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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 28, 1904)
Picturesque Spanish Ruins in California r ,T ...'.w1 .my?, l7V -..i, Xi-lP - ' . X -hUt r. -. -.s7 .gsCH".1 ':" rrr . rr- - Vi-rj mVrL.m .r i -- 'fi' - - fnmu, ...v...-rji TIIB MISSION BUILD INO FROM THE RUINED COUKT. SAN LUIS RET. 1IR nilmv H:iv of the elcrhteenth I century are being revived la h'riuiclHcuti monks have reap peared ut the ancient tnUwion of Ban l.uls Iley, fifty miles north ot 8a a Diego, u citadel of strength and a haven ot rest In the early days, itut for two enr atlons this mission has been almost en tirely deserted, until In recent years It has become a mere picturesque ruin, Its gray walls and arches crumbling, and its capa cious halls and lofty towers abandoned and llent a decaying monument of the former (lory of Spain's church and state. lietfinnlntf about the middle of the eight eenth century the Franciscans created a chain of these mission settlements, extend ing from Sun Diego, near the Mexican bor der, to Sonoma, north of San Francisco. They were located about one day's journey part, for the convenience of travelers, but this feature was only Incidental to the great spiritual, educational and economic worlc, which they did for California, be fore the tlmo of the American occupation. The mission fathers selected the most fertile spots in beautifully sheltered valleys for their settlements. Here they built their churches, founded their schools and established communities, which took firm, root upon the soil. Each community was made self-sufficient and self-sustaining. The useful arts and trades were taught and carried on. Within the shadow of the church, artisans and skilled workmen labored at their various tasks. Water was brought In Irrigation ditches from the near est stream flowing from the snow-capped Sierras, and field, orchard and garden, re claimed from the desert, yielded of their abundance. The Franciscans were the teachers of the Irrigation of the south west, and this la perhaps the deepest and most lasting mark which they left on Cali fornia's civilization. This new activity at San I.uls Rey has come as an entire surprise to the quiet neighborhood. Patriotic Americans have been engaged for some years past In an effort to preserve some of the old missions from further decay and even to restore them, to a certain extent. But thoso most familiar with this work did not dream that the Industrious followers of St. Francis would ever return to make practi cal use of the old landmarks. Kven now It is not known but that the movement Is to extend to other historic Kpots. However that may be, the gentle broth erhood has come buck to Ban Luis Rey. The old church has been repaired and aervlees aro again held beneath its ven erable roof. The clo' 'tors are being re built and the Irrigation aqueducts recon structed. The fields will be tilled ugaln and yield the same loyal support to the community. Tho leader In the movement Is Father O'Keefo, who enme unheralded from Mex ico and quietly set out upon the restora tion of the old landmark. Ills fellow-laborers are all members of tho Franciscan or der arid perform their heavy manual work In the brown cassocks that were familiar to generations now passed and forgotten. Father O'Keefe does not expect to revive the former economic life of the settlement In all Its amplitude. Much has happened Inoe his predecessors tolled and . taught and ruled In theie lovely southern valleys. Modern people have come with modem Im provements and there Is now no need of the paternal scheme which did so much for the simple population of the country a cen tury or more ago. Father O'Keefe's plan la to convert the old mission Into a self- S0'M ; .!4f A CEMENT LINED IRRIGATION DITCH. sustaining Franrlsan college. Thus the spiritual and educational work will live again, but the social and economic features will nut be restored, beyond what Is neces Bury to meet the necessities of the monks themselves. Tho mission fathers were the pioneers of European civilization among the coast hills of California. They supplied leadership and Instruction to those who were en gaged .in founding homes and wresting a living from the gaunt appearing desert. The work which they began must still be continued, and upon a vastly larger scale, but it has passed to other hands to the government of America and to an army of settlers who come from ull parts of tho world. The government Is supplying both the capital and the expert knowledge needed in this conquest of the desert. It Is laying the foundation of prosperity, pointing tho way, and Inviting the people to enter Into their heritage. While Its resources are far greater than those of the devoted missionaries who