The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1920-05-07
NOT DESERT LAND
Lower California Has Much Fer
tile Soil.
Really Region OF Great Resources
That Only Await Development, Ae-
eordin1 to Writer in Los
Angeles Newspaper.

-
Lower California is an expansive
region that has never been well
known and has long been mlsunder-
stood. Even we of Upper California.
despite our close proximity, know
little Of the peninsula except it's ex-
IRENE northern part writes Arthur
Berg, in the Los Angeles Times. Few
of us realize that II is not an utterly
barren waste; that II is a tropical
country with a salubrious climate and
many regions Of luxuriant vegetation;
that its northern and southern parts
are utterly unlike one another, and
that rich resources abound that are
only waiting TO be developed
Despite its jagged, barren heights
and cactus-clad mesas, which glow In
the fiery rays of an unobscured sun,
II was land rich in history when
the timbers Of the Mayflower were yet
trees In the forest. Once sought and
guarded for her ores and her jewels,
this peninsula, which to the Spanish
cOnQuistadores was an island glitter
ing In the azure web of romance, a
land for which the padres gave their
lives in fanatic devotion to the cross,
now lies practically unnoticed, its ro-
nance and history forgotten, and Its
possibilities, IL not overlooked, at least
neglected.
Between 1927 and 1882 fernando
COrtez sent four expeditions on voy-
ages of discovery up the west coast
OF Mexico, but the first three accom-
pllshed nothing and the fourth failed
to return. Finally, in 1888, Lower
California was discovered by Kline
nez, who anchored in the bay of Santa
Cruz (now La Paz). Later Cortes
himself visited Santa Cruz and Sc
cured a quantity Of pearls and Indian
slaves. In 1899 Francisco de Ulloa
sailed up the Gulf of California and
discovered the mouth of the Colorado
river. In spite of this discovery,
Lower California was known as an
island for more than 100 years and APP
peared on European maps as an island .
up to as late as 174S.
All attempts of Spain to cOl0nize
the California peninsula ended in dis
astrous failures until the task was del
egated to the Jesuits, or Com
pany Of Jesus, in 1897. These Jesuit
missionary priests were possessed OF
the tact of the French explorers, the
persistency Of the English colonial set
tiers and the bravery of the American
frontlersman.
Padre Salvatierra made the first
mission settlement In Lower Cali
fornia on October Is, 1897. at the bay
of San Bruno, on the east coast. For
20 years thereafter the Jesuits con-
trolled the peninsula, and those 10
years represented the era of Lower
CALIFORNIA; greatest activity and
greatest prosperity.
During their sojourn the Jesults
charted the east coast, explored the
east and west coasts the islands ada
cent thereto and the interior in a
manner that has never been excelled;
founded % missions. of which IA
proved to be successful; formulated a
system Of mission life never thereafter
surpassed; not only instructed the In
dams In religious matters, but taught
them many useful arts as well; cul-
tivated and planted the arabic lands
and inaugurated a system Of irrigation
which. had they been given time for
more northerly advance, would have
given Upper California marvellous
agricultural development early in the
nineteenth century.
The establishment of the mission In
Upper California was much easier
task than that which the hardy
Jesuit priests faced and conquered In
Lower California.