Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-02-07
Animal Fighting in China.
From the New York C1ipper.


Animal Fighting in China.
From the New York C1ipper
Though the denizens Of the Celestial Empire
prohibit all entertainments in which human
beings may be injured. they have no objection
to fights in which the participants are animals.
Religious persons. especially strict BuddhSts
who believe in the translnigration OF souls, are
strong opponents OF these sports. but, the young
men in China patronage them extensively. In
every great city such as Canton. Foo-Chow,
Pekin. and ke-Lung. there are hundreds OF
sporting men who make their livelihood from
these events.
Fighting turtles are of two classes, either the
mud or swapping turtle. They are caught and
regularly trained They are fed with raw meat
and drug that corresponds with the loco" OF
Texas. In six months the turtle becomes savage
| and ugly. and Will fight and bite on the smallest
prOvocatiOn. To Increase its belcoSe powers.
the Jaws and teeth are carefully nled and sand
papered until its mouth is made almost into q
series OF razOrs and needles. Each day its
trainer leases 1t with cotton and wood until it s
excited into perfect frenzy and bites the trsia-
ing instrument into small fragments Six
months training puts it In good lighting
condition. Young and old turtles are value
less. A middle-aged turtle-that Is, one OF
seven or eight years-s the best. When
the fight comes off the turtles have been
starved and leased for a week. and are a.
ugly as may be imagined. Each Is handled
by its own trainer. and is leased and tlekled
until it Is In q violent rage. 1t is then placed
in small ring with its antagonist, a1d the fln
begins. The fight is always to the death A
throat hold means victory Generally the legs
are the main points of attack. and often both
reptiles will lose a foreleg In the first round
Their vitality is so great that after head Is al
most bitten off it will turn and seize Lee or
tail and bite as il nothing had happened. These
fights last from one to ten hours. and are always
largely attended by men and boys.
In the western provinces wildcats are quite
common. They resemble the American wicat
but are larger and tiercer. They are usually
caught when young. and are brought so as to
develop their fighting qualities. A good COM
mentary upon their training ia their market
value. When kittens they bring about one tae
{Sl.40); at one year they are worth four taels
and at two and half they command from ten
to twenty. They are matched against their own
species. and at times against dogs. Of about the
same general type as our bull terriers. The
fight is bloody and horrible
In some cities the contest IL made more ex-
citing and terrible by putting metal studded col
lars around the necks of the two cats. The
fight is then resolved into matter of endur-
ance. and frequently lasts five hours. When q
wildcat Is matched against bull terrier the
result is very uncertain. Ii the dog catches the
cat by the nose. throat. or leg he usually wins
But if the cat gets on his back. which is often
the case. the dog has q hopeless fight After re-
peated attempts todislodge his foe, he succumbs
from loss of blood aud absolute fatigue
Cock fighting in China resembles that in the
United States. The rules are about the same.
but the gaffs are often more deadly. Instead
of representing the normal shape of the bird 9
weapon, they are made with two or three points
and with edges like razOrs Under such cir.
cumstanees fight Is frequently determined In
a few minutes. In Pe-Che-Li the seak Is some
times shod with pointed steel. and no gaffs are
| employed. Unless the eye or throat "a struck
| the fight Is long and monotonous, the birds be-
| ing covered with blood in two minutes They
are also stimulated to Increased efforts by beiRy
| fed with grain soaked In no-ma-da-o, a liquor
| corresponding to whiskey. Fighting or game
cocks are valuable In China, and have been bred
| for generations Those Of Foo-Chow are the
| most valuable, and posaess few qualities save
| those of great beauty and reckless couraSs
| They range in price from half tael (xsysnty
cents) to fifty taels (seventy doliars) according
| to the strain from which they come. The best
| have pedigrees longer than those Of our great
| horses and dogs.
/ Male rats are very pu2nacious especially In
the spring. They are fed lightly during the
winter months, and with raw meats and hsh-
bones. In March and April they arc In eondi-
| ton. and. with a little excitement, become very
ferOcious. They are usually fought in q small
| ring. not more than three test in diameter
/ These fights are sharp and short seldom last
| ing more than twenty minutes. Each tries to
strike the other on the throat. just behind the
| ear. and when he succeeds death follows
| These rats are also fought. against dogs and
| cats. Generally these combats are uninterest.
| ing. the rat having an instructive fear OF both
these animals. At times, however, when well
| trained, they show fight and often have been
| known to kill the luckless cat or dog put into
| the pit against them.
Quas, strange to say, are also, good fighters
| In the spring and fall they develop q puglustic
| instinct altogether Interesting. They hght with
! beak. wing, and claw. The Chinese aport sharp
ems the beak to needle point trims the wing
| and wing feathers until they are . serisa o,
needless and works the claws into similar sharp
ness In these fights the hen quail u never
| used. They are good natured and affectIonate
The cock. however. Is very bellioose, and strikes
out until he is dead or disabled He differs
! from the game cock in his style Of work. Two
cocks stand up. peek. dodge, and gaR and then
/ endeavor each to strike the other with the
| trimmed wings successful blow means tenn
| porary binding and q consequent vlcsery for
| the happy striker. Sometimes, especially when
women are present, the back a1d claws are
a case endurance aud pluck are the dstsrnin-
| ing factors. and a long and very funny stsukQle
is the consequence. Frequently thees soft
| glove" fights. If the term may be allowed, VIII
! keep on for hours and the two birds will drop
down at the end from sheer fatigue
Alleged Brides 10 Treasury Detectives.
! From the New York Sun to-day
| number Of merchants aud others have been
summoned to attend before the United States
Grand Jury to tell what they know about the
taking OF brides by customs detectives attached
! to the special treasury ageat sfiics
The InauguraIlon Hat.
| From the Baltimore American
II have just finished Cleveland's inaugura.
ton hat, said Peter Jebson, the large Roches.
ter manufacturer, yesterday to an American re.
porter. II intended to present the hat to the