The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1885-04-18
BULL FIGHT In MEXICO.
How the Brutal Sport is Offlcially
Conducted.
Two Broken Down, Embodied Horses
and One Bull Slaughtered In Each
Activity the Pastime q
Popular.


-
went to bull fight this afternoon.
Everybody who comes to Mexico is ad-
vised to attend one, but never saw an
American who wanted to witness sec
ond, and it is cold-blooded and heart
less individual who sits the performance
through. We were recommended to
take carriage instead of the tramway,
so that we might return at pleasure,
and when the second bull was disposed
of, and four horses had been disem-
boweled, we felt grateful for the adj
vice.
l shall not attempt to describe the
affair in the technical manner in which
it is treated by the sporting editors of
the Mexican papers, but give a picture
of the cruel sport as it looks to the I'M
initiated, expressing preliminary re-
greet that the casualties were confined
entirely to the four-legged brutes who
participated. To call it bull fight is a
misnomer. The bull doesn't fight. At
least he doesn't want to. He is baited
until he becomes frightened, and in his
efforts to escape, plunges at whatever
lies in his path.
The affair of to-day, as announced
upon the flaming posters, took place
under 1.-The distinguished patronage"
of the Governor of the Federal District
of Mexico, which here corresponds to
the District of Columbia in the United
States, and he was there with his staff
and three small boys-his sons-all of
them under fifteen years of age, whom
he is educating in the manner of Mexi-
can parents.
The Mexican Government has of late
years become humanized to the extent
of prohibiting these brutal spectacles
within the city limits, and they now
take place at what is called the "Plaza
de Toros'' or Bull Park, on the plains,
five or six miles from the city. En- route
thither one passes around Chapultepec,
the famous rocky hill, two miles from
the city, upon which the palace of the
Montezumas stood, and where Cortez
erected beautiful castle for his own
residence and that of the long line OF
Spanish viceroys who succeeded him.
1t was stormed by the United States
troops in the Mexican war, and cap
tured after desperate struggle Max
imilian occupied it while he was EN-
peror, and beautified it to limited
degree. His plans were very grand,
and had he been permitted to rule
Mexico few years longer would have
developed the remarkable natural adj
vantages of Chapultepec. and made
it one of the most beautiful and pic
turesque spots in the world.
The castle, which is very pretentious
and covers several acres, is now used as
the National Military School, the West
Point of Mexico, and 400 young fellows
are now being taught the art of war
within its historic walls. Diaz has a
plan to arrange there the permanent
Executive Mansion. and will probably
I make the necessary changes and re-
pairs. The rooms which poor crazy
Carlotta occupied during the brilliant
but brief period she was Empress of
Mexico, have been tom to pieces and
are now filed with rubbish.
Back of the castle of Chapultepec is
the battlefield of Moline del Rev (the
mill of the king) where General Scott
met stubborn resistance when he at
tempted to enter Mexico, but drove the
Mexicans up the hill. The old earth
works erected by the latter still stand
rs they were at the time of the battle,
and are usually visited BY tourists.
On the plain beyond the battlefield
stands an ampitheater inclosed within a
massive wall of adobe, the mud bricks
which are used for building material in
all the rainless region of this continent.
The amphitheater is arranged in the
usual form, except that the shady side
is divided up into boxes, to be occupied
by the grandees, while the sunny side
has plain board benches for the bare
footed Castilians of low degree, and the
gentle Aztecs whose mild eyes and pa
thetic Difference give no key to the
cruelty of which their race has been
guilty. The center of the amphitheater
is inclosed by board wall, perhaps
eight feet in height, surmounted at a
point two feet higher by heavy cable
strung through stalwart iron rods. The
top OF this fence appeared to be the
fayorite eyrie from which to survey the
field, and upon it for the entire length
sat row of urchins, with here and
there q bearded man. all poised upon
the edge, with their legs hanging over
into the bull ring and their arms cling
ing to the rope.
The Governor, tall swarthy man,
with wide sombrero, mustache and
goatee, the very picture of the '.haugh-
ty Don." sat in decorated box, with
the flag of his country profusely droop-
ing around him. He had two aides-de-
camp. his three children, and an order
ly, who with trumpet sounded blast
now and then to convey his Excellency's
desires. We happened luckily to- have
the adjoining box, from which we could
watch him closely and hear his COM