e bettering of their condition--mental, moral and physical--that
they were trained in the useful and industrial arts. That they labored
not in vain is evident. In less than fifty years from the day of its
foundation the Mission of San Francisco Dolores--that is in 1825--is
said to have possessed 76,000 head of cattle; 950 tame horses; 2,000
breeding mares; 84 stud of choice breed; 820 mules; 79,000 sheep; 2,000
hogs; 456 yoke of working oxen; 18,000 bushels of wheat and barley;
besides $35,000 in merchandise and $25,000 in specie.

That was, indeed, the golden age of the California missions; everybody
was prosperous and proportionately happy. In 1826 the Mission of Soledad
owned more than 36,000 head of cattle, and a larger number of horses and
mares than any other mission in the country. These animals increased so
rapidly that they were given away in order to preserve the pasturage for
cattle and sheep. In 1822 the Spanish power in Mexico was overthrown; in
1824 a republican constitution was established. California, not then
having a population sufficient to admit it as one of the Federal States,
was made a territory, and as such had a representative in the Mexican
Congress; but he was not allowed a vote on any question, though he sat
in the assembly and shared in the debates.

In 1826 the Federal Government began to meddle with the affairs of the
friars. The Indians "who had good characters, and were considered able
to maintain themselves, from having been taught the art of agriculture
or some trade," were manumitted; portions of land were allotted to them,
and the whole country was divided into parishes, under the
superintendence of curates. The zealous missionaries were no longer to
receive a salary--four hundred dollars a year had formerly been paid
them out of the national exchequer for developing the resources of the
State. Everybody and everything was now supposed to be self-sustaining,
and was left to take care of itself. It was a dream--and a bad one!

[Illustration: Lone Mountain, 1856]

Within one year the Indians went to the dogs. They were cheated out of
their small possessions and were driven to beggary or plunder. The
Fathers were implored to take charge again of their helpless flock.
Meanwhile the Pious Fund of California had run dry, as its revenues had
been diverted into alien channels. The good friars resumed their
offices. Once more the missions were prosperous, but for a time only. It
was the be