Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1891-04-16

| brief as might be supposed, for from
early bOyhood he has been familiar with
the function, or exhibition.
The first public performance in which
he figured as primer espadG or matador,
as the man who kills the bull is called,
was given only twelve years ago.
His brilliant and daring feats brought
him into immediate fame. He has had
many hair-breadth escapes from death
and several serious wounds, but he seems
destined to almost rival the fame of the
great Pedro Romero, the father of popu-
lar bull-fghting and the greatest hero oil
it's annals. 1t was he who established
the code which governs the arena of to-
day.
Previous to his day the sport had beer
confined to the aristocracy. It was the
royal sport in a double sense, for moi
IonIy were the royalty and the nobilit,
! its chief patrons but it's principal parti
| cipants.
The sport is supposed to have origi
mated Immediately after the Moorish In
vasion of Spain.
| The principal monarchs who were he
roes of the arena are Charles " anC
Philip ". If history correctly repre-
sents them, they were quite as fond Of
the excitements Of the ring as they were
of the intrigues of court
The list of mobiles, as given by Camp
bell, who took part in the bloody pas.
| time includes the Dukes of Media, Sido-
| MIA, Zarate, Blanc, Sastagato; Counts
| Buelma, Villamediana, Tendilla, and La
Vena. There were also many distin.
| guished knights, most prominent among
whom was the great Fernando de PiZarro
who later found more profitable field
| for the display of his daring, by leading
| the great conquest of Peru.
But when the Bourbons assembled the
| Spanish throne the royal interest in bull.
| lighting was persstently discouraged
only to become the favorite sport of the
| people.
After Pedro Romero perfected his
code, bull-fghting became science, in.
stead OF butchery-as it had been
under the royal regime. From that time
to this there have been training schools
for the cultivation of skill in this brutal
art. Each stage of service in which the
pupil must become proficient before he
can pass to the next higher is clearly de.
fined, and the rules of the ring are very
eXacting.
The bulls are carefully reared from
choice blooded stock, and have for con
slant companions, both at the breeding
establishments and in the pens of the
arena, trained oxen, called cabestro,
which perform the same services towards
their ferocious kinsmen that tame ele
plants do towards their wild brethren
They are monitors. II fighting bull
breaks his pen, posse of the cobestro,
voluntarily follow him and usher him
back into confinement again before be
has opportunity to exercise his fighting
qualities upon those unfortunate enough
to fall in his way In case bull repeat
eddy vanquishes his assailants in thu
arena, his valor is rewarded by exemption
| from further contests, and the only way
| in which he can he brought back tx
his stall is to loose band OF cabestros
or police oxen, into the arena. They
never fail to accomplish their mission.
The movement or program of q bull,
fight is, briefly, as follows:
First: The grand entry OF matadors
1 banderilleros and the mounted picadors
decked In the most brilliant costumes
4 They march to the bands lOudes1
music, halt before the Presidents stand
| and salute The President signals fol
| the performance to begin.
/ The gate is opened and in plunges thu
bull
/ Then tho picadOrs begin their work
of torture by riding their blind folded
horses--usually old Jades fattened anl
/ groomed for tho occasion alongside the
bull, planging q sharp goad Into hi
sides.