The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-03-28
NY FIRST BULL EIGHT,
81 oEoRoE AreusrUs -.

had never been fortunate enough to behold
CoYrida de I0rOs-a bull fight. IN the Isl
and of Cuba, whittier / first went IN '64 at
the height of the great civil war, there was
so much and such bitter party feeling be-
tween the Federal Americans Mostly engas-
ed in trade in Cuba) and the Confederate ref
ugees ana blockade runners, that nelsnef az
Havana nor at Matanzas did the authori ne
venture TO permit bull fights ior ieal ~, ~
Yankees and Seceshes should leap inGo lhe
ring, and get up man h9hC on titeli OWN
hook" instead. L went from Cupa 70 aiexl-
CO. but there also had the ft0zdS &c Iofos
been closed until the advent OF more tram
anil times. The French had only just taken
PuebIa; the iil-fated Macmillan had MT yet
arrived; the roads We're swarming with brig
ands; everything was In a state Of latent an
archy and disorganization, only kept down by
the strong hand of Marshal Bazaine; and al
though the population of Mexico City had
been promised bulfght for Easter Sunday,
/ was compelled to leave for Vera Cruz on
the last day Of Holy Week, and so missed the
show Never mind" / said, 8" shall have
better luck next time" My vocation took me
year afterwards to old Spain. / hung up
my sign on a fourth floor on the Puerta del
SOL at Madrid, and ere l had been there
fortnight my eyes were gratifed by the sight
OF monstrous placard affixed TO the
walls of the Casa de GoDernacion
announcing bull fight at the great flaza ae
Toros, for the ensuing Sunday. My luck,
however. was not yet complete, for the time
of war being early spring the encounter was
TO be only that which is called Corrida de
NoYilIos-a fight OF the young 'uns," so to
speak; and the names of no famous picadores
or nIatadores appeared on the placard. had
70 wait till got down south, TO Seville, to see
tle Media Corrida and the Corrida Mayor
the engagement of full-aged bulls with old
and experienced bull fighters 1t was at Sc
vile saw the renowned Cuchares, the finest
matador or bull-slayer OF the age, a stout,
strong fellow, now some sixty years of age,
who can neither write nor read, it is said, yet
has acquired from bis sanguinary profession
fortune of one million reals.
However, Corlida de Novillos was some
thing for a stranger who hitherto had never
seen bull fight at all. The placard promis-
ed US also at least two "Toros de Muerte"-
death-buls, animals that were really to be
put TO death; for in these tentative exnibi-
tons (which are more designed for the in
struction of young Tauromachals than for
the recreation of the public, the majority OF
the bulls baited have their horns tipped with
wooden buttons, so that they cannot gore the
"young 'uns' or rip up the picadols horses.
On the other hand, the sucking Tauromachi-
ans refrain from killing the ball, and content
themselves with torturing the poor beast un-
til they drive him crazy. In Portugal, l may
observe, the bull is never killed, but is reserv-
ed like Royal stag ito fight another"
The first step to take was to procure tickets
for good places, and this is, at no time, a very
easy task, for whenever there is such a thing
as a bnll--even a tipped horned one--about,
the MGdrilenos 60 stark staring mad, and
believe that the poorer Dons would pawn
their very cloaks to buy the required tickets
but Tor the fact that their cioaks being gone,
sufficient garments TO meet the requirements
ofc0mmon decency might not, in many cases,
be forthcoming. The bull ring of Madrid
will hold eight thousand spectators, and at
the dreariest times of the year, when theatres
are bankrupt and balls deserted, bull fight
will always draw full house. We wanted
box, ana this is difficult to obtain; at least, a
palco a la sombra, or in the shade, which is
forty or fifty per cent. dearer than one al sol,
or in the sun. The managers are enabled to
calculate with mathematical certainty how
much OF the ampitheatre will be thrown into
umbrageousness by three O'Clock in the after
noon, the hour when the corridas usually take
place. and regulate their prices accordingly.
