USA > California > Tulare County > History of Tulare County, California with biographical sketches > Part 4
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Nor did the hewing lack in skill and accuracy, as you can
*An extended history of these missions will be found in the " History of San Benito County," by Elliott & Co.
27
DESCRIPTION OF THE MISSION CHURCHES.
also see, and the solid adobe walls, you can measure thein, and you will find them to be five feet thick. It took often several years to build a church. And so life at the mission began in earnest. Other buildings were erected as they came to be needed.
MISSION DAILY LIFE.
The daily routine at all the missions was very much alike and was about as follows :-
They rose at sunrise and proceeded to the church, to attend morning prayers. Breakfast followed. Then the day's work.
Towards noon they returned to the mission and passed the time till two o'clock in the afternoon, between dinner and repose.
After that hour they resumed work and continued it till about sunset. Then all betook themselves to the church for evening devotions, and then to supper.
After supper came amusements till the hour for retiring.
Their dict consisted of beef and mutton, with vegetables in the season. Wheaten cakes and puddings or porridge, called atole and pinole, formed a portion of the repast.
Government Order No. 6, issued from Monterey July 20, 1798, is "to cause the arrest of Jose Arriola, and send him, under guard, so that he be at this place during the coming Sunday, from there to go to Santa Barbara, there to comply with his promise he made a young woman of that place to marry her."
The records do not inform us whether Jose fulfilled his agreement with the young lady or not !
Extract from a letter dated Monterey, June 3, 1799 :- * *
* "I send you by the wife of the pensioner, Josef Brabo, one piece of cotton goods and one ounce of sewing
VIEW OF MISSION BUILDINGS AT SAN JUAN.
The dress was, for the males, linen shirt, trousers, and a blanket. The women had each two undergarments a year, a gown and a blanket.
What a dreamy secluded life it must have been, with com- munication with the outer world only at intervals.
LAWS FOR THE COLONISTS.
We make the following extracts from laws sent the colonists and bearing date Monterey, March 23, 1816 ;-
" All persons must attend mass, and respond in a loud voice, and if any person should fail to do so, without good cause, they will be put in the stocks for three hours."
"Living in adultery, gaming and drunkenness will not be allowed, and he who commits such vices shall be punished."
Another order required every colonist to possess "two yoke of oxen, two plows, two points or plowshares (sce engraving of plow), two hoes for tilling the ground, and they must pro- vide themselves with six hens and one cock."
silk. There are no combs, and I have no hope of receiving any for three years.
HERMENEGILDO SAL, " Military Governor."
Just think of the colonists being without combs for three years !
DESCRIPTION OF MISSION CONVERTS.
Captain Beechey, in 1826, visited the missions, and says :- "If any of the captured Indians show a repugnance to con- version, it is the practice to imprison them for a few days, and then allow them to breathe a little fresh air in a walk around the missions, to observe the happy mnode of life of their con verted countrymen; after which they are again shut up, and thus continue incarcerated until they declare their readiness to renounce the religion of their fathers."
" In the aisles and passages of the church, zealous beadles of the converted racc are stationed, armed with sundry weapons of potent influence in effecting silence and attention, and which
28
DECLINE OF THE VARIOUS MISSIONS.
are not sparingly used on the refractory. . These consist of sticks and whips, long goads, etc., and they are not idle in the hands of the officials."
"Sometimes they brcak their bonds and escape into their original haunts. When brought back to the inission he is always flogged and then has an iron clog attached to one of his legs, which has the effect of preventing his running away and marking him out in terrorem to others." Notwithstand- ing this dark picture, it must not be imagined that life was one of much hardship, or that they even thought so.
THE FIRST INDIAN BAPTISM.
