The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-09-02
LEROY ARMSTRONG
TELLS OF DANCES

| NoNatil lOuUu III pieces OI puUllc enter
talnment and just across the stree
from the old San Gabriel mission, whiel
still is used for its original purpose
and which is in itself, and with no de
pendence on the play, very interest
ing place indeed. But the whole thing
play and MISSIONS at Alhambra
twenty miles fIom Los Angeles AnC
yet that big auditorium was yesterday
filled with people. Many of them were
tourists, but there we're Los Angeles
people. The manager told US when the
play was ended that his audience yes.
terday was representative in size and
character of the daily attendance.
They give two performances daily
through about six months of each year.
They have colony for actors. who for
the most part are Spaniards or Mexi.
cans, and Indians. They have many
articles of historic value connected with
the old missions; some of them pecu-
llarly precious because of their church
association. TAKEN altogether, | have
not known an afternoon of richer ex-
periences in years.
What is it all about? Well, listen,
and you shall hear, as the author of
Paul Revere" said IN his poem.
The first mission in what is now Cal
lfornia seems to have been at San
Diego. There in 1863, at the very out
post Of Spanish and Mexican frontier
ism, the priest Junipero Sierra insisted
on holding the place in spite of the des-
tltution and hardships inevitable, and
his purpose was to convert the heather
Indians. The soldiers who shared the
mission with him did not agree to his
plan. and, having explored the country
to the north, and failed to find Mon
terey, where all had hoped to establish
another city, the order was given to
go abroad their waiting ship and return
to Mexico. The priest prevailed on
them to wait one more day, and when
they refused. he prayed for that help
which man could not give, and there
around the headland he saw sail toward
them a great ship. 1t brought prov-
sions and reinforcements.
The campaign for the establishment
of missions was renewed, the Indians
were converted, and in thes6alf century
following twenty-one missions were es-
tablshed in California. With them
went a sort of settlement by Mexicans,
the reclaiming of land, the accumula-
tiOn of riches in the shape of cattle
and sheep. and even the discovery of
gold and silver. All this until Mexico
became independent of Spain, and
equally Indifferent to the church. Then
the missions crumbled, and at the time
of the American occupation only six
remained.
At least we have not the destruction
of the missions on our national con-
science. Their abandonment resulted
from the habit Mexican political chiefs
thus early had of levying tribute
wherever they found property. They
robbed the missions because the priests
would not fight, and left the estates
because the grantees would not fight,
and made it point to keep enough
fighting men about them to protect
their property from the raids of the
The Mission Play is divided into
three acts. The first, as | have indi-
Gated, tells of the turning point at San
Diego in 1863. The significant incident
of that act, dramatically considered, is
the baptism of the first Indian child in
California. And when the mother and
father saw the holy water laid upon
that infantile brow, they screamed
their angry protests, snatched their
child, and fled. with all the timorous
tribe that followed them pressing hot
on their trail.
The second act shows the missions at
their point of greatest development.
Junipero, now president of their order
in California, holds meeting in 1884,
at which he receives reports from pad
res assigned to the several missions to
the north, and they tell of the number
Of converts, of the vastly bettered con-
1ition of the Indians, and of the mis-
slons possession of tiocks and herds.s
Following Ethe report there is a pro-
session of Indians exhibiting the fruits
Of their industry, They pass before
the priests proudly displaying baskets,
ropes, horseshoes, wicker and earthen
vessels, fabrics, dressed leather, and
variety Of products, all proving indus |
Try and skill, as well, | imagine, as a
miracle of patient teaching. Then
comes the social diversion in the shape
II music by Indians and Mexicans, with |
a variety of instruments.
| forgot to say in its proper place,
hat the "show" began with dance |
ly native Indians in their racial cos. /
.umes, which was slightly less than
would now be tolerated on the streets
II Hood River. 1t was grotesque, of
course, but it properly marked the be-
the initial position of race
whose development was later to be ex-
pressed by the evidences of civilization.
The third and last act showed typi-
'al mission in typical condition of de-
ay. The cattle had been driven away
~ the soldiers in obedienc to the polt-
cal rulers. The orchards and gardens
lad been stripped and neglected, and
he one resident was the caretaker,
IN Indian. He declares he is the one
Who, as an infant, was the first native
hid of California to be baptised in
he church, The year is lS47; and in
conversation with seGOrita from one
4 the nearby rancherOs he speaks of
he. coming Americanos, a race hefdoes
'ot like because they have a very diff
ult language, and habits of hurrying
nd hard work which are unwelcome to
ative tastes.
And the curtain goes down to the
ote of great sadness. 1t is the burial
1 priest, the victim of destitution.
I is not a.pleasant ending, but it prob
bly, is true. II is more pleasant to re-
member that the missions have pros
ered somewhat since the American
occupancy, and that the land of Cali
ornia has become richer and more
plendld because of that occupancy than
|. ever could have been under the rule
I the Castilian.
But what moves me to write, espe-
tally, is that second act. Among the
atlve entertainments we're a number
I dances. In addition to that of the
indians, were waltzes and square
ances by Mexican men and women,
nd they were very beautiful. There
'as a dance by one man and one wo-
ian, and the genuine old fandango by
woman alone. The last | didn't care
or very much. | have seen it a good
lany times, and il never appealed to