planted tho seed of California, Its spirit is much the same. It Is helping the people to help themselves. In one respect the mission fathers were better situated than I'ncle Sam. They could locate their settlements In the choic est spots without encountering the "sooner," the speculator or the land-grabber, who had anticipated them by filing on the property under preposterous land laws. The cream of the country was open to the real settler and homehulhler In those days. There will be many a new "mission" founded In California In the whole great west missions dedicated to In dustry, thrift and the satisfaction of that craving for homes upon the soil which Is a healthy American characteristic. Rut the future of these "missions" depends In Inrge measure upon the Intelligence of congress as a guardian and trustee of Its children who are to build up nnd occupy these productive lands, fader existing laws, speculators are taking up In single entries from four to eight times as much land as Is reasonably necessary for the support of a family. They are getting title to this land without living upon It for a day or an hour, since the laws do not require them to do so. While the richest agricultural lands are being rapidly ac quired for speculation and monopoly under one law, the splendid forests which clothe the western mountains are being consoli dated into great holdings, under another law, to be held iigalnst the needs of com ing generations. These things are nothing less than a crime against the children of tho Fnited States. And the lesson taught by the brown-robed Franciscan monks of San Luis Rey was one of lelpfulness and self-dependence, but not greed and rapacity. Will tbeir successor, the United States, teach the same lesson to Its children or. will It carelessly allow tho interloper to wrong fully profit at their expense? Congress has been asked to take some action on tho land laws of tho United States. It has failed or refused thus far to do so. If It recognizes public sentiment, It muBt no longer evade this Issue, of Importance to tho west and to the United States. Somethinft for Nothing If you want a practical Illustration of how giving something for nothing works, pick out one of your old college friends who's too strung to work, or it sixteenth cousin who's missed connections with the express to Fortune, and say: "You're a pretty good fellow and I want to help you. After this I'm going to send you IOi the first of every month until you've made n new start." He'll fairly sicken you with his thanks for that first JllH); hoi! call you his generous .bonefactur over three or four pages for the second; hoil send you a nice little half page note of thanks for the third; hoil wTlto, "Yours of the first with enclosure to hand thanks," for the fourth; hoil forget to acknowledge tho fifth, and when the sixth doesn't come promptly he'll wire, collect: "Why this delay In sending my check? Mall at onco." And oil this time ho won't have stirred a step In the direction of work, because hoil have rea soned, either consciously or unconsciously: "I can't get a Job that will pay me more than $100 a month to start with, but I'm already drawing f 100 without working; so what's the use?" But when a fellow can't get a free pass, and he has any sort of tuff In him, except what hoboes are made IS- v ' .i?'rni in ii ii ' iiii I PALMS NEAR SAN LUIS REY. of, he'll usually hustlo for his carfare rather than rldo through life on the bump ers of a freight. Saturday Evening Post. New Garbage Plan The city garbage In future may be con verted Into fuel having twice the number of heat units as soft coal if the proposition of the National Garbage Fuel company la considered favorably by the city council. The company is a new one. P. M. Harmon Is president nnd Samuel F. Knox treasurer. Tho offices are In the Masonic temple. A number of demonstrations have been held before prominent chemist's and sani tary experts. A test, which was pro nounced satisfactory, was held yesterday at tho Chlsholin, Boyd & Whlto company's plant, Fifty-first and Wallace streets. According to tho statement of President Harmon, tho garbage l made Into bricks of fuel weighing one pound each. It is smokeless and odorless when burned. The reducing plants, it is suld, will bo free from odor, also. The company proposes to save tho city a year. Chicago Tribune, Horrors Tho returned war correspondent was de scribing the terrlblo scenes on the battle field. "When we entered tho fort, we saw heaps of dead and wounded lying about. The sight was awful" "Oh, go ajid get a eputatlon!" exclaimed ' tho sporting editor. Then he began to tell al-out the automobile, race nnd the war correspondent blushed and finally skulked away, liko the beaten man that be Cleveland Leader.