1770 .- Of those who came oftenest among them at San Diego, was an Indian about fifteen years of age, who was at last induced to eat whatever was given him without fear. Father Junipero had a desire to teach him, and after under- standing a little of the language he desired him to try and bring some little one for baptism. He was told to tell the parents that by allowing a little water to be put on the head the child would become a son of God, be clothed and become equal to the Spaniards. He returned with several Indians, one of whom brought the child for baptism. Full of joy the child was clothed, and the venerable priest ordered the soldiers to attend this first baptism. The ceremony proceeded, and as the water was about to be poured the Indians suddenly snatched away the child and made off in great haste, leaving the father in amazement, with the water in his hands unused.
It was not, however, until the 26th of December, 1770, that the first baptism of the Indians was celebrated at Monterey, which turned out better than the first attempt at San Diego. But at the end of three years only 175 were baptized, showing that the Indians received civilization slowly.
MISSION OF SAN FRANCISCO.
1776 .- On September 17, 1776, the presidio and mission of San Francisco were founded, on what was then the extreme boundary of California, the former in a manner being a front- ier command, having a jurisdiction which extended to the farthest limits of Spanish discovery.
In its early day the whole military force in Upper California did not number more than from two to three hundred men, divided between the four presidios of San [Diego, Santa Bar- bara, Monterey, and San Francisco, while there were but two towns or pueblos, Los Angeles and San Jose.
When Junipero Serra and his band of missionaries entered Upper California from the lower territory, they brought with them a number of horses, mules, and cattle, wherewith to stock the proposed missions. These were duly distributed, and in time asses, sheep, goats, and swine were added.
RICH MEN OF 1793.
1793 .- An inventory of the rich men of the presidio of San Francisco, bearing date 1793, was discovered some years since,
showing that the entire number of stock owned by fourteen wealthy Spaniards, was 115 cattle, 298 sheep and 17 mares.
These are the men who laid the foundation of these immense hordes of cattle which were wont to roam about the entire State, and who were the fathers of those whom we now term native Californians.
As year succeeded year so did their stock increase.
They recieved tracts of land " almost for the asking."
Vast bands of cattle roamed about at will over the plains and among the mountains. Once a year these had to be driven in and rodeod, i. e., branded, a work of considerable danger, and one requiring much nerve. The occasion of rodeoing, how- ever, was the signal for a feast; a large beevc would be slaugh- tered, and all would make merry until it was consumed. The rule or law concerning branded cattle in those carly days was very strict.
If any one was known to have branded his neighbor's cattle with his own mark, common usage called upon him to return in kind fourfold.
Not only did this apply to cattle alone, but to all other kinds of live-stock.
TABLE SHOWING NUMBER OF MISSION INDIANS BETWEEN 1802 AND 1822.
NAME OF MISSION.
BAPTIZED.
MARRIED.
DIED.
EXISTING.
San Diego. .
5,452
1,460
3,186
1,696
San Luis Rey
4,024
922
1,507
2,663
San Juan Capistrano.
3,879
1,026
2,531
1,052
Santa Catarina. .
6,906
1,638
4,635
1,593
San Fernando.
2,519
709
1,505
1,001
San Gabriel .
3,608
973
2,608
973
Santa Barbara.
4,917
1,288
3,224
1,010
San Buenaventura. .
1,195
330
896
582
Purissima Conception
3,100
919
2,173
764
San Luis Obispo. .
2,562
715
1,954
467
San Miguel
2,205
632
1,336
926
San Antonio de Padua
4,119
1,037
317
834
Our Lady of Soledad ..
1,932
584
1,333
532
San Carlos.
3,267
912
2,432
341
San Juan Bautista ..
3,270
823
1,853
1,222
Santa Cruz ..
2,136
718
1,541
499
Santa Clara
7,324
2,056
6,565
1,394
San Jose.
4,573
1,376
2.933
1,620
San Francisco
6,804
2,050
5,202
958
San Rafael
829
244
183
830
Totals
74,621 20,412 47,925 20,958
DECLINE OF THE MISSIONS.
1803 .- In this year one of the missions had become the scene of a revolt; and earlier still, as we learn from an unpub- lished correspondence of the fathers, it was not unusual for some of the converted Indians to abandon the missions and return to their former wandering life. It was customary on those occasions to pursue the deserters, and compel them to return.
