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Show (Special Correspondence.) On Nov. 11 tho scattered Indian1) of tho fast dwindling Santa Ysnbcl trlbo in California, together with a number num-ber of their friends from Mesa Qrnndc, Annhuac nnd Cnpltan Clrandc, celobrntcd ono of their characteristic fiestas. This kind of fiesta is n combination com-bination of tho old-fnshlonod harvest homo, Fourth of July and Thnnksglv-lng. Thnnksglv-lng. It celebrates tho successful ondlng of tho harvest season, nnd corresponds cor-responds to tho corn feasts of the Yumns, with tho church ritual added. add-ed. Santa Ysabol at ono tlmo contained con-tained tho largest vlllago of Indians probably In San Diego county, and according ac-cording to ancient white-haired Indians, Indi-ans, thoy wero as countless ns tho ants. ,To think of that peaceful dairy yllilil y A Santa Ysabel Home, ranch, with Its hundreds of cattle, largo modern creameries, barns nnd outbuildings, overrun by hordes of long-haired, naked saagos, Is n far stretch of tho imagination, but tho grenter number of mortar holes nnd tho talcs of early pioneers leavo no room for doubt. Of this onco thriving thriv-ing vlllago, only two houses romaln inhabited to-day, tho rest having fallen fall-en In ruins, marked only by a mound of earth, and most times not oven that. Of tho old church only n fragment frag-ment of wnll remains, nnd this Is an-utinlly an-utinlly covered by n ramada, or brush shelter, in which services nro hold occasionally. Hut tho real glory nnd prldo of tho Santa Ysabollas, their old mission bolls, remain to day, as sweet-toned ns when thoy wero cmt, nearly 1 10 years ago, In old Spain. Kach of theso bells weighs about 400 pounds, nnd when It Is ro-momliercd ro-momliercd that they wero brought up from San Diego nearly a century ago, on tho backs of Indians, over fifty miles, without stop, ono can Imagine tho power tho old padres exorcised over tlio simple, superstitious savages. sav-ages. Kor a week previous to tho fiesta tho hat Is passed around, nnd collections collec-tions secured, to the amount of sotue-tlmc sotue-tlmc fifty or more dollars, coffeo. beans, etc.; with which to food nil tho Invited guests during tho continunnco ot the good time. From early dawn till dewy cvo on tho llth tho Indians kept arriving from different parts of tlio country. In nil kinds of rigs, nnd on nil sorts of mounts, nltliough it is to be remarked that most of the. horses seemed well fed nnd In excellent condition. Somo ot tho lato comers had gazed too fixedly fix-edly on tho wino when It was red, and wero inclined to be hilarious. As relay after relay arrived they wero fed and turned looso to innko room for moro. At sundown tho pcoplo pco-plo all gntlfered near tho remnant of a onco vigorous old sycamoro on tho banks of the beautiful Santa Ysabel creek, and thero three crosses wero brought to them by Salvador Dura, tho master of ceremonies. Theso crosses wero mndo of tho heads of wheat In tlio form of n Oreek cross, nnd fastened to long sticks, and were borno nt tho head of a procession, which Immediately formed, nnd walked bareheaded toward tho church, chanting nnd going through a rcsponslvo service. During this tlmo tho boll ringer kept up an incessant inces-sant Janglo of sweet sounds, while many of tho joung men shot off pistols pis-tols and guns in a somewhat reckless uinuncr, nnd ono Industrious Indian kept setting off sticks of giant pow- , jg SfjJjW rV3u The Mission Bells, dor. Just In ndvanco of tho procession. Hero was n religions ceremonial partaking par-taking of tho characteristics of a Fourth of July colebratlon. Tho crosses wero deposited In tho church, and more fnrmulno wero gone tnrough with. When this was concluded, tho Indians began to colcbrato In good earnest, and red poison circulated irooly tho wholo night long. Ono of their old garaca of peon was played, but drunks became ,'o numerous numer-ous and unruly that tho iollcoman nnd his doputy had their hnnds full. An old adobo hut with grass roof was lmprovlsod as a calabooBo, and the policeman Jailed his prisoners ns fast as they needed his services. Hut nt tho very outset a difficult problem had to bo met and overcome before the Jail could bo mndo serviceable. The door was a light, flimsy affair, wltt no very good lastcnlngs, and clthei this had to bo strengthened or the jail Idea abandoned. Hut for an in genlous idea, which would havo re fleeted credit on a Connecticut Yankee, tho latter calamity would havo befallen. Hy removing all the boots nnd shoos beforo Incarceration all danger of nn outbreak was avoid cd. This was forthwith put Into execution, ex-ecution, nnd tho bootless and sock-loss sock-loss contingent of tho fiesta wore ruthlessly thrust Into tho Jail to sleep olT their drunken debauch, while a marvelous array of footgear grow Into a tearful and wonderful pyramid outside, out-side, nn exhibition that would mako somo of our esthetic shoo merchants green with envy. Ten or moro wero corded up Inside, and tlio old Jail could hold no more, and many applicants appli-cants had to go Jalllcss, a very doplor-ablo doplor-ablo stato of affairs. Kvents proceeded at this rapid pace nil night, and probably thrco fourths of tho males wero moro or less Intoxicated, Intox-icated, somo lying around sleeping off th'elr booze, nnd others making a no bio but fruitless effort to stand erect As soon ns tho eastern sky began to lighten, tho pots and ollas wer over tho campflrcs, cooking the bal anco of tho rations, and soon the sa vory odors of coffee, beans, bootos nnd biscuits began to permeate the redolent atmosphere. It seemed tc penetrate tho Jail and rovlvo tho dor mant faculties of tho prisoners, whose greatest fear seemed to ho that thoy might miss somo of tho good thing whoso odor was as tho battlo smoke to tho war horso. As their batterlnR rams wero useless, thoy had to think of somo moro feaslblo plan than tc smash the door down with their bare feet. Thoy soon began to tear down tho tulo roof, and soon a wild, frowsy head camo through, followed by a body, and this by another, until the door hnd to bo unfastened to protect tho entire roof from being torn down Tho prisoners poured out pretty mad mm i Cross Carried in the Procession, but nearly if not qulto sober. The tootgear was finally distributed and adjusted, and all wont "merry as a marriage bell." At noon most of tho pcoplo had dispersed, and by night tho placo was entirely deserted, savo by tho silver-tongued silver-tongued mission bells from far-oD Spain. |
