New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-03
A SPANISH FARCE.
ENACTED IN THE BULL RING UNDER
ANOTHER NAME

TAKE ALL THE RIsK-A NEW
CONCEPTION OF BRAVERY.
tvrov , STAFF CORRESPONDENT or THE TRBUNr
Madrid, May IA. 1894.
The bull ring would seem TO be the last place
IN tho world 70 which 10 carry a sense Of humor.
Yet it IS brought into active play there ana IL Is
nossibIe IN smile al the same time that emotions
far from humorous are awakened. The smile
e at the expense Of the fighters. so-called; the
njcadors capeadors. espadas. banderiileros ana
so on: and the guileless Madr.lenes inside ana
outside the ring the impression seems 10 " ''"'
fighting Is going As matter o. TACT
game Of skill is being played in when the riSN
N life and limb is reduced 10 such minimum
that all the memories Of Rome ana carthage
With which one enters the amphtheatre are
diss,patcd as by a sudden return To Coney IsaHu'
Who ever started the tradition that the spanish
hull ring was place for the display OF courage
Such a place 1t may be still. but i's present
rulers are hardly worthy to tie the shoes''"Ss
Of an American football player Wheh II co'"eS ~
a question Of sheer hard knocks
The Spanish long ago discovered what every
49,, h,s fo,nd out-,hat a bull gravltatcs naiu-
rally toward a red flag. They turn an amman
,ooso IN an enormous ring. He paws the earth'
hrandishes his tail shakes his mighty shoulders
,ovors his head and charges with terrific impetus
unon tho gaud.y dressed gymnast who mas beeh
oau,t,no = red cloak at his muzzle The man
coos. and a. the bull gains on him another tor
r,o,,or 6iverts the animal with another crimson
exasnera,ion The latter serves Us purpose peter
than would a rope fastened 70 flhS III '"'
bulrs nose II leads him instantly III "no''''
direction and capeador number one eS'"P'S WV
ease The vast audience screams VIII" ''''N',,
Rut is this courage? The question rc'u's "S'''
and again during the national spectacle III - '''''
nn1 (, is not plain that II can be answered -
the affirmative. or II So. without N''S
Qualifications The whole game Is arI'hs'u -
TIA; the man can win with practical s''''s 49,.
,l,la - the "bull-nghter" Is something Inv ""
%, tho w,rlsman" whose eNperle"'" "''
Gained with his body padded, MS ha"1S h'''.''
hfs face masked and buttons on the IONS
10 reminded Of Mr.. 1o""H ooS'' '''''
s.rvant 81 his with a disposition 10
,oaoe,e,t tyranny over his quarters. She
commanded by virtue Of "F''r' ,..r
,..-sa,,.. Tho only participants in spanish DUH
80. hu,s who Incur serious risk are
-. ,,r,,-r hacks ridden by the p'caior'. l"'S'
'"' t,,.,r,tled boasts. are nothing more nor
~. ,,,, .hields - De- used by the p'cai'r VIM"
tho nadlonei bull beneath him WIZ"
his weapon, ,..r rl., hero
T., ,,o n unb1nndci p!casur" IN 'h' I'.'''' -
a., ,, the scene. In the cllsic movements no
,,. b,nlsrllcros and capeadors. ana '" '''
,,,, ,.,,,n u the bull The interest IN ih'' p"''
ar,is,l, side 81 the fntc begins even De'''' '''
p,aza =. T,ros Is reached. All Na!Iid P-u'S 49,
s.if d,yn the Alcala from the P""r'a "'' 90"
tn. Central square u the CITY. into we "rb'
hilling beyond the arch < Charles III. LIZ
nonnl,tlon goes ont ca IT, "er"F "-"''' 80
r,hs omnlbuses. street cars. ana "' "'"'' '
r,rdescrlpt c1nveyances. / goes ais' '" ''''
- .',,s Hundreds * private carriages
,,, tn. procession. and there II sp'T'"''"s "'
h,~senneu Under me brilliant ai'r'n''" "e"'
IN. sight f. by all ODDS the eayc.' I'D" cry "'' -
eh,,v For a moment. as the crowd of'''S "1''
the Pral1. the Paris which Madr'' i'''''' '''''
,,As a d,stantly recalled In the theatre th' p'-'-
MA ,s still full Of color and He on one sue '''
thousands OF figures are gathered ID i'N"'''''
shade on the other the glare ~ th' Sun P'' -"
ont sharply an occasional parasol ana tAe 'a"'
800 -, the colors % Spain. There Is nothing
| hut endowment In this spectacle. In tha' ""''"
or.san,lv fills the centre u the nclosure there
"a little that is not disgusting. The horses are
inevitably goreI. for Il is only on their bacHs
that the picadors dare 70 come - close guar
,ers with the bull. It Is during this revolving
the two-legged brutes In the ring passes M
Communication What daring IA there. what valor'
/ what oleyerness what but an unutterahle pusii-
/ laninity In making a barrier FOR yourself out OF
a oulverlng. helpless animal while you pierce
/ vour enemy with a long lance? In one Of these
crises the plcador was endorsed. and II seemed
"a though there would be an honest test Of power
/ between the noble creature from the spanish
/ pastures and his ignoble opponent The latter
was as safe as though he were miles away The
! capeadors had engaged the attention OF the DuiI
the instant the horse had fallen The plea
dor was assisted TO his feet by one OF the capea-
doris but much against his will. The man de-
clned the aid with evident irritation. as though
II were an imputation upon his character az
fighter Then one had 10 laugh. The air. the
presumption. the silly vanity were too irreslsti-
bly, comic. This same picador Insisted upon
mounting his dying horse and riding him round
the ring until even the callous spectators were
ashamed and forced him to abandon the beast
After the bull has been Infatuated sufficiently
by these encounters. In which he is under every
disadvantage and in which his fresh strength
Is opposed not by the skill OF the plcadors but
| by the blind resistance Of the horses. the ban
derilleros annoy him systematically with their
/ Rayly decorated darts They provoke him 10
swift, headlong charges across the ring They
stick the darts In his shoulders; and. srnartins
under the points. he pursucs them at gallop.
| only to be disappointed at the barrier over which
/ they lightly leap. to be Intercepted by one or
! the red clOaks which always lowering near
him. This part OF the fight Is interesting, for
| It Is full Of gracefully moving men. and the bull
| himself I'm his rage. Is "A majestic animal There
is too a little OF the element OF personal daring.
which is. on the whole. missing. ii requires
! pluck as well agility 10 plant the darts In
! the body OF the bull. for 10 do so the bander-
I q he
| animal There Is some courage, also, or the sort
based on the resource Of red cloaks. exhibited In
| the following scene, the last. when the espada
| approaches on foot with his blade and warily
seeks for the spot in which TO give the bull his
death stroke. This delicate operation is not TO
be wholly dcspsed. But how far the espada