The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1890-01-24
SHE SAW A BULL FIGHT.
A Baltimore Girl Tells How the Spectacle
Impressed Her.

-
A Baltimore girl, who faints at the
sight of a caterpillar, turns green at
the flow of blood, and is in every way
of a most gentle and kindly nature,
thus writes about her visit TO a bull
tight-the occasion being the farewell
to Paris Of the prince Of matadors,
Louis Mazzantini:
AT last l have seen my first bull
fight. and l trust my last. You gould
not have borne it five minutes and |
scarcely know how l did.
Imagine an immense arena, with
%, 900 people packed in circles, while
above innocent little white clouds float
ed ovcr an Intensely blue sky. At
times the tender-hearted clouds shut
the sky entirely off from all view of
what was going on beneath in the
arena, while frequent short April-like
showers of tears (9) fell from them,
and it is to be hoped soothed tile
wounds of the six enraged bulls that
succeeded each other TO death. The
occasion was M~azzantini'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
| M%azzantini had killed with such glory,
but hats and handkcrchiefs 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, and hearts,
soon covered the g~ore-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 l learned something, but the one
lesson completes the course. I'll see
no more bull fights. The orchestra
played the musico Carmen as we came
out, and I stopped to study the faces of
the audience that but IL few minutes be-
fore were in such extremes of excite
ment, shouting and Kissing when the
poor bull. terrified and smarting, tried
to save himself instead of showing the
proper amount OF fight, and ! remem-
Der that l 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 v the
head and stood quietly waiting until
the now maddcned creature turned on
him with sufficient ferocity to satisfy
the most exacting hisser.
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 in and out OF tho
jaws of death a leap not any higher OF
less calm than just enough to keel
, them this side of eternity. The little
> scarlet cloak, their only dcfensiv,
weapon, and with this alone, they leat
i, the Infatuated animal TO the exact spo'
: where they wish TO kin him, not at an,
h%aphazard moment to save their owl
! lives, but only at the signal given by
the President. In Paris they do no
! kin the bull in the arena, but when thu
signal TIC kill is given, the matador'
!, personal danger is ali the greater TO
, not killing, as he must touch the bul
in the vital spot above the bea'
between the shoulders, Just as the bul
n lowers his head TO gore him, thus 80
ing through the form, after which TIL,
Q bull is taken out by oxen and killet
r out of sight. Each bull, which is of
very high breed, belongs to some well
Q known Spanish senior, and is worth
many hundred dollars, But they say
y ! cannot fight twice. as it must he put a
- end to: The homer of the family t
+ whom it belongs is at stake by the wa
= it fights.
"a wonderful sight, and Away
shall il live in my memory how tn
y artistic superseded the human side c
q it in my eyes. had to grasp til
; smelling salts in one hand, for yo
= know how turn sick at the sight
"a blood. and TO see those poor blino
folded horses raised IN the horns of tn
II maddencl bulls made me turn faint fo
,r the moment. while the next i W.
III fascinated by the wonderful science tn;
a turned life into Il plaything. The co:
le tunes and all the mise en- scene al
le the most picturesque things imagii
able. In fact. everything is done
~ make it endurablc. Fierce fcelint
y that l never imagined ! had rose u
" and took possession of me, and coul
scarcely realize my w lack of hear
III For once and the last time have sec
I'd this relic of a past barbarism, and | a
lg glad to have had the experience"