Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-10
fR|AR SIERRA CROSS
Reared. on Mountain Crest to
Memory of Missionary.
MADE GARDEN OF VALLEY
An Apostle Of Prosperity as Well as
of Religion.
RIVERSIDE CITY BEAUTIFUL
Mission Style Of Architecture Pre-
served With Results That Are
More Satisfying.

BY WILLIAM r. CURTIS.
special correspondence of Tho Star and the
| Chicago Record Herald.
| RIVERSIDE, Cal, April 30 1911
AT the crest of a rocky eminence known
, as Mount Rubidoux, on the outskirts Of
Riverside. overlooking the vast amphi
theater Enclosed by snow-covered ranges
OF mountains. stands majestic cross that
Is visible from every part of the valley.
| 1t Is reached by a winding road-two
! roads, In fact. one for carriages and au-
tomobiles making the ascent, and the
| other for those that are making the de-
| scent. SO that there is no possibility of
collision while rounding the abrupt and
narrow curves.
This cross was erected two years ago
as a memorial to Friar Junipero Sierra,
| that remarkable and beloved Franciscan
friar who first brought the tidings Of SAL
walton to the Indians Of this state. 1t
was he who established the chain of mis-
| sions along the coast Of California: It was
he who introduced the arts of peace and
| the science of agriculture among the ma
| tives: he taught them how to irrigate
| their land: he brought them seeds and
| seedlings from which the olives and the
| oranges, the primes and peaches and the
vines from which the glorious grape Of
| California grow.
Few men have been so useful to their
fellows: few have done so much to pro-
| mote the material and the spiritual well
| fare OF the heather than Father Sierra,
and 1t Is emnently fitting that a re-
| minder OF his pure life and great useful
| ness should be placed upon a mountain
zen of this productive valley. 1t overlooks
| 1900 acres Of orange groves. 10000 acres
| Of rich farming land and the ranges
wherein hundreds of thousand of cattle
| feed. Below the cross. riveted to the
rock on which it stands. is a bronze tab
| let, the gift Of Henry E. Huntington of
| Los Angeles. upon which the name and
| achievements of the good padre are in
| scribed, and below upon a bronze plaque
| set into a boulder at a sharp turn in the
| drive. are these suggestive words from
| the pen of John Muir:
| "Climb the mountains and get their good
tidings. Natures peace will flow into
| you as sunshine flows into the trees. The
winds will blow their own freshness into
you and the storms their energy; while
cares will drop off like autumn leaves"
In Fremont's Path.
Across this mountain John G. Fremont,
the Pathfinder, led his men in his his
toric expedition to save California to the
| United States. At its foot was one of
the camping places of the missionaries
who brought the gospel into this valley.
At daylight on Easter morning every
year a union service Of the churches Of
Los Angeles is held under the shadow Of
| this cross and Is attended by thousands
| OF worshipers-a service of Thanksgiving
| to the Creator of this valley for the hap
piness and the prosperity that its popula-
ton enjoy.
President Taft came here in 1909 to I'M
veil the tablet and Bishop Conaty Of Los
Angeles. formerly rector of the Catholic
University at Washington, delivered an
| eloquent historical address. On the even
ing Of that day a banquet was given In
honor Of the President in the Mission
Inn. that most unique OF all hotels, de-
scribed in these columns the other day,
at which the President made a speech.
and. among other things. he said:
II think it is fitting that my journey
should end in Q building like. this. con-
structed to commemorate the missions
tory Of the region which we have been
privileged to visit today. fully SYM
pathize with the desire to, preserve as
historical memorials. worthy OF preserva-
| architecture that these missions repre-
sent, I sympathize with the people of
Riverside In desiring that their govern
| ment building be CONSTRUCTED on the mis-
torical Importance We ought not to de-
| stroy 1t, and California Is one Of the few
states that reaches far enough back into
the past to which we can make the pres
ent architecture accord. / am glad to
go out Of California with the sweet and
pleasant memory Of this function, held
! in such a beautiful mansion and sugges-
| tive Of all the sweet romance of the early
history Of this state"
Touched Sensitive Cord.
| President Taft touched a sensitive
| obi ha <od
and has been growing in the hearts OF
the people of Riverside for many
years. To preserve the mission style
Of architecture. brought to the Pa
cific coast by the Franciscan friars
as the most appropriate to this climate
as well as the most harmonious with the
surroundings, has been the ambition of
| those who love Riverside and desire to
Justify its claim to be 1.-The city beauti-
| full
Across the street from the Mission Inn,
| which is undoubtedly the most complete
| and perfect example OF that school, Is
the Carnegie Library. a building OF the
| half hidden In foliage.
| On the third corner 1t is proposed to
erect the federal building. Of harmonious
design. for which an appropriation of
$4,000 has been made by Congress.
The fourth corner will be occupied by
a city hall, to correspond, and it will
cost in the neighborhood Of 100000.
Adjoining the city hall the First Con-
II gregational Society will erect a church
in harmony with its surroundings after
| a design which may be termed Moorish
renaissance. 1t will cost hundred thou
sand dollars. and the funds have already
been subscribed by the congregation and
| generous friends who are regular winter
| visitors to Riverside.
Il In the rear of this church Is the new
| Young Mems Christian Association build
| Ing which is also in harmony and is con-