1813 .- The extinction of the missions was decrced by act of the Spanish Cortez in 1813, and again in 1828; also, by the
FARM RESIDENCE OF W.J.NEWPORT. 3 MILES' N. E. OF GRANGEVILLE. TULARE CO. CAL.
RANCH AND RESIDENCE OF JOHN H. SHORE. NEAR LEMOORE, TULARE CO. CAL.
P
29
SECULARIZATION OF THE MISSIONS.
Mexican Congress in 1833. Year after year they were despoiled of their property, until their final overthrow in 1845.
Each successive revolution in Mexico had recourse to the rich California missions for plunder.
In 1813, when the contest for national independence was being waged on Mexican territory, Spain resolved upon dis- pensing with the services of the fathers, by placing the mis- sions in the hands of the secular clergy. The professed object of this secularization scheme was, indeed, the welfare of the Indians and colonists; but how little this accorded with the real intentions of the Government, is seen from the seventh section of the decree passed by the cortes, wherein it is stated that one-half of the land was to be hypothecated for the pay- ment of the national debt. This decree of the Government was not carried out at the time, yet it had its effect on the state and well-being of the missions in general.
REIGN OF DISORDER
BEGINS.
1826 .- In 1826 in- structions were for- warded by the Fed- eral Government to the authorities of Cal- ifornia for the liber- ationof the Indians. This was followed a few years later by an- other Act of the Leg- islature, ordering the whole of the missions to be secularized and the religious to with- draw. The ostensible object assigned by the authors of this measure, was the execu- tion of the original plan formed by the Government. The missions, it was alleged, were never intended to be permanent establishments.
MISSION CHURCH AND BUILDINGS AT SONOMA.
Meantime, the internal state of the missions was becoming more and more complex and disordered. The desertions were more frequent and numerous, the hostilities of the unconverted more daring, and the general disposition of the people inclined to revolt. American traders and freebooters had entered the country, spread themselves all over the province, and sowed the seeds of discord and revolt among the inhabitants. Many of the more reckless and evil-minded readily listened to their suggestions, adopted their counsels, and broke out into open hostilities.
In 1802, when Humboldt visited California, he estimated the whole population of the upper country as follows: Converted Indians, 15,562; whites and . mulattoes, 1,300; total, 66,862. Wild Indians, or bestias (beasts), as they were called, were
quite numerous, but being unbaptized were considered beneath the notice of reasonable beings.
ATTACKS ON SEVERAL MISSIONS.
Their hostile attack was first directed against the mission of Santa Cruz, which was captured and plundered, when they directed their course to Monterey, and, in common with their American friends, attacked and plundered that place. From these and other like occurrences, it was clear that the condition of the missions was one of the greatest peril. The spirit of discord had spread among the people, hostility to the authority of the fathers had become common, while desertion from the villages was of frequent and almost constant occurrence.
SECULARIZATION OF THE MISSIONS.
1833 .- The Mexican Congress passed a bill to secularize the missions in Upper and Lower California, August 17, 1833. This took away from the friars the control of the mission prop- erty, placing it in charge of administra- tors; it gave the civil officers predominance over the priestly class. The President of the Republic issued his instructions to Gov- ernor Figueroa, of California, who in turn, August 9, 1834, issued a decree that in August, 1835, ten of the missions would be converted into pueblos or towns. A portion of the mission property was then divided among the resident Indians, and the decree issued for the liberation of all the Indians was immedi- ately put in force. The dispersion and demoralization of the people were the immediate results. Released from all restraint, the Indians proved idle, shiftless, and dissipated, wholly incap- able of self-control, and a nuisance both to themselves and to every one with whom they came in contact. Within eight years after the execution of the decree, the number of Chris- tains diminished from 30,650 to 4,450 !
A REVIEW OF THE MISSIONS.
