The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-10-09
TRIALS or eTRENGrH.

Especial Correspondence.J

Mexican rancher who had discovered TINS
placer mines of the Stanislaus valley many
years before the arrival Of Fremont, but
managed to keep the secret to himself
He preferred to herd cattle at few dollars
a month; but with that single exception
the greatest puzzle of the financial universe
seems tho question why some enterprising
Yankee does not organize a syndicate for
the establishment Of the Olympic festi-
walls.
A roomy arena for the competitive exer-
cises of our champion wrestlers, runners,
Ieapers and boxers would pay its expenses
IN the first season, and In the course OF q
few years it's popularity would turn the
surrounding country into a camping
ground resembling the pilgrim biyouae OF
Mecca. Olives do not flourish on our soil.
but the rent Of reserved seats and camp
tents would enable the managers TO gid
the crowns of their victors; their prize Of
fers would set the athletes Of every village
a-training and turn thousands Of boy topers
into gymnasts; ward delegates would run
for something besides Office, and the col
lapse of railway trusts during the festival
week would not exhaust the limits OF his
torical presidents, since the testimony OF
unimpeachable witnesses oblige us TO be-
lieve that at the approach OF the Olympic
field days Grecian magistrates dismissed
political offenders on parole, and the COM
manders of hostile armies patched up a
truce for few weeks. Tho victors OF the
Isthmian and Nemean games enjoyed the
privileges of modern archbishop.
They were exempt from taxation, be-
came the idols OF their native towns and
were secured against the vicissitudes offor'
tune by literally endowed annuity fund.
Egenetus, humble citizen OF Agrigen-
tum. won three out of the five prizes OF
the ninety-second Olympiad, and was at
once raised from poverty to opulence by
the presents which the enthusiasm OF the
spectators poured upon him before he left
the arena. On his return trip, instead OF
being chased by Tennessee sheriff posses,
he was treated to series OF ovations. DIS
arrival at his native city was attended by
a PROCESSION of three hundred chariots,
each drawn, like his Own, by two white
horses.
Foreigners, including famous warriors,
and even kings, like Dionysius of SYRIA
cuse. competed for the prizes OF Olympia,
and had perhaps reasons for envying such
yictors as Diagoras, the Rhodian, who had
been n successful athlete in his younger
DAYS and was present when his two sons
won the entire pentathlon-i. e., carried of
the five prizes contested by the champions
of all the Mediterranean coast lands.
When the boys uplifted their father and
carried him through the arena the shouts
of the assembled multitude were heard In
the harbor Of Patrae at distance of
seven leagues, but Diagoras himself had
heard nothing on earth after the herald's
voice had proclaimed the names OF the vic
tors. "the gods" as Pindar observes, "hav'
ing granted that the happiest moment OF
his life should be his last" Would po
lice commissioner have ventured to i'm
peach that triumph in the name OF the
Law and Order league?
The monk emperor Justinian used his
power for purpose of that sort and inter.
dicted nonreligious mass meetings OF all
kinds. and in sos the gates Of the last arena
were closed. But 200 hundred years after
the sham battles of the Spanish Moors at
tracted spectators from far and near, and
before long the cities Of Christendom re-
sounded with the din of tournaments,
which were by no means limited TO lance
practice, but often included wrestling
matches or miscellaneous trials Of strength,
as at Ratisbon. where In 1898 a schild.
knappe, or henchman, of Suabian cavalier
defled all corners to touch him unarmed
and prevent him from doubling them ur
into his large forage bag. Eight knights,
stout six foOters some of them, are said tc
have been successfully bagged in that
way before the rustic Hercules at last met
his match in the person of gorilla listed
trooper.
Physical proves indeed often asserted
itself in unexpected places, and in Venice
Leonardo da Vinci occasionally astonished
his friends by Jumping to the ceiling and
knocking his feet against the bells of glass
chandelier
The Andalusian bulls were at first baited
with dogs, but the kings of Aragon intro
duced trained swordsmen, and bull fight
ing then became a national passion. Sara
gossa, Malaga and Madrid Wed in The
splendor OF their matanzas, and at the END
of the Fifteenth century all the larger
towns had bull rings of their own. Several
popes tried TO stop the game, but, as an
English historian remarks, their bulls
failed to scare the matadors, and the clam
ors of the Spanish clergy obliged Clement
VII to pass special ordinance legalizina
bull fights on church festivals! Ueckys
II history of Rationslism. vol. i, p. 306)
At present no saint can hope to rival tn,
of successful matador. A
French publisher, Hallerman, made a for
tune by chromotyping the portrait of the
torero Perez. Jose Maria Perez began his
career rs Carthagena canallon, or circus
sweeper, and in spite of his dissolute habits
died tho richest man of his native town
His arrival IN bull ring city produced
regular furore. Merchants closed theii
shops and teachers their schools; disguised
monks escaped from their converts and
with the rabble to enter the arena
paupers pawned their last
coat to raise the requisite real.
The chronicle of the excitement proceed
ing the last Olympiad OF New Orleans,
would likewise furnish a suggestive CON
tribution to the history Of civilization, I'M
less the historian should prefer TO record
the still more characteristic episode Of
Aug. 23, 1881, when Georgia mountaineer
wildcat and brought 1t to
Ala. The dignitaries Of that
city assembled at the court house and re-
solved by reclamation, first, to pit the
cat against certain town dog; second, TO
the event by general holiday.
On the following morning all work was
and the population Of the town
formed ring, while the mayor held the