San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-21

| for Alarcon had settled soldier fami-
lies in Ills, Father Espinosa in 1922,
while there is still third claim Of
settlers as carly as 1I1J. In view of
| these facts the Islanders did not nave
the exclusive right to be called the first
settlers. They. however, insisted on
| calling themselves such and referred
as to the others as agragedos.
The Islanders were naturally rtoud.
fond of using high sounding titles and
,quarrelsome. And with all these faults
they had little or no education. for
very few of them were able to read or
write. This can be gathered from tie
fact that many OF the early documents
were signed by someone else By re-
quest of the writer. Their Qul";:l-
| some disposition can be seen in their
numerous ltigations and complain 8.
As early as 1888 we find them quar-
reling about the exact limits of their
respective grants. There were con
tinuois disputes between the settlers
themselves. between the cabildo and the
governor. between the settlers and :he
missionaries, and, lastly, between the
cabildo and the missionaries. The
result was an endles.: number of litlga-
tons which served only TO embroil the
government and delay the execution OF
important matters.
The standing at home seems TO have
been humble. for the. Islanders refer
10 their previous occupations common
" as labradores, farmers. which means
only a small farmer. There are many
evidences in their writings of their low
origin such as their lack of education.
their petulance and their inordin ite
pride. The paternal attitude assumed
BY the government did not induce them
to any great activity. Iris not strlnga.
therefore that they should have acquired
lazy habits. They became dependent
to a large extent on the military estab-
lishment for their main source of rev.
cnue from the very first as result
of the orders of the government order
ing the captains to buy their supplies
from the settlers at the current market
prices. The Caballero de Croix refers
to them in the following terms: AL
of the inhabitants live m!serably b.
cause of their la=ineSs. captiousneSs
and lack of means of subsistence.
which defects show themselves at iirSt
sight. so that little time is necessary
to know them"
Prohibits Leaving Settlements.
The Spanish government seems tn
have been anxious to prevent the lS,'
anders from leaving the settlement. tn
December 81. 1871. Cass Puerto, tine
yiceroy. issued n proclamation p:o'
/, hibiting them from leaving the prov
ince of Texas under any pretext. ms
was decidedly a discrimination against
the early settlers and they resented it
bitterly. for il worked hardship upon
| nAhn. cntt1arS free 10
go and come as they pleased.
1'be greatest work for the extern
sion of the Spanish influence was done,
without doubt, by the missionaries.
Ont of the five missions established in
San Antonio by 1871. four were under
the administration OF the Franciscan
college of Oueretaro. while one. San
Jose, was administered by the Fran
ciscans of Iacatecas. When the hard
shins and disadvantages under which
, the missionaries worked are considered.
the results OF their labors are almost
, incredible. The baptismal records
, show that over seven hundred Indians
| had been baptized between 1140 and
1T4J. in the four Queretarian missions
lThese records also disclose the variety
of tribes that had come under the IN
fluence of the missionaries and clearly
show the great activity OF the priests
I Frequent visits were made to the trIDcS
. | in an effort to bring new converts. and
, the circle os influence was constantly
widened. 1t must be remembered that
/, MANY of the mission Indians easily be
came dissatisfied with their new mode
of living and ran away. often wnolS
tribes suddenly left the missions and
, the padres had. TO make long and tire
some Journey in an effort to bring
them back. The character of the Tex
MS Indians was very different from
/. that of those infhe interior of Mexico
and the missionaries had a much great
, or task to accomplish.
Padres DO Great Work.
The progress made by the middle oil
the eighteenth century in the San An
tonic missions. nevertheless, was mar
; yelous. By 174J, all had good irriga'
, | tion bitches and raised maize. beans
, melons. sweet potatoes. and other vege'
, tables: cotton was raised regularly IN
Talcro and in Espada missions. In
thc ranches of the four Quaretarar
, missions there was n totsl of over nino
thousand head of horses. sheep and
roats. and in Nalero they had spinning
. and weaving shops. The mission,
, were. in a large sense, industrial
, schools where the Indians were taught
the essential arts of civilized life al
tbe same time that they were given
, sniritnal instruction. The work was
| done bv one or two padres in each ms,
, sion without other assistance than maj
. Of n few soldiers of very mediocre aDil
| ity. When one considers the fact tna'
, in 171j. there were $50 Indians in the
missions. the industry of the padres II
: attending to their spiritual ana ma
ter;al needs can be appreciated.
On May s. 1744, the cornerstone, o,
| n store and mortar church was lad II
! the mission of Nalero. This was tnt
, beginning of the mission church which
later became known as the Alamo. l,
received its name from the fact thai
o troops consisting of regiment IRON
, Alamo de Parras was stationed there
The role which this old chapel playe,n
, in the later history OF Texas is wei
/ known. 4.
, San Antonio was no execution &c
: other Spanish frontier establishments
!. ! in the quarrels between the Inissl9r
/, authorities and the secular otflcla,s
. The chief causes of discord were tht
. mission guards. Indian labor, ant
lands. All three furnished ample
grounds for disagreement. The COVER
nor was supposed to furnish the mis-
! sions with a guard of from to TO five
, soldiers to help the missionaries
+. in supervising the work of th'
Indians. and capturing the runaways
: 'rbo failure 10 furnish guards. the i'll