Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1885-03-14
ANIMAL FIGHTING IN CHINA.
PugiIistic Turtles, FerOciOus Rodents,
WfIIowy Wildcats.

Though the denizens of the Celestial
empire prohibit all entertainments in
which human beings may be injured,
writes a Perkin correspondent, they
have no objections to fights in which the
participants are animals. Religious per-
sons, especially strict Buddhists, who
believe in the transmigration of souls,
are strong opponents of these sports, but
the young men in China patronize them
extensively. In every great city, such as
Canton. Foo Chow. Peking, and Keeling,
there are hundreds of sporting men who
make their livelihood from these events
Fighting turtles are of two classes,
either the mud or swapping turtles.
They are caught and regularly trained.
They are fed with raw meat and drug
that corresponds with the "loco" OF
Texas. In six mJnths the turtle becomes
sava.e and ugly, and will fight and bite
OH the least provocation. To increase
its bellicose powers. the jaws and teeth
are carefully flied and sand papered
until its mouth is made almost into a
series Of raEors and needles. Each day
,ts trainer leases it with cotton and wood
until it is excited into perfect frenzy,
md bites the training instrument into
small fragments. Six months training
nuts it in good fighting condition.
Young and old turtles are valneless. A
middle aged turtle-that is, one of seven
or eight years is the best.
When the tight comes off the turtles
have been starved and teased for week
and are as ugly as may be imagined
Each is hardled by its own trainer, and
| is teased and tickled until it is in vio
lent rage. 1t is then placed in small
ring with its antagonist, and the fuI
begins. The fight is always to the death
A throat hold means victory. Gereral'.
the legs are the main points of attack
and often both reptiles will lose forele
, in the first round. Their vitality is s
) great that after head is almost Oittel
off it will turn and seize leg or tail an
,, bite as if nothing bad happened. Thes
3 fights last from one to ten hours, and ar
: always largely attended by men an
:, boys.
In the western provinces wild cats ar
iouite common. They resemble tn
American wild cat, but are larger an
= fiercer. They are usually caught whe
r Young, and are brought up so as to d.
e yelop their fighting qualities. A goo
commentary upon their training is the
, market value. When kittens they brir
e about l tael tsl.4O); at year they Al
!. worth 4 taels, and at q they commar
from 10 to 20 taels. hey are matche
e against their own species, and al tim
y, against dogs of about the same geneI
$, type as our bull terriers. rhe ngnt
or bloody and horrible.
In some cities the contest Is MAJ
more exciting and terrible by puttil
as metal studded cellars around the nee
Of the two cats. The fight is then
solved into a matter of endurance, al
re frequently lasts five hours. When
de wild cat is matched against bull teri
the result is very uncertain. Ifthe d
b. gets the cat by the nose, throat, or leg
OF usually wins. But if the cat gets on
hack. which is often the case, the
he has a hopeless fight. After repeated
he tempts to dislodge his foe, he succun
iie from loss of blood and absolute fatigue
Cock fighting in China resembles t