Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-12

dltions of men and women being represent
ed in the throng There were snowy car
riageS with gold-laced coachmen and foot
men. dilapidated cabs with broken down
horses carts drawn by mules, buses filed
with noisy parties, men afcot and men on
horseback. 1t was careless and happy
thrcng. gay in colcr and animated in &C
ton. The broad avenue made fine place
for such a gathering.
Along either side are rows OF one-Story
dwellings of the Cuban style. some with
classic colonDadeS. suggesting reStora-
ton from the ruins of Pompeii. Rising
above garden walls. majestic palms give a
tropical touch to the scene. The avenue Is
fll-kept, and many OF the houses shabby,
but In the bright sunlight and marvelousiy
clear atmosphere everything takes on a
vivid hue. So far as picturesque effects go
the Avenue Tacon could hardly be i'm
proved. but from the prosy standpoint of a
sanitary officer or an engineer commission
er IL would not be regarded as q model
thoroughfare. A mile of the avenue was
made brilliant by the throng bound for the
bull fight. The amphitheater is near the
outskirts OF the city. 1t is a circular frame
structure. rudely constructed, and about
Two hundred feet in diameter.
In the Amphithenter.
In the roadway near the entrance were
stationed mounted cavalrymen, who regu-
lated the carriages and prevented con-
fusion. Soon several thousand people were
seated in the building, and 1t was then the
Boston man made his remark In the CEN
ter OF the Plaza de Toros Is a ring, about
one hundred feet in diameter. Around this
Is stout board fence about six feet high
In this are gates or openings-through one
OF which the matadores and other partici-
pants in the bloody sport enter the arena
and from the other the bull rushes ont to
lie worried and baited and finally to die
All around the fence inclosing the ring
ABOUT root from the ground, is a little
Shoulder or shelf, the purpose of which be-
comes apparent as soon as a bull goes
charging about the ring matadore
notify pressed by the bull puts one foot up-
on on, TINS snef and escapes by nimbly leap
ing over into the narrow passage left be-
tween the fence and the first tier of seats
Inc seats extend backward and upward
from TINS passage, the front row being on
leVel with the top OF the fence AT the
top, and consequently furthest from the
arena. are the compartments or boxes
Inc charge for a box containing four seats
Is ~. these hoxes are sheltered or rooted
put the roor does not extend in so as to
shade the seats below them As the buI
nghtS are held in the afternoon one-half of
tne amphitheater is In the shade while the
other half is in the sun. So the general
admission is divided into two cIasses nin
the shade and in the SUM-" The s,,nnv
seats correspond with the "bIeachers'' in
an ai me- base ball ground. and the
price for admission to them is one doIIar
"A seat on the shady side costs two dollars
DISTINGUISHED Sponsors.
AT the New Year day fight the captain
general OF Cuba was present, accompanied
by his wife and attended by several of his
officers. gaily uniformed. The captain gem
eral Is an elderly man. with a careworn face
covered with a closely cropped gray beard.
lie was attired In black and wore a bIao k
SILK hat His wife. a stout blonde with
rather coarse features. was arrayed in a
gorgeous straw-colored dress, adorned with
lace and sparkling jewels The hoy tbev
occupied Was draped with the Spanish col
ors and overhead Were displayed the royaI
arms OF Spain. At the left of the captain
generaIs box was the box occupied by the
president of the day-one of the mavors
or the ctty-for Havana has an Intricate
municipal government, with an assortment
OF mayors, who presided over and directed
the sport. AT the right of the captain gem
eral were several boxes, In which were
seated the special patronesses of the mar
ticular bulls and bull fighters who were to |
do battle. In the posters the names of |
these six distinguished and beautiful So |
nor1tas were announced, together with the
TACT that they would grace the fight by their |
presence. They were there in all the glory |
that an abundant supply of face powder |
ana rlch toilets could give them. They |
We're young ladies of high social standing |
In Havana, and each was the center of a |
bevy of pretty girls. AS Spaniard ex-
planned IL to me, these six distinguished |
and beautifuH' senoritas were the god
mothers" or sponsors of the six bulls Con-
spicuously placed in front of each god |