Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-03-24
IN NElGHBORsNG ISLES.
Graphic Description OF Bull.Fightimg
I'm Cuba.

Graphic Description OF Bull. Fighting
TIE POPULARITY or BULL FiGHTs--wHExE coS-
TESTS TAKE PLACE AND PREPARATIONS ARE MADE
THE ACTORS AND THEIR DUrIEs-MARvELoUs
FEArs OF AGILITY AND DARING.
Special Correspondence of The EVENING STAR.
tCopyrightedl
HAVANA, CUBA, March 10 1885,
IL Is hardly a fair thing TO say that the Spanish
people are, as race, brutal people because they
Will not forego bull-nghtlng. They would 10 quite
as correct in pronouncing all English speaking
people brutal because pugiism, horse-racng base
ball, cooking mains and dog-fghting are pretty
common among the Latter. 1t is no more brutal to
kill bull artistically for money than it is TO
artistically pound mans head to Jelly for money.
spanish wit, gossip, Journalism, are no more
busied with the Details the fortunes and mishapS
OF the arena, than is American w.t. gossip, Journal
ism, with Sullivanism- In recent issues OF a lead
Ing Boston journal many columns were filled with
commendatory remarks on pugilism by statesmen,
editors and clergymen! You could not secure such
expressions from the same class OF men either In
spain or Cuba Nor do the best classes In either
Spea nlSlc oqlignts You VIII see at some
ple-peopfe who are not very particular about
THEIR associations occasionally; a few well-mean-
lnS ladies' who are cut OF their place, and some
other kinds of women. A bull-fight In any lar,e
American city would attract precisely the same
CitoScS 50 lnty 90 mere and In spain. Ana tnat
IS all there Is In the sociology OF the bullnght IL
may be called Spanish national amusement; but
only that because 1t is one exclusively INDUCED in
Dy spanish people; viii draw the largest mixed
asSemDlages, and yield the most money.
FAMOUS NAIADoRs.
The greatest living matador the espada pri-
nero OF the world, Is Francisco Sanchez (alias
LagartiJo>. Undoubtedly he is the most daring,
brilliant, and skillrul bull fighter that ever lived.
HIS handling OF the wild and savage bulls OF
Jaraina Is something marvellous. lie now seldom
appears In Spain, $1,000 being his price for e.ch
appearance He Il great pet OF the Spanish aris-
JOcracy; Is very rich; and the personal friend
and rOy STEERING cOnpIn OF the late King Alfonso
other famous fighters OF our day are Rafael Mo-
INA, Angel Pastor, Jos. Gomez Juan Sanchez,
hcrm0sIlIa, and Luis MazZantini-now winning an
enormous fortune In Mexico. The life OF the latter
has been full OF romance and adventure. He was
destined Tor the priesthood He possesses
poetic nature; ran away from the university
a. Madrid; Joined band OF strolling Gipsy
musicians, and wandered many years through
the Spanish provinces, breaking many
| a fair lays heart, and at last having his own
heart broken by peasant girl or Arlnjuez. His
friends finally discovered Inn; secured him a
position in the postal service at Madrid but he de-
serted this; wrote poetry which was printed but
would not sell; and sang In opera, but failed.
Finally he publicly announced that he would be-
come the most noted OF spanish matadOrs AT this
all spain laughed, which gave him note. But
MaZZantinl laughed back, and gave the people this
say Ing: moi King, but tenor or bullhghier
only, can enSlave Spainv That gave him fame.
tie Is young, rich, ana the only rival to-day i'll the
affections OF the masses OF Francisco Sanchez.
WHERE THE FIGHTS ARE HELD.
But cuba has her great men OF this sort and her
great bull-rights too. These functions occur both
In Regla on the eastern side OF the harbor and at
grand plaza de TOros, In the outskirts OF Havana
proper. They are always held on Sunday, the
great, bright, brilliant day OF the week in cuba,
also remarkable for It's innumerable funeral
cOrteses Everything In Sunday street life and
action concentrates at Campo Mario. From
thence PaseO de TacOn sweeps to the colossal
statue OF Carlos Ill. At that point Calzada del
III. n
crowned by Castillo del Principe. They form splen-
did paseo nearly miles long. 800 feet broad, and
IreIuented on all evenings ana sundays by brilliant
throngS Yesterday, as had been many q time
before, became part OF an interesting crowd on
The noted Colon, or columbus cemetery, Is reached
by the same avenue So hundreds OF gay equip
ages, scores OF cabal6ros on horseback, may be
dozen funeral cortegeS with stately mourning
muteS In black at the heads OF pure black or pure
white horses, fully 800 Spanish infantry with a
corps OF trumpeteers and the rne military band
more III the porticoS and balconies along the way
provided an Interesting study route TO the scene
Of slaughter.