At the end of sixty-five years, Hon. John W. Dwinelle tells us, in Centennial Memoirs, page 89, that the missionaries of Upper California found themselves in possession of twenty-one prosperous missions, planted upon a line of about 700 miles, running from San Diego north to the latitude of Sonoma. More than 30,000 Indian converts were lodged in the mis-
30
REIGN OF DESTRUCTION AND DESOLATION.
sion buildings, receiving religious culture, assisting at divine worship, and cheerfully performing their easy tasks. Over 700,000 cattle of various species, pastured upon the plains' as well as 60,000 horses. One hundred and twenty thousand bushels of wheat were raised annually, which, with maize, beans, peas, and the like, made up an annual crop of 180,000 bushels; while, according to the climate, the different mis- sions rivaled each other in the production of wine, brandy' soap, leather, hides, wool, oil, cotton, hemp, linen, tobacco, salt and soda.
Of 200,000 horned cattle annually slaughtered, the mis- sions furnished about one-half, whose hides, hoofs, horns and tallow were sold at a net result of $10 each, making $1,000,000 dollars from that source alone; while the other articles of which no definite statistics can be obtained, donbt- less reached an equal value, making a total production by the missions themselves of $2,000,000.
RAPID DECLINE OF CONVERTS.
It will thus be observed that out of the 74,621 converts re- ceived into the missions, the large number of 47,925 had suc- cumbed to discase. What the nature of this plague was it is hard to establish; the missionaries themselves could assign no cause. It was, in all probability, caused by a sudden change in their lives from a free, wandering existence, to a state of settled quietude.
EARLY COLONIZATION PARTY.
1834 .- During the year 1834, one Jose Maria Hijar was dis- patched from Mexico with a colonization party, bound for Up- per California. The ship touched at San Diego, and here a portion of the party disembarked. The remainder proceeded to Monterey, and, a storm arising, their ship was wrecked upon the beach. Hijar now presented his credentials, and was as- tonished to find that a messenger overland from Mexico had already arrived bringing news of Santa Ana's revolution, to- gether with dispatches from the new president revoking his (Hijar's) appointment; and continuing to keep Figueroa in office.
In the bitter discussion that followed, it came ont that Hijar had been authorized to pay for his ship, the Natalia,* in mis- sion tallow; that the colonists were organized into a company, duly authorized to take charge of the missions, squecze out of them the requisite capital, and control the business of the ter- ritory. The plan had miscarried by a chance, but it showed the missionaries what they had to expect.
With the energy born of despair, eager at any cost to outwit those who sought to profit by their ruin, the mission fathers hastened to destroy that, which through more than half a cen- tury, thousands of human beings had spent their lives to accu- mulate.
TABLE EXPLAINING THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE ADMINISTRA- TION OF THE MISSIONS BY THE FATHERS IN 1834 AND THAT OF THE CIVIL AUTHORITIES IN 1842.
NAMES OF THIE MISSIONS.
NUMBER OF INDIANS.
NUMBER OF HOXNED CATTLE.
NUMBER OF HORSES.
No. OF SHEEP, GOATS AND SWINE.
HARVEST
BUSHELS.
1834.
1842.
1834.
1842.
1834
1842.
1834.
1842.
1834
San Diego.
2,500
12,000
20
1,800
100
17,000
200
13,000
San Louis Rey.
3,500
650
80,000
2,800 10 000
400|100,000
4,000
14,000
San Juan Capistrano
1,700
100 70,000
500
1,900
150
10,000
200
10,000
San Gabriel ..
2,700
500 105,000
700 20,000
500 40,000
3,500
20,000
San Fernando.
1,50)
400 14,000
1,500
5,000
400
7,000
2,000
8,000
San Buenaventura Santa Barbara .
1,100
300 4,000
200
1,000
40
6,000
400
3,000
Santa Inez.
1.3 0
250 14,000 10,000
1,200
500
12,000
4,000
3,500
La Purissima Conception
900
60
15,000
800
2,000
300
14,000
3,500
6,000
San Luis Obispo ..
1.250
80
9,000
300
4,000
200
7,000
500
4,000
San Miguel.
