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the refined courts of Christendom.

In a way, the story is brutal, and tells a brutal tale in a frankly brutal manner, but it has the redeeming feature of charm, and the maid in the tale is quite lovable, although in some manner a madcap. The hero goes a wooing for another, and finally wins a bride, where he had thought to find an untamable shrew, but he does not get her without hard work and valiant

fighting. The account of the deeds of Gilbert Charrington stirs the blood, and Hilary, the wayward maid, is as alluring as the will-o'-the-wisp. The book is not for the very young. It is not for the hypercritical. It will not suit the superdainty, but it is full of good red blood, and as to times and customs is probably historically true.

A. C. McClurg & Co., Chicago.

THE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES OF A CALIFORNIA

MUNICIPALITY

BY ROLAND HAUGHTREY.

While it is true that the city school system of the city of San Jose dates from the days of the sixties, it is also true that it was practically entirely remodeled since the year 1906.

With the building of the new high school, following the the destruction of the old structure in that year of disaster, came a new incentive and a new life to the people who were devoting their lives to the spread of a better and a broader education in the largest city in the beautiful valley of Santa Clara.

The first mention of a High School occurs in the minutes of a meeting, minutes of the Board of Education under date of December 12, in 1865. This recites that the Superintendent of Schools be instructed by the Board to purchase five chairs "for the use of the school."

The High School building, I am told, was situated at the Fourth street side of Washington Square, and consisted of one large room. It was a sort of go-as-youplease affair, apparently, as

certifi

cates or diplomas were issued to those who completed their course of study at the school, and the course did not cover any specified length of time.

There were at the time a number of grammar schools housed about the city,

and, even at this early period, the schools of San Jose enjoyed a repute for excellence that spread all over the State of California.

This was the beginning. In the last year, 1908-09, four new grammar schools have been built at a total cost of $200,000.

it

San Jose possesses what is probably one of the best High School buildings architecturally in the State of California, and this, officered by a faculty that is rated one of the very best in the West. The new San Jose High School is a noble structure, peculiarly and fittingly designed in the Mission style. It is well lighted and well ventilated. It is pleasantly situated, the sanitary conditions are perfect, the equipment is elaborate, and San Jose makes no idle boast when claims one of the finest High Schools in the West. The total number of graduates from the High School, to the present time, is 1186. Besides the public institutions of learning, San Jose has a State school, one of the Normal schools being located here. It is also the location of many excellent private institutions. In the neighboring city of Santa Clara there is a fine Catholic school for boys, Santa Clara College, a school which is duly accredited to the State University and to Stanford University at Palo Alto.

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Thomas Knight, within sight of whose farm Portola turned eastward to go the last three miles to his camp on the shores of the bay. Mr. Knight is the oldest resident of San Mateo County, having lived in the Portola Valley since 1853.

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Mr. Halsey L. Rixford throws a great light on the history of Gaspar de Portola. Some ingenious individuals have gone so far as to say that this Portola is a myth, and that he did little else than convoy the Fathers of the Church in their quest in the north. It is shown by Mr. Rixford that Portola was more than a simple policeman to the militant brotherhood, and that he was a mighty man of enterprise and withal, gifted with a fine imagination. To Mr. Rixford, the Overland readers, and the public are generally indebted to Prof. Geo. Davidson for many of the facts given, but it is to Mr. Halsey that we are indebted for rendering them available in popular form.-EDITOR OVERLAND MONTHLY.

I

F SAN FRANCISCO wishes a mission, let his port be discovered, and one will be founded." So replied the Visitador General Galvez to Padre Junipero Serra in the year 1768, when the latter, consulting him in regard to the three establishments projected for California, asked why there was not "a mission for Nuestro Padre San Francisco?" San Diego, San Buenaventura and San Carlos were the names assigned to the missions, the site of the last being the shore of Monterey Bay. Gaspar de Portola, the first Governor of California, commanded the expedition sent in 1769 from San Blas, Mexico, to found these northernmost havens of refuge for the followers of the Spanish Church and State. Searching for Monterey Bay in the location ascribed to it in 1602 by the discoverer Vizcaino, the Portola party found no harbor

as sheltered as they had been led to expect. "Therefore," says Father Francisco Palou, "they went forty leagues farther and came upon the Puerto de San Francisco Nuestro Padre. *** In view of this, what have we to say why Nuestro Padre should not wish a mission in his port?" The first sight of the bay was had on November 1, 1769.

The inception of Portola's trip may be directly attributed to over a century and a half of buccaneering ravages on Spanish commerce in the Pacific by Sir Francis Drake, "master thiefe of the unknowne world," Cavendish, Dampier, Anson and others, to the seizure of Manila in 1762, and the preparations for a scientific expedition under James Cook in 1767, all of which combined in prompting Charles III of Spain to issue a proclamation directing that efficient measures be taken

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Here one may imagine the brown cowled priest and the dragoon stalking ghostily and looking into the village of Portola just beyond.

to protect the coast of California against invasion by "a foreign nation whose aims are no wise favorable to the Monarchy."

Galvez, the Visitador General, left the City of Mexico April 9, 1768, for San Blas, to arrange for the setting forth of two expeditions one by sea, the other by land. The mail boats "San Carlos" and "San Antonio" sailed from the Gulf of California, and Portola led the land party up the peninsula. It is over seven hundred miles long. For weeks he and his men toiled over the weary wastes in a body until they reached Velicata. From here forty men of the California Company and thirty Indians were to accompany the expedition to San Diego, where was to be the first of the missions of the Franciscans, that blazed the way for the settlement of California. Large herds of cattle and mules were gathered; provisions were brought from the neighboring mission of Santa Maria. On March 24th, Don Fernando Rivera y Moncada started with a scouting party, and, reduced to a ration of two tortillas a day, they made San Diego on May 14th. Governor Portola

left Velicata the following day. In his company was the Most Reverend Father Fray Junipero Serra, President of the Missions of California, and called "The Venerable."

When Portola reached San Diego fortyfive days later, with one hundred and sixty-three mules laden with provisions, he found the crews of the vessels in a deplorable state. Scurvy, induced by a diet consisting largely of dried and salt meat, had run riot in the little ships, and of a complement of ninety sailors, conscripts and Indians, only sixteen men remained fit for duty two weeks after. landing. The Governor proposed to load and man the San Carlos, but her skipper refused to undertake the voyage to Monterey because he had hardly any seamen. Portola despatched the San Antonio to report to the Visitador General, in the hope that more men and food would be sent to equip the ships while he was on the way northward. No vessel, however, reached Monterey until the following year.

Portola had arrived June 29th. July 9th he sent the San Antonio south. By July 14th he was again pressing forward. In the meantime, el comandante had informed himself of the situation, planned the further movements of the vessels and the land expedition, and assisted at the establishment of the Mission San Diego de Alcala. All took part in adoring the Holy Cross, the spot of its erection was dedicated to the glory of God, the fathers said mass and the assemblage joined in the prayers, and Portola, striding over the ground with drawn sword in hand, slashed trees, earth, grass and the salt water to show that he took possession of the country by the authority vested in him by Pope, King and Viceroy.

Taking one hundred packages of provisions-leaving the rest for the men at the mission and trusting to the San Carlos for relief-the newly possessed Governor set out with his notable company. It included Captain Don Fernando Rivera y Moncada, Don Miguel Costanso, an engineer of the army, Lieutenant Don Pedro Fages, Sergeant Jose Francisco de Ortega, Padres Juan Crespi and Francisco Gomez, seven "soladados voluntarios de la Compania franca de Cataluna," twenty-seven "soldados de Cuera" (garrison soldiers,

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