Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-08-03

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EA Visit to the Missions of San
Deigo, and Glimpse of
ISss Mexico.
Dear Advertiser:
This afternoon I visited the mis-
sion San Juan Capistrano, place #
IIcrumbling walls and mellow dreams.
Its birthday is identical with that of
our country's freedom, the good
year of 1776. The old ever attracts
The more than the new. would
Rather see the old grey mission, a
skeleton whose form was once
Elpirifncely, with its walls in ruins,
Ethan palace whose mahogany pol
Iished furniture reflected light. 1t
marks an epoch in history; it stands
Ia memorial to faithful work, tryst-
ling place for all those who care to
come and mediate and be uplifted.
Il Almost every building that has
TASTED through the years has been
|pne planned with love of some one
|baek of it. The Tai Mahal, the most
Beautiful edifice in the world was
Eerected by the Indian ruler in mem
Eory of his wife; the early. small
Iwindowed buildings of Harvard were
made possible through the generos-
|ity of John Harvard, who loved the
youth of America. Churches are
eyer made for the worship of God.
The mission, the San Juan Capri
tsno was erected through the efforts
FPof the Spanish Fathers who loved
the Indians and were the means OF
their conversion. Along the dusty
Highways which lead from one mis-
sion to another walked the brown
hooded Padres with their flowing
robes about them and their stout
sticks, teaching and preaching.
There are twenty-one missions
along the coast of California from
San Francisco, south, each a day
apart, when the traveller is rid
ing on horseback, in those days in
deed q luxurious means of trans
portation. Along the highways
travelled by these early priests have
Been placed bells bearing the words
ssEl Canine Real" meaning the
Kings Highway.
Tin 1872 during mass an earth
quake destroyed a great part of the
mission and killed many worshippers.
Otherwise it would surely have been
standing to this day, since its struc-
ture was very secure, being made of
boulders, adobe, sandstone, wood,
iron, etc., all crude but skillfully
erected by the Indians under the
supervision of the franciscan Faith
ers.
The Indians were taught in the
missions and there assembled they
depended on their teachers for sus-
tenance. Sometimes as many as
eleven hundred Indians were fed at
one time. They lived in small adobe
houses assembled around the plaza.
The mission was wonderfully plan
ned, being a sort of community
house and church for worship and
study. There were shops for crafts
men, store houses, rooms for the
Padres and guests.
The guides who took me through
were both Mexican boys who SEEM
ed peculiarly reverential and were
informed about all the antique re-
mains of the historic place.
The grey arched walls and musty
buildings surround a huge court,
gay with red geraniums that seem
living symbol of the colorful ro-
nance that always surround a land
where the Indians and the Spaniard
left their traditions-where the sun
always shines and the palm trees
fold their broad leaves.
The early fathers were character
lied by their knowledge, for religion
must ever be the light which de-
stroys ignorance and superstition.
The museum shows the remaining
volumes, yellow with age and of. in
terest only to those who can read
Spanish and Latin.
The missions are now only show
places, uses of modern civilization
having made them unnecessary and
impractical, but they are none the
L.,