Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 January 1912 — OLD MISSIONS OF CALIFORNLA [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OLD MISSIONS OF CALIFORNLA

THE recent celebration of the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Santa Barbara mission, when thousands ot. people from every city in the state participated in the services, is evidence that California has awakened to the necessity of preserving these rapidly decaying memorials of her early history. Italy has its ruins, its coliseum and its Forum; Germany its ancient castles that hide among the crags of the Rhine; France; Its beautiful chateaux of Touraine and Normandy; and Spain, its slumbering Alhambra, whose fountains have long since ceased to flow. With equal pride California points to the ruins of its Spanish Missions. True, they cannot boast of great antiquity, neither do they tell of nations fought and conquered; their tale is of the heroic deeds of noble men, who yielded fame and fortune and sometimes life itself for the glorification of God in the then heathen land. There lies about these ruins an air of subdued solemnity; the effect upon the mind of the beholder Is elevating. There come before one visions of the patient plodding padre, tolling on from year to year, unmindful of his disappointments and deprivations—preaching, baptizing, confirming, anointing, and when at last his earthly toil was ended, here he laid him down amid the scenes of his labors, far from his kith and kin, and the land of his birth. These crumbling walls that enclose his sepulchre are mute monuments to his greatness. Strange as it may seem in modern days, California owes its place in the North American Union of states to Spain and the Franciscan mission fathers. It had always been the intention of Spain to colonize Alta or Higher California, but the pressure of events elsewhere had prevented. About 1760 the slow but steady progress southward , of the Russians, who had already established themselves In Alaska, brought the Spanish king to a decision to send out his colonizers and missionaries. California became

a province of the republic of Mexico, when the latter severed her relations with Spain, and was seized by the United States in the Mexican war of 1840, finally becoming an integral part 6f the United States territory. Two years afterward gold was discovered. Had the Russians gained a foothold in California —they did penetrate within a few miles of San Francisco—prior to the Spanish Franciscans, it is scarcely possible that they would have relinquished the natural advantages afforded by so remarkable a base of supplies few* their Alaskan colonies; Had Russia owned or controlled California when gold was discovered, the territory would never have been given up, for the United States has had no occasion to go to war with Russia. This interesting possibility of history gives a new interest and a greater Importance to the deeds and progress of the founders of the California missions. It was at this critical time that the most extensive proscription In European history took place. Charles 111. “Most Catholic King,” who had been apparently friendly to the Jesuits, suddenly, and without any reason which he was willing to give to the world—it never was given and to this day is unknown —completely turned- against them and banished them from the Spanish dominions. The members of the order, who had established and were in charge of the missions in Lower California, shared the common fate and their places were taken by

Franciscans, under the direction ot Father Junlpero Serra—a name revered in the Golden State. The first step toward the colonlza tion of Alta California was taken When Don Jose Galvez, a tried and trusted crown official, who had superintended the change of missionaries in Lower California, received imperative orders to “occupy and fortify San Diego and Monterey in the name of God and the king of Spain.” Galvez was full of enthusiasm, having good sense, great executive ability, consid-. erable foresight, untiring energy, and decided contempt for all routine formalities. He began Ms work with a truly western vigor. To insure that the spiritual part of the work might be as carefully planned as the politl cal, Galvez fully discussed the whole project with Father Serra—a man who was to leave his powerful impress upon the new country to which he journeyed with so much fiery zeal and religious enthusiasm. Yet Serra was practical and possessed of a wide clear vision and remarkable judgment. His gift of preaching, his scholarly attainments, marked him for high preferment in Europe, but he turned willingly aside from the path of fame and honor, and pleaded to be’-sent where toil, and danger, and perhaps a horrible death, awaited him. lue story of his life is part of the early history of the state, and his name is still uttered as that of one whose acUevements have made him immortal. “I have placed my faith in God, and trust in his goodness to plant the holy cross, not-only in San Diego, but even as far as Monterey" were the memorable words of this saintly hero when he planted the first cross in American California, and his faith was so amply rewarded that he had the happiness of, erecting eight missions before his death. The combination of fervor and enthusiasm, power and sense, produced rapid results. Most of the chain of missions, from San Diego through Monterey to the Golden Gate, were established In the last 30 years of the 18th century. After the founding of San Diego, the mission of San Canos, near Monterey, was founded in 1770; those of San Gabriel and San Antonio in 1771; San Luis Obispo in 1772; San Francisco and San Juan Capistrano in 1776; Santa Clara In 1777; San Buena Ventww fa-17821 Sanfa. Barbara in 1786; La Purislma Concepcion in 1787; La Soledad in 1791; San Fernando, San Miguel, San Juan Bautista, Santa Crus and San Jose fa 1797; San Luis Rey fa 1798; Santa Inez in 1804; San Rafael tn 1817, and San Francisco Solano in 1823. Th 3 last, established at Sonoma, was the most northern, and the only one founded under the Mexican dominion. Much has been done toward the preservation of the old missions and much remains to be done.

Monterey Cathedral.