1,200
30
4,000
2.500
50
10,000
400
2,500
San Antonio
1,400
150
12,000
800
2.000
600
14,000
2,000
3,000
Nostra Senora de la Soledad.
700
20
6,000
1,200
7,000
2,500
Mission del Carmel ..
500
40
3,000
700
7,000
1,500
San Juan Bautista.
1,450
80
9,000
1,200
9,000
3,500
Santa Cruz
600
50
8,000
800
10,000
2.500
Santa Clara
1,800
300
13,000, 1,500
1,200
15,000
3,000
6,000
San Jose.
2,300
400
2,400'
1,100
19,000
7,000
10,000
Dolores de San Francisco.
500
50
5,000
6
1,600
50
4,000
1200
2.500
San Rafael.
1,250
20
3,000
500
4,500
1,500
San Francisco Solano.
1,300
3.000
700
4,000
3,000
Totals.
$0,650 4,450 396,400 29,020 32,600 3,520 321,500,31,600 123,000
GREAT SLAUGHTER OF CATTLE.
Hitherto, cattle had been killed only as their meat was needed for use; or, at long intervals perhaps, for the hides and tallow alone, when an overplus of stock rendered such action necessary. Now they were slaughtered in herds. There was no market for the meat, and this was considered worthless. The creature was lassoed, thrown, its throat cut; and while yet writhing in the death agony its hide was stripped and pegged upon the ground to dry. There were no vessels to contain the tallow, and this was run into great pits dug for that purpose, to be spaded out anon, and shipped with the hides to market.
Whites and natives alike revelled in gore, and vied with each other in destruction. So many cattle were there to kill, it scemed as though this profitable and pleasant work must last forever. The white settlers were especially pleased with the turn affairs had taken, and many of them did not scruple un- ceremoniously to appropriate large herds of young cattle where- with to stock their ranches. Such were the scenes being en- acted on the plains.
MISSION BUILDINGS DESTROYED.
At all the missions a similar work was going on. The outer buildings were unroofed, and the timber converted into fire- wood. Olive groves and orchards were cut down; shrubberics and vineyards torn up. Where the axe and vandal hands failed, fire was applied to complete the work of destruction. Then the solitary bell left hanging on each solitary and dis- mantled church, called their assistants to a last session of praise and prayer, and the worthy padres rested from their labors.
When the government administrators came, there was but little left; and when they went away, there was nothing.
MISSIONS ORDERED ABANDONED.
1845 .- A proclamation of Governor Pico, June 5, 1845, provides :-
" The identical vessel in which Napoleon escaped from the Isle of Elba-1815.
500
400
5,000, 1,800
1,200
180
5,000
400
3,000
1.200
40
8,00
200
250
31
FINAL DISPOSITION OF THE MISSIONS.
1. That the governer should call together the neophytes of the following-named missions: San Rafael, Dolores, Soledad, San Miguel and La Purissima; and in case those missions were abandoned by their neophytes, that he should give them one month's notice, by proclamation, to return and cultivate said missions, which if they did not do, the missions should be de- clared abandoned, and the Assembly and governor dispose of them for the good of the Department.
2. That the missions of Carmel, San Juan Bautista, San Juan Capistrano and San Francisco Solano, should be consid- ered as pueblos, or villages, which was their present condition ; and that the property which remained to them, the governor, after separating sufficient for the curate's house, for churches and their pertinents, and for a municipal house, should sell at public auction, the product to be applied, first to paying the debts of the establishments, and the remainder, if any, to the benefit of divine worship.
3. That the remainder of the missions to San Diego, inclu- sive, should be rented at the discretion of the governor.
SALE OF THE MISSIONS.
