The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-01-16
ntolsIiolpof IJilot.
THURSDAY. JANUARY 16, 1880.
she ssW A Bull FlGHT.
A Baltimore GisI Tells How the Spectacle
Impressed Her.


a Baltimore Gifl Tells How the Spectacle
Impressed Her.
A Baltimore girl. who faints at the
sight Of caterpillar, turns green al
the flow OF blood, and Is in every way
of a most gentle and kindly nature.
thus writes about her visit TO a bull
fight-the occasion being the farewell
TO Paris of the prince OF matadors,
Louis Mazzantini:
AT last / have seen my first bull
fight. and ! trust NY last. You could
not have borne it i've minutes and
scarcely know low did.
Imagine an immense arena, with
q 600 people packed in circles. while
above innocent little white clouds float
ed over an intensely blue sky. At
times the tender-hcartcd clouds shut
the sky entirely of from all view of
what was going on beneath in the
arena, while frequent short April-like
showers of tears 60 fell from them,
and it is to be hoped soothed the
wounds of the six enraged bulls that
succeeded each other to death The
occasion was Mazzantini's farewell to
his Partisan public. which has made
such a hero of him. Not only had fat
ted calves been killed in his honor in
appreciation of the fatted bulls which
Mazzantini had killed with such glory.
but hats and handkerchiefs waved.
presents of silver, Of gold. and jewels
were thrown to him after his little
speech of farewell and flowers. in
forms of wreaths, boqucts, ard hearts,
soon covered the gore-stained ground.
OF all these gifts the only one this Span
ish grandee noticed at all was a sim
pie bunch of violcts. This he stopped
to pick up, and kissed in the direction
of the fair dame who had thrown it.
His two Wallets raised the more valu-
able gifts from the dust, while MAJ
zantini himself never deigned to even
glance at the rich jewels scattered at
his feet.
1T was a wonderful sight, exciting
past belief | am glad to have seen
it. for | learned something, but the one
lesson completes the course. I'll see
no more bull fights. The orchestra
played the music OF Carmen aswe came
out, and stopped 20 study the faces of
the audience that but a Few minutes be-
fore were in such extremes Of excite
ment, shouting and Kissing when the
poor bull. terrified and smartin@. tried
to save himself instead OF showing the
proper amount OF fight, and | remem-
Der that | too, at that moment had
risen to my feet and rejoiced when a
well-planted lance, which thought was
costing the picador his life, as he stood
directly in front Of the bulls horns,
pierced the bulls shoulder just as he
lowered his head 10 strike. Then the
marvellous Mazzantini leaped over the
head and stood quietly waiting until
the now madd4ncd creature turned on
him with sufficient ferocity to satisfy
the most eXacting hisscr.
Nothing can express to you the in
tense artistic aspect of the perform
ance. One has to see it to understand
the science OF these superb men. They
walk with the dignity that princes are
supposed to have III and out of the
jaws of dcath--a leap not any higher or
less calm than just enough to keep
them this side of eternity. The little
scarlet cloak, their only defensive
weapon, and with this alone, they lead
the Infatuated animal to the exact spot
where they wish to kill him. not at any
haphaZard moment 10 save their own
lives, but only at the signal given by
the President. In Paris they do not
kill the bull in the arena, but when the
signal to Kill is given, the matador's
personal danger is all the greater fol
not killing, as he must touch the bull
in the vital spot above the head
between the shoulders, just as the bull
lowers his head to gore him, thus go
ing through the form, after which the
bull is taken ont BY oxen and@1iiled
out of sight. Each bull, which is of
very high breed, belongs to some we'll
known Spanish senior, and is worth a
many hundred dollars. But they say it
cannot fight twice, as it must be put an
end to; the honor of the family to
whom it belongs is at stake by the way
it fights.
"A wonderful sigh, and always
shall it live in my memory how the
artistic superseded the human side of
it in my eyes. | had to grasp the
smelling salts in one hand, for you
know how | turn sick at the sight of
blood, and to see those poor blind
folded horses raised on the horns of the
maddened bulls made me turn faint for
the moment, while the next | was
fascinated by the wonderful science that
turned life into Il plaything. The cos
tunes and all the mise en- scene are
the most picturesque things imagin-
able. In fact. everything is done to
make it cudurlhle. Pierce feelings
that | never imagined | hal rose up
4 J. y I