THE HAVANA PLAZA DE ToRos
is built upon the same model those in all large
spanish cities. Imagine a circus-ring about zoo
feet In diameter, with floor OF hard smooth clay
encircled by stout wood, or iron wall six feet
high called barrera primero or first barrier, and
a second one ell barrera seyundo, a few feet dis
tant, slightly higher with circling seats rising In
tiers Ike steps nifty feet above and terminating
in row OF private boxes around the entire circus
the latter only being protected by root; and
with the necessary accessories You have picture
OF this one ana ali. At side Is the richly fur
nished palco del presdente, or private box OF the
presiding officer, usually the soyernor-generai
and hallway between on the one side, are the
chiqueros. or stalls, where the bulls are shut in
darkness until the night for their lives TO the
death begins, in front OF which is the tOri or en-
trance OF the doomed brute 10 the arena. Exactly
opposite these chiqueros Is the puerta oe los tor
entrance hull-lQhfprS
selves; while everywhere are stamp
the castle and keys OF the natioIiM
marking the divisions OF the private boxes above
float yellow and red flags. the ensign and types
OF the greed and blood OF tyraGnous spain Beneath
large number OF apartments-the cantina or public
restaurant; the salon de los toreros the green
room of the bull-nghters; a butcher-shop where
the dead bulls are dressed and made ready for use
by the hospitals OF the city, TO which they are
given; the enfermiria or in1rmary where the
wounded or dead are cared for. and Glminutiye
chapel with attendant priests where the bull
lighter knees before the virgin LA Yirgen de La
SOledad) Imporing her protection during the COM
bat, and where he may receive the last sacrament
should he Ce dragged out the reSes muertes gate
instead OF his dumb antagonist.
THE PARTICIPANTS.
No description OF bull II sht can be made posi-
bic OF comprehension, unless a humber OF words.
and terms whose avoidance OF use Is Impossible
first defined. Plaza de toros literally the bull
place, Il the circus structure for the fiesta de
/ IOTOS or Uuli-nSnt Itself. Oh The actors in the
affair the espadas spades or blades from the
swOrD are the first or most noted maUadors or
lighters, bearing the same relation TO the ordinary
Hlatador rs the star" does 10 the ''eading" man
upon the stage. His work is to singly engage and
dispatch the bull when the animal has been
sufficiently enraged 70 satisfy the OnloOkers.
PicadoreS are horseinen clad In armOr 10 With
stand the OnSlaugntS OF the bull. The picador is
armed with long pea or pike with blunt steel
point. Then COME the DanderiilGrOS, who, with
no recourse OF defense save their alertnesS and
neetness, plunge banderlaS or barDed darts =
feet long, bedecked with gay ribbons, into the
bulls neck To assist in engaging him. The chuloS
are sort of geneTa-utility people 10 succor a Dis
mounted picador or any one wounded in The irdy
carry on the deId, as not inrretiUently happens
Last comes the puntiilerO, who stands ready 10
give the quieting stroke when the bull Is al eady
Iallen II he may happen 10 be tenacious or life 10
his death struggle.
Nearly 1900 people witness every one OF these
more important fiestas dc toros. The half thou
sand soldiers are divided into compac. squads and
stationed In various commanding places In the
amphltheater. A lew hundred women are here,
from among los mestzos. or the mixed bOods, a
few OF the poorer whites with their husbands and
occasionally, In the private boxes, the wives OF
high Oifcials with here and there curious Amer
lean tourist and her companions. Ten thousand
OF the people present are provided with some
hideOuS sOund-maklng device with which To add 10
the din In emphasizing applause or scorn. The
band Is playing the llyelieoI oil airs Everybody Is
nled with alert. excited expectancy. Al precisely
O'Clock the sOsernor-general VINO acts as the
complnied by dignitaries and military ofiicer5 OF
higl. rank from LIE forts nalco