Morning journal and courier., 1882-03-29
Bull Flights in Madrid.
From Harpers Magazine

In every crowd and cafe you see the tall, shapely, dark-faced, silent men with cool, professionally murderous look like that of our border desperadoes, whose enormously wide black hats, short jackets, tight trou- sers, and pigtaiIs of braided hair proclaim them chuLOS, or members of the noble ring Intrepid, with muscles of steel, and finely formed, they are very illiterate we saw one of them gently taking his brandy at the Cafe de Paris after | hard combat, while his friend read from an evening paper a report of the games in which he had just fought, the mans own education not enabling him to decipher print. But the higher class of these profes- s1onals are the idols, the denli-g gods, of the people. Songs are made about them, their deeds are painted on fans, and popular chromos illustrate their loves and woes !; people crowd around to see them in hotels or the street as if they were heroes or star tragedians. Pet dogs are named for the well-known ones; and it was even rumOred that one of the chief swordsmen had secured the affections of patrician lady, and would have married her but for the interference of friends Certain it is that whole class of yoHng bucks of the lower order-"Arrys" is the British term-get themselves up in the closest allowable imitation of bul-fighters, down to the tuft of hair left growing in front of the ear. The cSpd00S or mdtadOyes, killers, who give the mortal blow, hire each
 
 cluding picddOreS, 6UHde13IleJOS, and pltHtC5TIO. For every fight they receive $500, and some times they lay up large fortunes. To see the sport well from seat in tho Shade one must pay well. Tickets are mouopolized by spec ulators, who no less than the fighters, have their ring" and gore buyers as the bull does horses. We gave ss2 apiece for places. Nevertheless, the route to the Place of Bulls IS lined for mile with omnibuses, tartanas, broken-down diligences and wheezy cabs to convey the horde of intending spectators to the fight on Sunday afternoons; along stream of pedestrians files in the same direction, and the showy turn-outs of the rich add dignity to what soon becomes wild rush for the scene of action. The mule bells ring like a rain of metal, whips crack, the drivers shout wildly and at full gallop we dash by windows full of on-lookers by the foaming fountains of the Prado and up the road to the grin Colosseum of stone and brick, set in the midst of scorched and arid fields, with tho faint peaks of the snow capped Guadarramf range on, miles to the north, through dag l zling white sunshine Within is the wide ring, sunk in a circular pit of terracei i granite crowned by galleries. The wholt l great round. peopled by at least 10000 be ! ings, is divided exactly by the sun and the | shadow-S0L 2 s0Bljrd and from our coo 1 place we look at the vivid orange sand of the half-arena in sunlight and the tiers of seat | beyond, where swarms of paper fans, red
 yellow, purple and green are yielded to shel ter the eyes of those in the cheaper section
 or bring air to their lungs. No connected
 account of bull tourney can impart the vlv
 idness, the rapid changes, the suspense, tht
 skill, the picturesqueness, or horror, ot tn
 actual thing All occurs in rapid glimpses in fierce, dramatic, brilliant and often gha st