l went down with friend to the box-ofiice,
which was established in kind of Punchs
show doubled with piar-post in the middle
of the broad Gale de Alcala, which may be
called the Piceadilly of sa1fid, Ior 1t leads to
- thc rrado, which is the Hyde Park of the
capital OF Isabel Segunda. Alter bribing our
enpieado with puro, or choice cigar, and
and another clerk with cup of chocolate, /
was fortunate enough to secure for two hun
dred reals (say two guinieas) a comfortable
box la media sombra, or halt in the shade
We drove down next Sunday at three to the
Plaza, and having heard that bull fights were
apt sometimes to shake the nerves and turn
the stomachs of the uninitiated, i confess
that before starting carefully got "iquorcd
up" with g glass of yellow charlottesville
green should never be taken save after dinner
at the Fonda de los Principles.
think that we had added fifth to Our
number, and that our party consisted of a
British secretary Of legation, an attache,
Queens messenger, your humble servant, and
an English capitalist, who had come out to
Spain for the purpose OF getting the confess
ION for new line of railroad, from the Astu-
rian mines to the Sierra Moreno, or some
thing speculative and prospectively successful
OF that kind. We were all smoking, as were
the rest OF the eight thousand spectators, fol-
there were not aseat apparently unoccupied.
There were perhaps two thousand women
and children in the assemblage, but it is just
10 add that there were very few ladies'
Among the "high she quality" as poor Arte-
mus Ward called the feminine aristocracy, il
is not considered genteel tC go to bull fight
during Easter, and We were yet in thee
eeks Of LeLt.
Before tell you about the fight itself
may as well lay down few of the main
Hearings" of Tauromachy, and specify the
functions OF the principal actors.
First-The arena. is circular, and is sur
rounded by strong wooden barrier about
i've feet high. Between this and the audi
ence portion runs narrow couoir or lobby |
about six feet broad, in which only these con-
neeted with the performances OF lin rare |
cases. distinguished amateurs are allowed to
stand. Beyond this barrier the second-class
benches rise mphitheatrically, precisely as
they do in the Cossev IN at Rome, and be-
hind these are the palcos or private boxes
The arena is open to the sky, and there is no
attempt at the erection of any awning OF vel |
arium. Thus heavy shower of rain neces- |
sarlly puts an end,to the bull fight, for the |
bull objects to fight in puddle, unless it be
one oil blood, and the bull fighters are reluc- I
tant to spoil their splendid costumes, some
OF which cost as much two hundred pounds |
apiece.
AT given point Of the circumference of |
the circle is the royal box, and beneath it a
tribune for the "autoridad," a committee OF
taste composed OF The judges and censors of |
the strife. Immediately over against this on
the opposite side Of the circus is the entrance
for the bull, a long covered passage leading
from his lair, which Is situated without the
walls otthe arena. $3.50.
in their tribune, looking very solemn, in dress
coats and white choakers, but all smoking
iuriously. Do you see that man on horse
back, dressed in a doublet and trunk hose,
and short cloak of black velvet, with SLOUGH
hat and white plume, a sword by his side, and
a starched Iuf round his neck? He might
sit for the portrait OF an old Spanish cavalier
after Veasquez. This is the algnazil, at once
te master ofthe ceremonies and the provost
m lrshal of the bull RING
Those two fellows slowly promenading
round on broken-kneed, CALLED, spawned old
screws" certainly not worth more than four
pounds apiece--it so much-are the picadors.
They, the men, not the horses, wear the old
fashioned broad brimed sombrero: the coach
wheel hat" of which the use is universal in
modern Mexico, but, save in the bull ring,
has quite disappeared from old Spain, where
it has been discarded for the AndaIusian, or
pork pie hat" They are otherwise attired
in gaily-bedizened jackets, boots OF CordoVan
leather and long overalis, "bombaStedn or
stuffed out, have been told, with paper, to |
break the severity of their fall when the |
bull throws them. Beneath, from collar to |
ankle they are padded and bandaged but
tor all that, broken ribs, fractured thighs and
rIptuIes are the common lot OF the picadores
Tley never rise to become matadores--once a
picador always picador
They are handsomely paid, but are. as a ruie !
great bolgozanes or drunkards. A drunken
Spaniard is rarity out when he does drink
he drinks like fish. is not that the case
with women? The picadores are consum-
mate blackguards, to boot. should not like
to play monte with picador, or to lend him
.-rsifn E,ax iVasa