Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1913-05-24
SAN FRANCISCO
FOUNDED IN ITS
Date Revealed by Search Of
an Old Document.
WRITTEN BY SPANISH PADRE

Deeiphered by University Of California
Professor, Ancient Manuscript Shows
That Golden Gate City Was Estsb-
Iished Four Months Before lndePend-
enos Was Declared
In the time stained pages of an old
ecclesiastical Spanish document just
deciphered by Professor Frederick G..
Teggart of the University Of California
is told the story of the founding of san
Francisco on March 81, 1776, four
months before the Declaration of indie
pendence was signed at Philadelphia.
The narrative thus translated is that
of Padre Pedro Font, the first apostle
to the Indians of San Francisco PENN
sula. 1t came into the possession of
the Academy OF Pacific Coast History
at the state university IN tile Robert
H. Cowan collection, presented by Col
lis p. Huntington.
1t begins at the preside Of San Mi
guel de Horcasitas, in Sonora, Mexico,
where white men had built their towns
before the pilgrim fathers landed on
the Atlantic COAST At that pueblo Don
Juan Bputlsta de ANA organized bis
expedition Padre Font was the mis-
slonary member, The first day the
Journey was only. three miles, for most
of the time. was given over to singing
a mass to the blessed Virgin of Guada-
slune and packing the mules.
III Isate in. the afternoon the party set
forth-sodiers. muleteerss wives of the
soldiers, Indian guides. Padra Font
and the stout hearted conquistador,
Captain de ANA. The start was made
in September, 1775. The march lay
across stretch Of wild country--a re-
gion as vast as from San Francisco TO
I'll Pasc, or from Washington to New
Orleans.
HospitabIe indians.
At the mission Of San Xavier del
Bac, southern Arizona, the explorers
passed the last or hiost'nortlsern Chris
tian settlement The country of the
sApaehesr was hazardous but north Of
tliat the Indians We're hospitanles and
kind These friends of the white men
were all foes of the Apaches, and they
came to the camp. kneeling before
Padre Font for baptism, while Apache
schlps dangled from their gear li Il
Proudly, these natives showed the
Spaniards their Casa Grande de Mon
tczuina," a great stone edifee built,
Father Font writes, some 500 years be
fore with timbers brought seyenty-fye
miles and cooled by water conveyed in
condults from the distant river Ss
At Yuma the expedition founded q
Christian settlement, leaving two
priests to minister TO 5000 Indians.
These two padres were named Garces
and Tomas. They viii be written in
history one day as the fathers of Yuma.
Having trafiicked at Yuma with the
Indians, giving beads for provisions,
Captain de ANA led his party on
across what is now Imperial county
This was desperate leg of the
march. Once the cattle stampeded in
the desert and ran back to water
hole. Another time the party We're
snowbound and suffered intensely
Christmas day they halted all day ''for
the reason" writes the chroniclsr.
that on this holy night Of the Nativ-
ity the wife of soldier happily gave
birth TO a sen and because the weather
was very raw and foggy."
And when few days later the party
camped near the rocks of San Carlos
pass, at almost the summit of the ST.
ezra Madre, an earthquake came, 'ac-
companied by an instantaneous and
loud Noise"
Reaching Mission San Gabriel, the
commander learned of the massacre Of
the white men at San Diego, where Fa-
Their Luis Jamie had been murdered.
Captain de ANA and Padre Font took
twenty men and went as punitive ex-
petition. From a blabbing old woman
they learned the story of the murder,
They took thirteen prisoners and drove
the revolving Mission Indians into the
mountains.
Six soldiers were then sent with let
tei.s to Sonora. The party thus reduc-
ed was harassed few days later when,
on returning to San Gabriel, a mus
keteer deserted, taking four servants
and muleteers and thirty animals and
loot He had to be chased over the
mountains into the desert before he
was taken.
Al the Golden Gate.
March 2T, 177G the party reached the
Golden Gate. made camp, and there
the settlers were left to found San
Francisco. The holy cross was erected
ION the extremity OF the white cliff at
the inner point Of the entrance to the
ha rho,