The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-03-20
TIE COCK FIGHT.
The Early Days COnirast"d With tn" Pre-
sent-yesteriay at the Pit-A f"or
Blind Mana Natural Fight-A
Fight With the SIashers-A
GaT Fight and a
Fist Fight
THE EARLY DAYS.


THE EARLY DAYS.
CockGghting has been an institution in our
city as long ago as we can remember, and in
early times was the choice excitement of tho
inhabitants. In those days, when the whole
population Of our city, on summer evenings,
would resort to the banks of our crystal river
and take a bath without the intervention Of
bath houses,-when people lived and kept on
living beyond the allotted days of man;-when
there were but three houses two stories hgl.
in the place, and the selfish greed of the for
eigner had not destroyed The beauty and fresh
ness of the natural paradise that
stretched out on all sides Of the
old Spanish town. In those days, on Sunday
aftern IONS, the cockpit was improvsed in
front of the old church on Main square, and
priest and people made up the audience and
the active participants in the then innocent
sport We say innocent sport. because, after
all, it is custom, fashion, law, that creates the
harm. Times change, and with the change
the things that were done for pastime by a
primitive community, situated amidst Wild
and untame1 region, are now deemed degrad-
| ing by more aesthetic public.
These reflections led us to the remark
that cock fighting has always been favoritc
amusement in our city.
THE COCKPIT YESTERDAY.
Learning that there would be contest be-
tween two gentlemen who are the recognized
breeders and importers Of game chickens, at
the cockpit on the corner of Dolorosa and
Laredo streets, were present in order to tell
the public exactly how the performance is
carried on.
The cockpit consists Of an enclosure about
6ox6p feet, rooted over and enclosed.
In the center is ring planked up
to the height of two feet and half, with
one opening that is closed with door when a
| fight is in progress; this ring is covered with
clean saw dust. Outside the ring tiers OF
seats rise to the roof, and the place will &C
commodate three hundred men and boys, In
the way of an audience. Leading to the
cock pit the entrance from the street is through
bar-room kept by a Mexican gentleman.
| AUDIENCE.
| We arrived rather early and had ample
| lime to study the audience and
make note of the effect of the perform
ance formed the opening TO the closing scene.
| One of the gentlemen who were to make up
| the great match Of the afternoon was present
with his birds and from the centre of an adj
miring c. ovid who examined and commented on
his game birds. A half hour sped by and the
other contestant not putting in an appearance
the crowd become impatient and there was a
| lutter of excitement as bantcrs were made by
several.
The fighting chickens are brought to the
pit and sold to those making the fight. These
birds bring various prices, from $I.25 to SIS,
but the lowest figure generally governs; the
owner being entitled to his return after the
| contest.
| The incesSant Growing of these birds will
the conversation of the crowd, in English,
Spanish and broken English, and dislocated
German and other tongues blended in, Gre
aes confusion Of sounds as various as the
complexion of the crowd ITSELF that is com
posed Of Mexcans, Germans, Americans,
Englishmen, Chinaman or two, and 4 few OF
our colored friends.
| To say that the crowd represented all classes
of society, in 4 more or less degree, would
cover the ground. To say that it was hard
or rough crowd would not be true, because
while the largest portion were Mexicans there
was no special class represented. We will
not. say it was an exalted employment for
leading hardware, and dry goods merchants,
and bankers to be engaged in, but most Ger
tainly there was an absence of those hardened
characteristics that surround the sporting events
of other cities.
| THE FIRST FIGHT
Was between a couple of birds without gaff:
or slashers. People who object to cock fight
ing generally condemn the use OF
knives or gafIs, but really the pro-
longed contest between couple OF
chickens in their natural condition is subject to
greater objection than the short, sharp contest
with the gaffs or slashers. This fight lasted
for considerable length of time until the
crowd became weared with it. Each bird
WAS handled bV a man who when fine u1 :