1845 .- On the 28th of October of this year, Governor Pico gave public notice for the sale to the highest bidder of five mis- sions, viz: San. Rafael, Dolores, Soledad, San Miguel and La Purissima; likewise for the sale of the remaining buildings in the pueblos (formerly missions) of San Luis Obispo, Car- mel, San Juan Bautista, and San Juan Capistrano, after separ- ating the churches and their appurtenances, and a curate's, municipal and school house. The auctions were appointed to take place, those of San Luis Obispo, Purissima and San Juan Capistrano, the first four days of December following (1845); those of San Rafael, Dolores, San Juan Bautista, Carmel, Soledad and San Miguel, the 23d and 24th of Janu- ary, 1846; meanwhile, the Government would receive and take into consideration proposals in relation to said missions.
The final disposition of the missions at the date of 1846 will be seen in the following :-
TABLE SHOWING THE FINAL DISPOSITION OF MISSIONS.
No.
NAME OF MISSION.
HOW DISPOSED OF BY THE GOVERNMENT.
1
San Diego.
Sold to Santiago Arguello, June S, 1846.
2
San Luis Rey
Sold to Anton:o Coot and Andres Pico, May 13, 1846.
3
San Juan Capistrano.
Pueblo, and remainder soid to John Fost.r and Jaines
-
San Gabriel.
5
San Fernando
Sold to Julian Workman and Hugo Reid, June 18, 1ยบ46. Rented to Andres Pico, for uine years from December, 1845, and sold to Juan Celis, June, 1846.
6
San Buenaventura
Sold to Joseph Arnaz.
7
Santa Barbara
Rented for nine years, from June 8, 1818, to Nich's Den. Rented to Joaquin Carrillo.
9
La Purisima
10
San Luis Obispo
Pueblo.
11
San Miguel
Uncertain.
13
Sole lad.
14
Carinel de Monterey
15
San Juan Bautista
Pueblo.
16
Santa Cruz.
Vacant.
17
Santa Clara
In charge of priest.
18
San Jose
In charge of priest.
19
Dolores, (San Francisco). San Rafael
Pueblo.
Mission in charge of priest.
21
San Francisco Solano ..
Mission in charge of priest.
Industries of Early Times.
FARMING in California was in a very primitive state up to its occupation by the Americans. What farming the Californians did was of a very rude description; their plow was a primitive contrivance, their vehicles unwieldy. Such articles of hus- bandry as reapers, mowers and headers had not entered their dreams, and they were perfectly independent of their advan- tages.
Grain was cut with a short, stumpy, smooth-edged sickle; it was threshed by the tramping of horses. One of their few evils was the depredations of the wild Indians, who would sometimes steal their horses, and then the cattle would have to perform the work of separation. The cleaning of grain was performed by throwing it in the air with wooden shovels, and allowing the wind to carry off the chaff.
In a work published in London in 1839, by Alexander Forbes, are some interesting descriptions of the country about the Bay of Monterey, and the condition of farming as witnessed by him in 1835.
PLOW USED BY CALIFORNIANS.
The plow used at that time must have been of great antiquity. It was composed of two principal pieces; one, called the main piece, was formed out of a crooked branch of timber, cut from a trec of such a natural shape. This plow had only one handle, and no mould-board or other contrivance for turning over the furrow, and was, therefore, only capable of making a simple cut, equal on both sides.
PLOW USED BY NATIVE CALIFORNIANS.
The only iron about the plow was a small piece fitted to the point of the stile, and of the shape seen in the detached part of the engraving. The beam was of great length, so as to reach the yoke of the oxen. This beam was also composed of a natural piece of wood, cut from a tree of proper dimensions, and had no dressing, except taking off the bark. This beam was inserted into the upper part of the main piece, and connected with it by a small upright piece of wood, on which it slides, and is fixed by two wedges; by withdrawing these wedges the beam was elevated or lowered, and depth of furrow regulated.
The long beam passes between the two oxen, like the pole of a carriage, and no chain is used. A pin is put through the point of the beam, and the yoke is tied to that by thongs of rawhide. The plow-man goes at one side, holding the handle with his right hand, and managing the goad and cattle with his left. The manner of yoking the oxen was by putting the yoke (a straight stick of wood) on the top of the head, close
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