The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-07-12
SHE SAW 4 BULL FIGHT.
A Baltimore Girls Tells How the spectnoie
Impressed Her.

Impressed Her.
Baltimore girl, who faints at the sight OF
n caterpillar, turns green at the flow OF blood
and is in every way of most gentle anu
kindly nature thus writes home about her
visit TO bull fight: 9,
AT last have seen my first bull fight, and
I trust my last. You could not have borne
it five minutes. and scarcely know how
did. 10 mn
Imagine an immense arena. with 22OOo
people packed in circles. while above innocent
little white clouds roated over an intensely
blue sky. At times the tender-heal tel CLOUDS
shut the sky entirely of from all view OF
what was going on beneath in the arena
while freuuent short April-hke showers Q,
tears o. fell from them. and it is to be h0peu
soothed the wounds of the six enraged DuIls
that succeeded each other to DEATH, me 70
casion was MaZZantini's farewell 10 MS
Partisan public. which has made such hero
of him. Not only had fatted calves oeeH
killed in his honor in appreciation OF in9
fatted bulls which MazZantlnl had kileu
with such glory. but hats and handkerchleis
waved. presents of silver, OF gold ana JeWeiss
were thrown 10 him after hls little speech OF
farewell, and flowers, in forms OF wreaths'
bouauets and hearts soon covered tne gore
stained ground OF all these gifts the only
one the Spanish grandee noticed at all was
simple bunch of violets This he stopped 20
pick ND and kissed in the direction of the far
dame who had thrown IL. His two Wallets
raised the more valuable gifts from the dllst'
while Mazzantini himself never delgned 70
even glance at the rich jewels scattered AT Ills
feet.
1T wos wonderful sight, exciting. past be,
lief. / am glad to have seen it, for learned
something but the one lesson completes the
course. III see no more bull fights. The or
chestra played the music OF Carmen as we
came out and stopped TO study the faces on
the audiences that but few minutes before
were in such extremes OF excitement, shouI,
ing and Kissing when the poor bull, terrified
and smarting, tried TO save himself instead OF
showing the proper amount of fight. and |
remembered that /, too, at the moment had
arisen TO my feet and rejOiced when we'll
planted lance. which / thought was costing
the picalorl his life, rs he stood directly IN
front Of the bulls shoulder just ms be lowered
his head TO strike. Then the marvellous MAJ
zantini leaped over the head and stood quietly
waiting until the now maddened
creature turned on him with sufficient
ferocity TO satisfy the most eXacting hlsser.
Nothing can express to you the intense ar
tistic aspect of the performance One has 70
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 the
laws Of death-a leap not any higher or less
of eternity The little scarlet cloak, 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 haphazard moment to save
their own lives, but only at the signal gwen
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 for not killing, as he must
touch the bull in the vital spot above the head,
between the shoulders, just "a the bull lowers
his head to gore him, thus going through the
form, after which the bull is taken out by
oxen and killed ont of sight. Each bull,
which is of very high breed, belongs to some
weli-known Spanish senior, and Is worth a
good many hundr ID dollars. But they say II
cannot fight twice. and it must be put an end
TO- the honor of the family to whom 1t belongs
is at stake by the way it fights.
"A wonderful sight, and always shall 1t 1--we
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
Won know how turn sick at the sight of blood.
and to see these poor bllndfOlded horses
raised on the horns Of the maddened bulls
made me turn faint for a moment, while the
next | was fascinated by the wonderful
science that turned life into plaything. Tho
costumes and all the mise en- scene are the
most picturesque scenes imaginable. In fact,
everything is done TO make 1t endurable.
Fierce feelings that | never imagined | had
rose up and took possession Of me and / could
scarcely realize my own lack Of heart. For
once aud the last time have seen this relic
Of past ban baTlsm. and am glad 10 have had
the experience. Baltimore Sun.