The Evening post. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1888-1889, 1888-12-15
RELIGION IN THE RING.
CELEBR AT1NG THE ANNIvERsARY
or OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE.
The Handsomc i}anderilleros Charm tho
Pretty Senoras with Their Feats OF
Daring and Elicit Applause from Sew
eral American Lady Spectators.
letter 10 me Omaha Bee,

the whole Republic of Me kiCo celebrates
the solemn fiesta of It's patron saint, our
Lady of Guadalupe, with all the eclat
possible. The fiesta commences on the
9th of December and ends on Christmas
day. 1t commentaries the appearance of
the Virgin Mary on a barren hill few
miles out Of the City of Mexico, at the
village of Guadalupe Hidalgo, to poor
and miserable Indian peon named Juan
Diego, to whom she delivered a divine
message. This was on the 9th of Deem
Der in the year 1851, and shortly after
the Indians were converted en- masse to
the Catholic faith.
Since then the Lady OF Guadalupe
has been the Mexican patron saint, and
her memory is worshiped during the
greater part of December by the high
and low. II is one of the strange pecu-
liarities of the Mexican character that
with the great mass of people this wor-
ship takes the shape Of bull and cock
fighting and the widest kind of gambling.
| OF course, this does not refer TO the
higher, the educated and refined classes,
who are of Spanish decent, but it does
apply, almost without exception, to
three.quarters of the population, who
are still of unmixed Aztec origin.
Thus we find that in Paso del Norte.
wherethe population is rs yet largely
Aztec, the people are from the 9th to the
25th of December excessively pious,
which they prove by devoting nearly the
whole time to gambling. bull and cock
| fighting. The bull fighting is the most
aristocratic sport, and is only partici-
| pated in by the well -to-do. for it costs
Mexican dollar to be admitted into the
ring. The INDECENT masses have to be
content with an occasional cock fight and
the countless gambling tables on the
peaza, where tlaco, q local Mexican
coin, worth about one and a-half cents, is
considered comparatively high stakes,
and where, with capital of twenty-five
cents to commence on, you can gamble
the whole day long, and, perhaps, not be
utterly broke when evening comes.
IN THE BULL RING.
The first performance in the bull ring
was given on Saturday evening, and was
participated in by almost 500 Ameri-
can spectators, with enough Mexicans to
pretty freely fest the seating capacity of
| the ring. Yesterday there was q much
larger attendance of both Americans and
Mexicans, El Paso being en- masse.
The bull ring is situated in the rear of
the ancient cathedral, not far from the
barracks and Jail in which Cuttings de-
tention and confinement nearly brought
on an international embroglio.
Shortly after 3 o'clock the bulk Of the
military company, which was stationed
in prominent and commanding po-
sition, sounded few blaring notes on the
trumpet, and the gate was thrown open
| G., r.,ah Nf tl,a G,ath hall
His advent is calmly awaited by the pro-
young men of splendid physique, active
and agile. and dressed in rich and snowy
costumes of bright silk and silver braid.
Two of them are mounted on small,
rather poor, but active ponies. These
two are the picadors, and they are
armed with short and heavy lances.
The horses right side and the picador' S
left leg are protected by side of thick
sole leather that hangs loosely down
nearly to the ground and breaks the force
of the furious thrusts which the bull in
fcts with his horn.
PROTECTING THE HORSE.
The right eye of the horse, the poor
an imal which is the only participant
that is exposed to any particular danger,
is bandaged so that he is unable to see
the rushing onslaught of his assailant,
and has to be guided in his movements
entirely by the rider. Four Of the bull
fighters are on foot, holding in their
hands and waving in the bulls face large
red blankets. These are the banderil-
leros, and their function is to worry and
infuriate the bull and stick into his sides
the banderillos, cruel iron bars decked
out with elaborate paper tiowery orna-
ments and profusiop of gold and silver
tinsel. Besides these there were in yes
terday's performance mounted banderil-
los, quite daring innovation; matador,
or espada, whose Office is to dispatch the
bull with a well directed sword thrust
when he has been sufficiently worried
and tortured. As special attraction
there is, ALSO during the present bull
fighting season, Antonio Fuentes, who
jumps over the rushing bulls back with
the aid of long pole. The leap is a
perilous one.
When the first bull rushed in the two
picadors were stationed each at one side
of the gate, while fronting it, ranged In a
line, were the banderllleros. each with
his blanket extended and inviting the
first onslaught. As the bull dashes
through the gate an attendant concealed
behind it sticks a short, sharp barb into
his back to thoroughly liven him up and
let him Know what is In store for him.
With foaming muzzle he makes for the
nearest red blanket. The nimble Mex
lean for whom he goes jumps quickly
aside and escapes the vicious thrust that
the horns Of the animal make at him.
The bull tries the next blanket with
equally poor success, then dashes to the
outer side of the arena, turns around,
eyes his foes for a moment, and makes
for the nearest horse, which animal re-
ceives the full force of the mad rush on
his SIDE, but, protected by the heavy
leather shield, is only thrown aside a
dozen feet against the wooden fence, but
not before the picador has had chance
to thrust his pike into the bulls tough
hide, making an ugly and no doubt very
painful wound, from which the red blood
spouts into the air,
DIvERTING THE BULLS ATTENTION.
The amin al is about to renew the at
tack, but two or three Of the banderil-
leros throw themselves in his front and
with their blankets divert his attention.
lie now goes for the other horse, strikes
the leather shield, and by the sheer force
of his wild rush throws him Off his feet
and sends him rolling and kicking in the
sand, but before the bull can attack and
gore him in his helpless condition the
banderilleros jump between, shout at the