Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-03-17
FROM OLD MEXICO.
Life in sombrerete The Fiesta Of
Candalaria.
Mexican Interest in Bull Fights The
Penitential Dance.
An American Lady's Observations in
the Land 81 Mines, Parrots
and Donkeys.
Correspondence o. Tho Gazette.


inaans nevertheless, looking thrOugl
bats, for my windows arc grated, and
seeing strange sights, ~ the view from
them commands the principal street
which has been unusually lively tht
pnst week, IL being the great Fiesta Of
Faudalarla. Occasionally | forgot e
took, and fell into rcverie, Specializing
vaguely upon mankind, and wonder
ing what was that we called civilian
Z tion2 Had ] stepped backward, or
was IL that, restraints removed, all OF
us fell into primitive manners? But,
as no mere dreamer has ever alleylated
mans condition, or elevated him la
the scale Of morals, | viii not trouble
your readers with my problems, but
only detail some Of the views In this
moving panorama. leaving them 10
draw their wn conclusions.
This fiesta commenced on the second
Of February, and for miles around the
roads were lined with donkeys loaded
with the products Of the country, In
GLIDING wares, blankets, riv0sas, aud
other manufactures. You remem-
Der that all the people went up 10 .Je-
rliselam 70 be taxed could think of
nothing else, for just such II motley
crowd came up hcrea aud what can be
put upon donkey only Mexican
knows. But the great event Of that
day was the arrival Of the bulls for the
fights, which took place every day for
eight days, such crowds Of people ns
attended, never seeming To tire OF the
cruel sport MI ranks, sexes and con
ditions, eager To be there, for like the
circus AT home, however much they
may beg charity, they are never too
poor To patronizc Liz Plaza dc Tau
ros.r
Every day AT l2 o'clock the fighters
paraded the streets with band OF
music, aud dressed AZ if for the stage
and marshaled by clown and with
his nslinl train of boys. That there
was fun In him was more than / could
discern. Indian stolidity and Spanish
dignity do not seem to be the best
combination for u jester. At five
o'clock all business suspended, and
the street was thronged with people;
the majority Of course the common
people, but every now and then an |
immense carriage would dash past. /
eight mules in a gallon withIout-ridcrs !
enough 10 guard the treasure within. I
which consisted Of senoritas in their |
gala dresses lin fact dressed ~ for an ,
evenings entertainment. Two Sun |
day fights were the most thronged MS |
that IL the day of amusement here. /
Doubtless your renders have seen
better descriptions Of these than | can !
give but Will IN brief give them n |
little insight into the sport The bull /
issues into the ring from side door. |
At first he seems dazed hut Il soon
goaded 10 fury by the men in the
arena who have n duh iron point at
tached to pole TO prick him with and
shaking red cloth In his face; he
darts nj them but they gracefully eludc
nm ana II Is seldom u man ~ hurt; il
" death, however, To the bull and
horses. The most skillful of these men
stick into liis hidesharpcned Irons con
cenled ny an ornament Sphere In
shape and composed of bright colorcd
papers, artificial flowers and ribbons
the great Ient being 10 so fnstcn them
IN his shoulders that In his mad
piunges he may still retain them The |
poor horse Is hlindfolded and the legs
OF the rider protected by thick
rawhide. AS said before he seldom
suffers In the FRAY NJ when
the horse Is thrown, he manages 10
get of, before the attack IL renewed
The horses seldom COME out alive for
II not killed instantly, they are 40 dis.
nblcd, M TO have To be shot. The bull
is always dispatched by the sword of
the matador, and II IL esteemed tile
browning feat of ii all, TO do II with
one stroke of the sword, which many
OF them can do, md 10 fnil il 10 bc M.
imercliully Kissed ut. have said moth.
ing OF the disgusting details leaving
tne imagination to picture them, hut
they abound | assure YOU. Yes, IL IL
q barbarous sport, cruelin the extreme,
but can we say much, when our IN.
pers have special reportes to write
lengthy accounts of prize fights
ana dog fights, which ara read by our
eager public who could not be there TO
sccr
VI course such time brings the
gamblers, and as these are u gaming
people, one sees curious sights. for
nothing Is concealed. Roulette and
monte seemed to be tho fayoritcs, al
though there were many other games
That ! did not know the names OF. At
any u,ne and almost anywhere, YOU
could bet away your money ON chick.
cn-lghting, FOR II seemed 10 me every
other man was carrying cock I'm his
arms. Iherc were three rooms fitted
WI ~ tih' iiNuSN Wutft we tbfmprlN
lived for gambling, one for ladies OK
pressly; 80 you see here tho boys don't
have NIL the nun, Then YOU might see
the head ola family come In accomlpa.
MED by his wife. grown daughters and
the wee ones, n servant following with
bag Ola thousand silver dollars ON
his shoulder The papa would give
To oach share, reserving some Two
or three hundred for himself, and then
the fun begins; for this Il nothing se-
rlous, only diversion. II only becomes
grave when tens of thousands are
salSed, One man, II Is said, lost forty
thousand But this morning they
have folded their tents no, loaded
their donkeNs, but still like Arabs
stole
but 10 me all this was less interestinp
than she religious service !, IL SO they can
he called at n little chapclon hin near
the cemetery, which Is specially dedi.
Gated to Candalaria, and II really tho
shrine OF the pilgrims. Here Is cele-
hrated a pchiftRfldi dance, the women
dancing inside the church and The
men outside. IL Is ID reality dance
OF the Indians before the CONQUEST Inv
the Spaniards; but the church. with
her wonted adaptlhility, has converted
u INTO religious observance. and bv
u the performers hope TO obtain remis.
sion for many sins. sunday morninp
Went up there in the company OLA