The Spanish in the Southwest . coarse cloth used at the missions andby some Spaniards in California. They were cooks, tailors,hat makers, shoemakers. They learned to make saddlesand to stamp the leather used. They made ox-horn cups,softening the horn by soaking, shaping it over wood, andengraving it with a common nail. In many of these craftsthe neophytes became skillful, satisfying the simple wantsof the mission days. In short, the Indians who had beenso lazy in the wilderness did all kinds of work for thepriests; but it must be remembered that the fathersplanned it all for them, showed them
The Spanish in the Southwest . coarse cloth used at the missions andby some Spaniards in California. They were cooks, tailors,hat makers, shoemakers. They learned to make saddlesand to stamp the leather used. They made ox-horn cups,softening the horn by soaking, shaping it over wood, andengraving it with a common nail. In many of these craftsthe neophytes became skillful, satisfying the simple wantsof the mission days. In short, the Indians who had beenso lazy in the wilderness did all kinds of work for thepriests; but it must be remembered that the fathersplanned it all for them, showed them how to do it, and Life at the Missions 143 sent overseers with them to be sure that all directions wereobeyed. They knew that the Indians were like to themselves they would not and did not work; butunder the constant training and watching of the few sol-diers, the priests, and the Spanish workmen at everymission, they did almost everything. So complete andsudden a change in the lives of savages could not be made. Court and arches at San Luis Rey without some evil effects. One of these showed itselfafter a few years in the large number of deaths among theneophytes. For convenience in working and in training, the Indianswere divided into small companies or gangs of workmen,each with its overseer. A trusted Indian was often putinto this position, and by bearing responsibilities he usu-ally became Still more capable. If all the neophytes hadshared in the responsibilities of the missions, they would 144 The Missions of Alta California have reasoned better, would have gained more self-control,and the history of the missions and of the Indians of Cali-fornia would have been wonderfully changed. They went to church two hours of the day and thefathers taught them a short catechism. It was not aneducation of the mind; it was more like teaching a parrotor a monkey or a dog. The lesson was said over and overuntil the Indians could repeat portions. As it was not intheir langua
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