Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-01-03
sPAIN'S GREATEST MATADoR.
Leaving Deskful of Love Letters, Locks
Of hair and Faded Bouuuets.
IFrom the Courier des Etats Uni

From the Courier des EtatS Unls
We know what a number of celebrated
people have died this year-statesmen, men
of rank and celebrities in literature and
art. But there is one more name to be
added to the neurology of 1879 This
name is neither that of politician, nor of
painter, nor of poet, and nevertheless
the defunct in question enjoyed more pop
ularity in has own country than all the
scholars, artists and deputies put together.
We refer to the matador, Frascuelo, whom
all Spain has applauded for ten years, whom
the prettiest women Of all the Spanish
provinces have, in turn, called Frascuelito,
and who has now died of horn thrust
naturally received in the exercise of his
profession. Frascuelo, among Spaniards,
was hero, and as Theodore de Banville
said the other day of Victor Hugo, he had
already become immortal. He will for ever
remain the prima spada of legends. Dur
ing his lifetime he was the curiosity, above
all others, that his countrymen showed to
strangers, and he was proud of his dis
tinction. He was born at Audalusia, and
at the age of 10 years went to work in the
slaughter. houses of Seville, where all the
matadors begin their career, these slaughter
houses being for them sort of academy.
At Is he was engaged in the famous COM
pany of Ell Tato, who also died of horn
thrust. At first he was a simple chalo-
that is to say, he was charged with the
duty of exciting the bull by shaking a
red handkerchief before his eyes. Then
he was promoted to the position of BAN
derillero. The mission of the banderillero
is to plant little javelins in the shoulders of
the animal. At this dangerous game Fras-
cuelo was wonderfully expert. When the
bull rushed at him with lowered head, he
stepped lightly between the animals horns,
and bounded clean over him, planting his
banderillos while in the air. Or he would
simply await the attack, leaning on long
pole. When the animal rushed at him he
support. The bull might break the pole,
but Frascuelo would be sure to land on
his feet some five PAGES from his former
position, and then solemnly salute the
spectators. 1t was by an unanimous vote
that he was raised to the dignity OF
prima spada.
One day at st. Sebastian his chief, Lo-
gartijo, was wounded and was unable to
continue the fight. The crowd called for
Frascuelo to take his place. Frascuelo
picked up the sword, ran at the bull and
classically planted the weapon in the back
of the animals neck. After that day he
killed over 800 bulls in the same manner,
and was often wounded. The crowd wor-
SHIPPED him, not only for his skill and cour-
age, but also for the singular richness of
his costumes. He thought nothing of
spending $1,000 for an equipment, and,
like a pretty woman who changes her
dress for every ball, he never wore the
same costume twice. Frascuelo leaves
considerable fortune, and his heirs, more
over, will find in his desk an immense col
lection of love-letters, locks of hair, faded
fine, collection the like of
which is not possessed by any living man,
not excepting even the most applauded of