The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-05-03
SAN FRANCISCO'S
BIRTHDAY WAS
MARCH 27,l776
So 1t Is Learned From Nara.
tive of Spanish Padre Who
Was Present
MUSTY OLD DOCUMENT
RECENTLY DEClPHERED
Work of Prof. Frederick {. Teg-
CART, Opens a New Page
of Western History

SAN FRANCISCO.-ln the time
stained pages Of an old ecclesiastical
Spanish document. recently decipher-
ed by Prof. Frederick &. Teggart, or
the University of California, is told
the story OF the founding OF San Fran
cisco on March q, 1916, four months
before the Declaration OF Independ
encc was signed at Philadelphia.
The narrative thus translated is that
az Padre Pedro Font. the first apostle
10 the Indians OF San Francisco PENN
snla. II came into the possession or
the Academy of Pacific Coast History
at the State university In the Robert
+. Cowan collection, presented by
Coils p Huntington. II is a tale OF
adventure and Of strange human inter
est
II begins at the preside OF San Mi
guel de Hoscasitas, In Sonora. Mex,
where white men had built their
towns before the Pilgrim fathers
landed on the Atlantic coast. At that
pueblo Don Juan Bautista dc ANA or
ganized his expedition Padre Font
was the missionary member. The
first day the Journey was only three
miles, for most of the time was given
over 10 singing mass TO the Blessed
Virgin of Guadalupe, and packing the
mules. Late in the afternoon the par
" Get forth--soldiers. muleteers, wives
OF the soldiers. Indian guides. Padre
Font and the stout-hearted conquista-
dor, Capt de ANA. The start was
made In September, 1775. The march
lay across stretch Of wild country
a'rcgion as vast as from San Francis
co 10 FL Paso, or from Washington
10 New Orleans.
,At the mission OF San Xavier del
Fac. Southern Arizona, the explorers
passed the last or most northern.
Christian settlement The country OF
the Araches was hazardous, bpt north
OF that the Indians were hospitahle
end kind These friends Of the white
men were all foes Of the Apaches: and
they came 10 the camp, kneeling be-
fore Padre Font for baptism. while
Apache scalps dangled from their
gear. Proudly these natives showed
the Spaniards their Casa Grande de
Montezuma." great stone edifice
luilt. Father Font writes. some 500
Years before. with timbers brought -
miles. and cooled by water conveyed
in conduits from the distant river.
At Yuma the expedition founded
Christian settlement, leaving two
priests TO minister TO 5000 Indians
I hese two padres were named Garces
and Tomas. They will be written In
history one day as the fathers OF
Yuma Having trafficked at Yuma
with the Indians, giving beads for pro-
visions, Capt de ANA led his party
on across what is now Imperial
county.
This was a desperate leg OF the
march Once fte cattle stampeded in
the desert and ran back TO q water
hole. Another time the party was
snowbound and suffered intensely.
Christmas Day they halted all day for
the reason" writes the chronicler
that on this holy night OF the Nativ-
;ty the wife OF a soldier happily gave
birth 10. IA son, and because the wealth
er was very raw and foggy." And
when few DAYS later the party camp.
ed near the rocks of San Carlos Pass
at almost the summit OF the Sierra
Madre an earthquake came. accom-
panied by IN instantaneous and loud
noise"
Reaching Mission San Gabriel. the
commander learned OF the massacre
OF the white men al San Diego, where
Father Luis Jaime had been murder
cd. Capt. de ANA and Padre Font took
twenty men and went as a punitive en-
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
ters to Sonora. The party thus reduc-
Cd was harassed n few days later
when, on returning TO San Gabriel,
musketeer deserted. taking four ser
wants and muletecrs and thirty AMI
mails and loot. He had to be chased
over the mountains into the desert be-
fore he was taken.
At the Golden Gate.
March 81. 1876. the party reached
the Golden Gate. made camp. and
t!ere 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 harbor." There De
ANA planned fort, commanding the
entrance to the harbor with musket
fire. Leaving the settlers, De ANA
End his troop returned. exploring 10
the east Of the peninsula. finding the
then unknown San Joaquin river. ana
returning finally to Yuma, where they
learned that Father Carccs was miss
Ing He had gone away TO find an en-
trance into New Nexico. Whether he
bad succeeded or been slain bv In
dams or died Of his ailments Padre
Font did not know. Padre Font and
the others got safely back TO Sonora
Hehths,-aff -tt-tife mission
or Ures was inscribed the ,hronicle