The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-07-30
Andtrsat gntelligeHter.
She Saw Q Bull Fight.


A Baltimore girl, who faints at the
sight of q caterpillar, turns green at the
flow of blood, and is in every way most
gentle and kindly nature, thus writes
home about her visit to bull fight:
"At last I have seen my first bull fight
and I trust my last. You could not have
borne it FIVE minutes, and I scarcely know
how I did.
Imagine an immense arena with 22,-
600 people packed in circles, while above
innocent little white clouds Aoated over
an intensely blue sky. Attimes the ten
der-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 n fell
from them, and it is hoped aoothed the
wounds Of thesix enraged bulls that suc'
ceeded each other to death. The occa-.
sion was Mazzantini's farewell to his
Partisan public, which has made such
hero of him. Not only had fatted calves
been killed in his honor in appreciation
of the fatted bulls which Mazzautini
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, bouquets
and hearts, soon covered the gore-staiued
ground. OF all these gifts the only one the
Spanish grandee noticed at all was q sim.
pie bunch of violets. This he stopped to
pick up and kissed in the direction of the
fair dame who had thrown it. His two
Wallets raised the most valuable gifts from
the dust, while Mazzantini himself never
deigned to even glance st the rich pres
ents scattered at his feet. -
1t was a wonderful sight, exciting be.
yond past belief. / am glad to have
seen it, for ! learned something, but the
one lesson completes the course. III see.
no more bull fights. The orchestra play
ed the music of Cameron as ne came out
and stopped to study the faces of the audi.
nencs that but few moments before
we're in such extremes of excitement,
shouting and kissing when the poor bull,
terrified and smarting, tried to save him.
self instead of showing the proper
amountsofyfght ndsIremember that j.
too, rejjooic sdSwhs6 as Swell. planted lance;.
which, Isfhoug ghttTag costing the pic;
adore his life, as he stood directly in
front of the eabnll's shoulder justaas he
lowered his head to strike. Then the
marvellous Mazzantini leaped over the
head and. stood quietly waiting until the
now maddened creature turned on him
with sufficient ferocity 10 satisfy the most
exacting hisser.
Nothing can express to you the in
tense artistic aspect of the performance.
One has to see it to understand the sci
ence of these superb men. They walk
with the dignity that princes are supposed
to have in and out of.thejaws Of death.
.-aileap not any higher or.less calm than
just enough to keep them this side of
eternity The little scarlet cloth, their
only defensive weapon, and with this
alone they lead the infuriated animal to
the exact spot where they wish TO kill
him and then kill him, not at any hap.
hazard moment to sa7e their own lives,
but only at the signal given by the Pres.
ident. 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 for 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 10 gore
him, thus going through the form, after
which the bull is taken out by oxen and
killed out of sight. Each bull, which is
of very high breed, belongs to some we'll
known Spanish senior, and is worth a:
good many hundred dollars. But they
say it cannot fight twice, and 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 sight, 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 I turn
sick at the sight of blood, and to see
these poor blindfolded horses raised on
the horns of the maddened bulls made
me turn faint for moment, while the
next / was fascinated by the wonderful
science that turned life into play,hing.
The costumes and all the mise e.: scene
are the most picturesque scenes imsgina,
nable. In fact, everything is dnne to
make it endursble. Fierce feelings that
Ineyer imagined I had, rose up aud took
possession of me and I could scarcely
realize my own lack of heart. For once
and the last time I have seen this relic
of past barbarism and am glad to have