Omaha daily bee., 1883-01-26
IN A MEXICAN BULL RING.
In Afternoons Sport In Knterey
d. --Torturing 4 Bull for the
Ploasurs Of the Peeple
And Killing Him at the End of
the Performance it
IL Dope IN Mexico.
yce'sr Ger. Of me rhn,dslphis rl.es.

MONTEREY, Mlxroo, January l.
The "pless de torres" or bull ring Of
Monterey h not an imposing specimen
CT It's class. Seen from the streets, it
presents the appearance of an enclos.
ure 1t reeds some eighteen feet high.
In reality these reeds are fastened to
astrcng s,anolding of poles, which
support the seats on the inside and
serve As . shelter from the sun and
from the cold winds which sometimes
blow In Water time. In the low
stone wall that separates the plaza
from the street are two oponigs lead.
ing to the two opposite series Of seats
In the smphitheater, known respso-
lively - "Sol' and "Sambra" 'Bol"
means the sun, and II you choose to
put up With the discomfort of sitting
In the fall afternoon blAs of that
luminssy while tho performance lsstS
you osa witness II Tor tho sum Of two
reals-about twenty Eve cents. Re-
spectacle folhs generally prefer, how.
ever, to psg . psel o1trs and sit In the
"sombra," or aAade, where their ba oks
are shsltared from the sun by the
aforementioned sssAa and their heads
by . CANVAS awning.
II IN DULL HNs.
Passing Through the gate Of the
''sombra" thea and through . square
opening cut In the reeds Of the edfise,
one finds himself In the hollow space
under the tisss Of sssts. Up . ladder
70 the right anA enc lands on q plat
form Il boards sone eight or nine feet
wide, running sAtassly round the am-
phithsatsr, u . height Of twelve feet
or 20 from the ground. On this plat
form are thsss o. fosr rows Of rosgh,
wooden bspohss. Prom tina inner
edge of II, and rsasAing to The ground,
are several descending ten of rough
bat strong steps or seats. Between
the lowest OF those seAts and the ring
proper, OF ~"arsna," Il Q space Of five
feet. The ring itself Is formed of
stout posts set In the ground about
ten feet apart, with equally stout poles
fastened to them horizontally, to n
height OF about eight feet, a space Of
some half foot being left between each
pole. The arena Is about 100 feet In
diameter. At one side Of it are large
wooden folding gates, through which
the bull fighters enter and through
which the bull makes his exit, dead or
alive. At the side Of the big gates Ia
narrow gate, olosing the entrance to
narrow pen dst wide enough to ad.
NIT a ball. Into this the bull IA
drapped, preparatory to making his
entrance into tho arena, by q rop or
lasso thrown over his horns. Before
turning him owe to the fighters the
tips OF his horns are sAwn CT, nature
having generally made them somewhat
sharper than hia tOrmentors consider
altogether desirable. On the platform
and under . real curtain which Is fes
toonod over his seat sits the '~,jeer" OF
jadge, with his secretary by his sid
aud . truupeter behind him. Below
him sit the musicians, who discourse
very tolerable music appropriate to thu
occasion.
How THEY DREss.
When eyerything is ready aud tn
houe for commencing Generally Az
p. IN hss struck, the judges trump
eter indalgs in a most disoordan
blast, and the pert ,Imsrs enter. FRS
come two 'ehulcs" or "rsllacos," mex
fur or five "toreros" in single file
aud lastly the mounted 'picador" O
"topsdsr," as they call him In Mon
terey. The ''ohuIes" in this part q
the ssust1 ere generally dressed Il
rsprsasat "p~Ailsoos," or clowns, h
red dresses, and with their face
whiteaoA and nnutohed with black
ThAr day h 10 hand tho ''banderillas
10 10 bs~d sril!ers, to pick up tn
broksn fr@gnents Of the former, ant
TO mako themselves generally useful
The drecs Of the ''toreros" or bull
fghsars, u snowy one. Short jack
cts u hr~ight-solored silk, richly on
broid~sd frent and back, sometime
vita silver, sometimes with colore
brsid; wAtstsostz also of elk and en-
broidsrea: xmas brooches of silk,
match the jsokets3 white stocking
and psnps combine to set off the
sturdy 6gosss % the best advantage
On then heAds they wear q cap 9
bonnet Of some, dark, soft, rough m,
terlal, with . psojSotion on either sid
having somewhat the appearance {
hanging dogs esrs; at the back of th
head b . circular bow or knot
back Alk fastened on by q strin
round the forehead, aud lookln
rather like . woman's black hal
Each t1rero carries over his arm
light "capa," or cloak, OF purple Stui
about three feet square, and geperall
rather faded. The ''topador"
plainly dressed In an ordinary era
felt "aombrero," round black JACKIE
aud cloth trousers. He Ia mount5
on a sorry.looking horse, aud carries
stout lance, about nine feet long,
"topar," or stop the bull when |
Charges. The point Is prevented fro
penetrating deeply into the animal |
sknot or ball placed close to the e,
of It, leaving only about and inch
ste i blade exposed. Over the rig
eye of the horse Ia q bandage. I
the right side of the ''topador' al
fastened to his saddle horn hangs
broad sheet of leather, which oove
the entire shoulders of the horse a
the ridsr's leg, aud reaches bslow t
horse's belly. The leg Of the rider
further protected By u heavy, sti
leather boot, reaching to his knee,
THE SHOW BEGISs.
The bull fighters having thus {
tered In single file, preceded by
''pallacos," aud followed by the "tt
ador," then continue to advance II