The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-06-07
a RAIN OF DOLLARS,
Scene in the Great Cock Pit at Manila
Where BOOSTERS Clash Spurs.

Scene in the Great Cock Pit at Manila
Where BOOSTERS Clash Spurs.
The olive-skinned mestizas, half-caste
descendants Of emigrated Spaniard and
native Indian, are the natives of Manila,
Philippine Islands. They step daintily
along on bare feet encaSed in chinelas,
embroidered heelless slippers, with gay
auttering garments of just, woven
mixture of silk and pine fiber, their
loose, jet-black hair reaching sometimes
almost to the ground-one woman was
pointed out to me whose hair was said
to be eighty inches long-and their
deep, dark eyes passing ovor you in Ian
guild surprise.
The native men are community
which has forgotten to tuck its shirt
into its trousers. Their costume con-
sists of a pair of white trousers,
deliberately plated and starched shirt,
with the tails flying about Every
one is smoking a cheroot, and every
other one has game cock under
his arm, constant companion and
chief treasure, and sometimes chief
source of income, too, until the deadly
spur on the heel of a stronger or pluck
Ter rival turns all its pride and briliiance
into a shapeless heap of blood and
feathers in the dust. while thousand
voices eXecrate It's memory.
The great cock pit of Manila at the
Fiesta del Pueblo" is one of the most
remarkable of spectacles. Imagine
huge circus with an arena raised to the
height of the faces of those standing be-
hind them tier upon tier gradually ris-
ing; above the arena, which is enclosed
with fine wire netting, the red-draped
box of the farmer, the leading China
man of Manila, named Palanca, and
packed audience flour thousand people.
Squatting on the earthen floor of the
ring, inside the wire netting, are the
habitues, half Chinese and half Mes
tizos, while the officials walk about
the ''juez de iustica," or referee; the
'sentenciador," or umpire; the ''casa-
DOR" go-between or betting-master, and
several others. Then two men enter
the ring, each carrying a bird whose
spur is shielded for the moment in
leather scabbard.
One wears his hat-he is the owner of
the challenging bird, called 'llamado"
the other, hatless, is the outsider, or
''dejado," who takes up the challenge.
An official calls out the sum for which
the ''llamado's" owner backs it and how
much is still lacking to make up the
sum.
Then comes the most extraordinary
scene of all. The moment the words
are out of his mouth it rains dollars in
the ring. From those inside, from
those who are within throwing distance,
apparently from everywhere, dollars
pour in, without method, without owner
ship, without bargain, so far as one
can judge amid the deafening clamor.
When the sums on the birds are equal
the betting master shouts 'Cassada!"
matched" literally married" the
farmer from his box on high yells
"Larga!' them" and the fight
begins, Sometimes it lasts ten minutes,
sometimes only second, the first shock
leaving one bird a mangled corpse. No
use to describe it--every one knows
how a game cock fights and that it is
the very gamest and pluckiest thing
that lives.
The fight over, the betting master
goes around handing money back reck-
lessly, SO it seems, to anybody who
holds out hand. Each one asks for or
takes the sum which belongs to him.
But if anybody should put out his hand
for another's money? That is never
done, and if anybody were detected do
ing so he would probably have dozen
knives in his body on tho spot.
In the course of the afternoon I wit
messed 1O5 cock fights. The authorities
make large revenue from the cock pit.
For this and one other Senior Palanca
pays s6s,6OO year, and there are five
other farmers. AS | said, it is the chief
interest of the people, and their frantic
excitement tells how deep the interest
is.-Henry Norman, in Washington Star.