diction-
airy of my own, and l admit that l
knew how to spell the word mission"
in Spanish / think the gentleman
quite unkind in accusing the rest of US
of ignorance, while proclaiming his
own.
If the objecting gentlemen had joined
the Canine real association in its in
ception, when they were asked to do
so, they would have earned the right
to criticise; but no one has the moral
right to publicly critieise public work
which he did not help to form and plan
at the crucial time.
I assisted in making out a list of
names to whom requests to join were
sent, and the names of the two OBJ
jectors were in 1T.
Had they honestly differed with us
and brought their points of difference
to the attention. privately, of the bell
committee or the executive board of the
Canine real association they would
have been gratefully and courteously
listened to. but when they air their
rather classy opinions through the
press and platform, thus offending those
whom they should defend-the Native
Daughters of the Golden West-it sa-
vcrs of 'rudeness and even peevishness.
For the two have attempted to beIittle
work indorsed by $4,000 persons.
In the beginning of this work we
sought the advice of the late Most Rev
Archbishop Montgomery and upon his
suggestion we use the valuable work
on THE Franciscans in California" by
FIR. Zepherin Englehart as an authority
in the matter of the spelling of the
official names of the missions For the
one in question see page 294.
The title of Mission de los Dolores
was given by popular uSag long after
the establishment had been founded and
dedicated and was used to distinguish
'.San Francisco de Asis" from San
Francisco de Solano.y As for the spell
ing of the title, Mission de los Do
lores," our aforesaid book of reference
spells it at all times Mission de los
Dolores
The aim of the Canine real associa-
tion has been to follow the spirit. not
the letter of the law.
In selecting the bell as an emblem for
the work of reconstructing the old his
toric road we considered that the
padres at all times first hung a bell to
call attention to the work in hand, that
of erecting and blessing the cross. We
are erecting the bell to call attention
to the work in hand-that of recon-
structing the Kings Highway and
designating the route.
The willing ones to help us now ag-
gregate a membership of over so 600;
we have more than so life members: we
have about loo bells marking the route.
and we shall continue the work.
We have sent out four bells this
week all made of the same iron and
all signs spelled in the same old wav.
and we have three more bells ready to
go. So despite the untimely critics the
work will proceed.
A S. c. FORBES.
Chairman of Ell Canine Real Bell Com
mittee.
Los Angeles, Dec. 15. 1909.