IO DE PALA

The chapel at Pala is perhaps the best known of all the asistencias on
account of its picturesque campanile. It was built by the indefatigable
Padre Peyri, in 1816, and is about twenty miles from San Luis Rey, to
which it belonged. Within a year or two, by means of a resident padre,
over a thousand converts were gathered, reciting their prayers and
tilling the soil. A few buildings, beside the chapel, were erected, and
the community, far removed from all political strife, must have been
happy and contented in its mountain-valley home. The chapel is a long,
narrow adobe structure, 144 by 27 feet, roofed with red tiles. The walls
within were decorated in the primitive and singular fashion found at
others of the Missions, and upon the altar were several statues which
the Indians valued highly.

Pala is made peculiarly interesting as the present home of the evicted
Palatingwa (Hot Springs) Indians of Warner's Ranch. Here these
wretchedly treated "wards of the nation" are now struggling with the
problem of life, with the fact ever before them, when they think, (as
they often do, for several of them called my attention to the fact) that
the former Indian population of Pala has totally disappeared. At the
time of the secularization of San Luis Rey, Pala suffered with the rest;
and when the Americans finally took possession it was abandoned to the
tender mercies of the straying, seeking, searching, devouring
homesteader. In due time it was "home-steaded" The chapel and graveyard
were ultimately deeded back; and when the Landmarks Club took hold it
was agreed that the ruins "revert to their proper ownership,
the church."

[Illustration: CAMPANILE AND CHAPEL, SAN ANTONIO DE PALA.]

[Illustration: ANOTHER VIEW OF THE CAMPANILE AND CHAPEL, SAN ANTONIO DE
PALA.]

[Illustration: MAIN DOORWAY AT SANTA MARGARITA CHAPEL.]

Though all the original Indians were ousted long ago from their lands at
Pala, those who lived anywhere within a dozen or a score miles still
took great interest in the old buildings, the decorations of the church,
and the statues of the saints. Whenever a priest came and held services
a goodly congregation assembled, for a number of Mexicans, as well as
Indians, live in the neighborhood.

That they loved the dear old asistencia was manifested by Americans,
Mexicans, and Indians alike, for when the Landmarks Club visited it in
December, 1901, and asked for assistance to put it in order, help was
i