Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-04-04

saddling and Riding an Enraged Bull-IWo
Fools Who win Take No More Daring
PromenAdes-women Become as Excited
and CIamorous as the Men.
The national sport of these countries,
which ape the customs of their Spanish (
ancestors, is the bull fight; but in the
skill shown by the professionals the exhi- I
bitions cannot be compared tothose OF |
Havana or of larger Mexican towns. Not
having any bull ring in Trujillo, the
plaza was fenced in on three sides with
heavy oak, the fourth side of the square
being the fronts of line of houses, whose
occupants, during the continuance of the
fight, could not leave their homes with
out stepping out of the front door into
the bull ring. No sport is so attractive
to the Honduranian as this, and he blocks
out his time SO well that the seductive
game of poker, which he calls "pokar,"
is never going on when his desire is to
be in the plaza. The fence was covered
with urchins from miles around, and
many foolhardy "ladinos," or half
breeds, were daring their acquaintance
to walk arm in arm around the ring
while the enraged animal was being tor
tured by the picadors. On two different
occasions during the hour was watching
the bull twice left his tormentors and
butted through those taking their daring
promenade, and with such success that
two fools were killed before the trained
bull fighters could control the bull.
DANGEROUS RIDE.
OF six bulls but one was deemed
worthy of being killed; but in obedience
to the yells and demands of the specta-
tors, the ceremony of saddling and rid
ing the brute had to be done before the
death, which requires what seems at
first the most reckless disregard of dan
ger. A rope is thrown over the bulls
horns, with which he is dragged to the
fence, his head held close to the ground,
roaring with rage, while strong saddle
is securely buckled on with two heavy
horsehair girths. The moment this is
done a cowboy, or ''vaquero. jumps
into the saddle, the bull is let loose, and
goes roaring and plunging and bucking
with rage around the ring. The vaquero
tortures the brute with spiked spurs, and
after each contortion or unsuccessful at
tempt to unseat his rider, comes the
spontaneous and deafening applause
from the spectators, which increases the
animals rage.
Great agility and strength is necessary,
and tho rider fairly takes his life into his
own hands when he springs on the beast.
He is unable to dismount until the bull
is tired out with his tremendous exer-
tions, and then he is again dragged to the
fence to be unsaddled. The vaquero
saw was twenty-five minutes in the sad
die, and when ready to dismount fell cx
hausted into the arms of his companions
too weak to walk to his quarters; and il
was his gut and will power only thai
prevented him from being thrown, goret
and stamped to death by the infuriatet
bull during the last five minutes of thu
performance.
When the bull had been enraged to tn
satisfaction of all, loud cries came from
every throat for the "matador," whit
was no more than dark skinned mix
ture of negro and Carib, and da.
laborer in Trujillo. The cries had hardl.
died away, when tho slight, symmetrica
figure of the matador appeared, facin
the bull ON the other side of the ring q
the exhausted picadors retired. He wa
dressed in chamois trousers, with tigh
fitting black velvet blouse beautiful
embroidered in gold and silver bullion
while on his head was the regulatio
cooked hat, with black ostrich plumes.
THE ARTISTIC SLAYER.
For an instant the bull glared at h
new enemy, who stood bashfully tappir
his leg with his sword as the noise cease,
The animal seemed to appreciate WI
the matador was there, and with bru
instinct rushed on him head down to raj
him on his horns. The suspense w
great as the bull drew near, but not
muscle Of the matador moved. VIII
the animals horns were but two fe
from the motionless man, he quiet
stepped aside and planked two spik
rods, ono with each hand, in the anima
shoulders. The bull roared with rage al
plowed up the earth in his efforts
stop in his headlong rush, and to retu
again to the matador. Three times t
infuriated bull charged him, and th1
times the matador carelessly planted
twospikes, when the spectators demand
the death Of the bull. The man mere
examined the point of his sword, stepp
aside as before, dexterously plunged
weapon to its hilt between the should
blades until it pierced the heart, and
animal fell quivering in death at his fe
The enthusiasm knew no bounds: N
threw their hats over into the ring, en-
tied their pockets of money, while
ladies threw their fans, gloves and dail
handkerchiefs as a tribute to the skill
the matador. The common people ms
q rush across the fence, and despite
protestations, the hero Of the day v
soon being carried around the ring
their shoulders amid the applause Of h
dreds ofpleased natives.-Cor. New Y
Times.
Paper from Wood.
The discovery of the value of wood
paper making is credited to DR.. q.
Hill, of this city. About forty years
Z