Omaha daily bee., 1883-05-03

and there Is Q stage, much like those
in American theaters, where the judges
and q number Of the prominent young
men sit. All is on the ground except
the balcony and stage, which 10 only
raised three or four feet therefrom,
and In one part Of the balcony the
orchestra lie stationed. This consists
Of = fiddler, . ante player, q small
and a large brass horn. In front of
these are q number Of Msxi.
q n selling cakes, candles, cigars,
cigarettes and many other articles.
Inside Of the door two men sit ct o
table and receive the entrance fee of
twenry five cents. Upon entering,
the first matter which draws the stten.
tian of the stranger Is the animated
talk aud gestures Of the Mexiosns
who go from one to another with a
handful of money, bantering each
other, and frequently offering two or
three to one upon q favorite cock. In
the ring three or four boys, or young
men, Git holding q string which is
attached to q game cock. These roos.
ters keep up q constant growing, but
as o as the two that are to fight are
brought In all of the others are
picked up and carried out of sight,
when each cock Is weighed upon a pair
of scales kept for the purpose by the
Judges and after that the cruel look.
Ing gaffs or spurs are tied to the legs
of the matched birds. At this juno
ture the excitement becomes more In.
tense than at any other time, and the
natives rush around crying, one psso,
two pasos, three pssos, five pasos, ten
pasos, and 80 on, upon their favorites,
u paso being 81, As SOC as the bets
are all made, two Mexicans take hold
of the cooks and go through the per-
Torrance of getting them into fighting
trim, by thrusting them toward each
other and quickly jerking them
away. The cocks are frantic to get at
each other after the performance Is
repeated several times, and then they
are turned loose, when they attack
each other savAgely. The remarkable
fact at this stage of the fight Is that nc
excitement whatever Is exhibited by
the natives. They sit and watch the
combat with as much composure as an
American does while listening to the
speech of some statesman upon the
money or tariff question, and wher
the fight is wei not the least demon,
stration Is made. The owners
pick up their battle SCARED
roosters, or what Is left of them,
and are ready for another contest,
The Journal correspondent witnessed
three fights to-day, and was surprised
at the remarkably short time 1t tool
to decide each one. The first lastet
two minutes and forty.nine seconds
the second two minutes and four sec
opds, and the last only ifty.three sec
onds. This was from the time the,
were turned loose until one or the 9th
l er was vanquished. In the third bat
tie the cocks really only made thre
. passes at each other. The frs
time they came together neither wa
hurt, and the second time one jumpe
over the others head, but the thir
, time they came square at each other
: but only n WAS seen to rebound
The other, a mag ,ifcent looking gam
i, cock, sank upon the sand, the bloc
squirting from his mouth, and befor
9 his owner could pick him up he wa
@ stone dead. The victor was not hur'
f and crowed loudly ashis highly please
a master carried him away. In the fri
@ fight Il was killed and the othe
badly cut. In the second both die
five minutes after the hight was cor
n cluded. No wonder the contests o,
bloody ones, for the gatfs they use OF
q fully ono inch and a half to two inch'
long and almost as sharp az q razo
Upon examination it was found tn
the vsnquished cock In the last FL
was pierced through the heart, and h
ins.antdeath was natural consequence
The gaffs are sharpened upon 90,
!, sides, and almost every time the CO,
testants come together blood is draw
Another remarkable fact connectt
with this novel entertainment W
II that the best of order was kept, al
is not one person appearing to be II
least intoxicated, was observed the
during the whole afternoon.