Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-04-19
TEXAN SPORTS.
u. WBITMORE,
Publisher and Proprietor,


Encounter of "A BUiI with n Lion and
EiOP ess-Their msjeEties are Van
qOisbed AND Badly Wounded.
San Antonio special to N. Y. Herald, l4.1
The sports of old Rome are being
revived with considerable success
in this distant region Of the world,
where all is new and even Ciyiliza-
ton herself is not quite at home.
Although we lack the surroundings,
the grandeur of the arena, the gilt
ter Of the imperial throne and the
vast throngs clothed in the flowing
costumes of the days of the Casara
and the glorious Coliseum itself,
our sports possess many of the tea-
lures that have made those Of the
early days famous in history. The
bull fight, a Spanish importation,
which has reached San Antonio in
due course Of time, has always been
a favorite amusement wherever the
Dons or their descendants domi-
nate things social. To say that we
have forgotten our semi-Spanish
origin in this border State would
be to deny that bull fighting can
collect crowd from every settle
ment and village within q hundred
miles of San Antonio. Such an
assemblage has collected here for
several Sundays back. The bull
fighting has been enjoyed hugely,
and SO we must plead guilty to be-
ing only half American yet. To
vary the sport, however, in order to
crafty the progressive spirit of the
rising generation who regard an
ordinary bull fight as a tame affair,
the combats have been arranged to
take place between lions and bulls,
and much speculation has been in
dulged in as to the respective fight
ing qualities of cleo Africanus"
and bos Americanus," Really
it has grown into o kind of inter
continental contest, in which the
champions are the stoutest and best
that can be selected as representa-
tiyes. Last Sunday the first fight
took place, in which Africa was
badly whipped" The bull was
victorious, after a brief but sharp
encounter, aud the lioness retired a
sadder, wiger and sore-sided animal,
to reflect in her cage on the depart
ed glory of all thiOgs leonine. But
the hackers of the lions we're not
disheartened, and prepared to-day
to retrieve their laurels and dollars
by putting a full grown male lion,
rather old, but yet active, against R
bull of approved valor. AS the
affair was well advertised great in
terest was centered in it, and all
rood San Antonions longed for
Sunday to come, in order that they
might crafty their eyes with such a
novel spectacle.
THE BULL AND LION FIGHT.
At 1 o'clock the lion, "Old
George" was put into the arena.
He was large African lion who,
although old, presented a formida-
BILE appearance. He was very large.
He had been given calf a few
days before, which he destroyed in
fine style, as well as several vagrant
dogs that had strayed into the
arena, in which he had been placed
for q week past to allow him to ex-
ercise his muscles. Old George has
only one eye, the other having been
burnt in order to get the remains of
his keeper out of his cage in Mem
phis few years ago, he having torn
him all to pieces. AT a quarter to
four o'clock Mexican vaqueros were
seen bringing the bull across the
prairies. The lion was shut up in
one corner of the cage, with a cir
Gus canvas, while the bull was led
in by four men with ropes.
A FURIOUS BULL.
He took a sudden fit of butting,
Jerking away from his keepers, and
made a rush upon one Of them, a
large, heavy man, and threw him
to the ground in an instant, pierre
ing the calf of his leg with his
horn. The position of the unfortu-
nate man was horrible, the infurat-
ed bull standing over him shaking
! his head, threatening each moment