Tlee Secularization of tlee Missions
41
same day. The governor and legal representative of the mission Indians, Esmeregildo Puente, brought all the Indians who were then living at the mission before Fray Lozano who gave each family its share. It may be well to give the entire list and the goods received by each, since the actual record of the secularization has never before been made public. Each Indian family, widower, and bachelor, received a pair of oxen, a plow, a harrow, a hoe, and a cow with a calf. From the corn in the granary, the following distributions were made: Urbano, his wife, and two daughters were allowed thirteen bushels of corn for a period of six and a half months. Juan de Dios, his wife, an adult daughter, and two minors were given eighteen bushels of corn. Jose Miguel, his wife, and two sons were allotted thirteen bushels of corn. Juan Jose and wife were apportioned nine bushels. Esmeregildo Puente, his wife, and one daughter took thirteen bushels. Jose Joaquin, his wife, and one young daughter received eleven bushels. Domingo and his wife were given nine bushels of corn. Manuel, his wife, and an orphan boy were allotted thirteen bushels. Dolores, widow with three children, was assigned eight and a half bushels of corn besides the regular equipment. Anselmo, his wife, and three children were given fifteen bushels of corn. Mateo, widower, received four and a half bushels of corn. Bernardo, bachelor, was granted four and a half bushels of corn. Francisco, bachelor, received four and a half bushels of corn. Jose Agustin, bachelor, was given four and a half bushels of corn.u Thus thirty-nine persons, including men, women and children, received rations from the granary of Mission Valero intended for their support until the new crop was harvested. The Indian governor, Esmeregildo Puente, witnessed the distribution and signed a certified receipt for the mission Indians. But that same day he filed a formal protest, alleging that the corn allowed the mission Indians was inadequate for their maintenance until the next harvest because, due to the severity of the winter, the fields had not been planted at the usual time. This meant that the sowing would not take place now until late in November. Further- more, the corn given each family would suffer greater loss from rats,
l2Autos sobre secularization, Saltillo Arcl,ives, Vol. V, pp. 237-239.
Powered by FlippingBook