The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-06-24
gh aaliea uay Eagle aaledmesaag orng gnme "a 1896

L
| obey the orders Of the patron on all
| things touching the sacred trust A pro-
| cession was then formed in the body
| Of the church, led by boy carrying a
| tall silver crucifix. Next came the i'm
| age Of SAINT Christie on a rude platform
borne by two Indians. The figure, by
| the way, was about three feet high, set
/ in a wooden box canopied with scarlet
| calico. having a small, giit-fra med mir
ror on either side. Next walked the
| priest and the new patron, side by side
AN enormous honor which so nearly
| overpowered the patron that his tremb-
| ling legs could hardly support him
| closely followed by the twelve apostles
| Of Mayoles. Then came the Brothers of
Charity, and after them all the people
! of the village, MexicanS and Indians, the
| rear brought up by troop of boys, car
rying two long, coffin shaped boxes. At
first we supposed the latter TO contain
some saints bones or other sacred rites,
but later learned that one OF them he'd
the candles, fireworks, ropes and other
properties that had been donated TO
Santa Christie and mis- celebration
The other box was entirely empty. but
having once served for the precious be-
iongings, il must ever afterwards be
cherished by succeeding patrons as
holy heirloom. Everybody in the pro-
cession carried a lighted candle. AL
were dressed in white, both men and
women, and many Of the latter were
garlanded with flowers, and as they
moved down the church steps and
through the quiet streets of the village
chanting the '"Te Deum Laudamus,"
rockets whizzing around them and a
warm wind Pickering the candles, the
sight was imposing despite its absurdi-
ty.
REFRESHMENTS AND DANCING.
The march led to the casa of the new
patron, outside OF which fireworks kept
up great commotion. Arrived at the
door, the priest blessed the house and
all within it, and then the image was
carried inside and deposited upon a
temporary altar, adorned with flowers
and ablaze with candles The house
consisted OF a single long, low apart
ment, furnished with nothing but the
altar aforesaid, a few hammocks, now
fastened against the wall, and a rude
table at the end Of the room opposite
the altar. Upon the table was spread
bountiful supper OF bread Gin Ioaves the
size Of your fist. baked in the adobe
oven on the outside), fruits of various
with green leaves; mugs of frey mescal
and pots Of aguardiente, or sugar cane
rum, while conveniently near stood
pigskin of pulque, the fermented juice
Of the century plant" for whoever
chose to refresh himself with this IA
Vorfte beverage of Mexico. And every
body did choose, again and again, until
IN skin, which at first looked like a
rampant pig on his hind legs minus a
head-gradualy collapsed with empti- |
ness, and another and another took its |
place. After the saint had been duly |
established in his new quarters, and |
the crowd refreshed all FASTENED again |
10 the dancing enclosure, where the pa |
iron, his confidence now somewhat re-
stored by aguardiente, reopened the |
ball Notwithstanding his high Office, |
1T must be confessed that this saddle !
colored patron of Christ was not Of very |
dignified appearance. He had been a |
bull-fighter In his youth, and several /
ugly scars did not add to his beauty OF |
His pink calico shirt was
worn outside his trousers of white cot
ton, and though he soon kicked off his
sandals, in the excitement of the bale,
he retained his hat throughout the day.
AN OXCUTZCOB BULL FIGHT.
L,
wayscrowns these sanity fiestas, be
gan, and the crowd adjourned 10 the
Plaza de Torres. In the line of archi-
lecture, the bull ring of OxcuIzcob,
where 1t is said the best bull fights in !
Yucatan are now held, is as curious and
original a structure as the late Brigham |
Young'S umpreila-like tabernacle. 1t is |
merely a, huge scaffold, perhaps 1900
feet in circumference. erected and held
together without a nail, being made OF
poles bound together with withes. The
interior is enclosed by long poles cross
ing and interlacing each other; and in
ike manner il is divided ito boxes by
poles. The whole forms a
gigantic frame of rustic lattice work,
assisted by the thatch of palm leaves. 1t
will hold perhaps 5000 people, with it's
customary packing, but though there
were only a few hundreds on the occa-
sion of which l write, the great fraH
scaffold trembled and swayed alarm
ngiy when excitement ran high. Over
he doors of the boxes" Is inscribed
PLACID No. l." ''Placio No. @" etc, and
here is considerable choice in the seats,
as one side IS exposed to the full blaze
II the sun. Each box has its separate
proprietor, who stads in the doorway ,
inviting you to ascend. holding in, his
hand a short ladder of four of five steps.
For medic you may have a seat in |
he sun, or for four times that amount |
dos reales, p cents) a front bench on
ne shady side; and in either case you
nay remain all day IL you like. or as .
ong as you can stand the barbarouS
sport On this holy occasion the popu-
alton of Oxcutzcob was out en- masse. |
including a large proportion of women
md children. At the feet OF those oc-
,upying the front seat was wedged
compact TOW OF small boys and girls, |
With their heads poked through the :
ailing and their black legs dangling
Town. fringing the whole circle of the
Opposite the judges
tail was a Dand OF music. the leader of
which wore a grotesque mask carica-
uring a negro's fsce-though his own |
vas black and ugly enough. in all con-
cieuce.
Bull fights have been SO many times
described that am not going 10 inhlct
Ipon you the details of this one II
vas the usual cowSrdly, cruel spectacle
in one particular even meaner than
my l have ever seen before. After tor
uring the bull into a frenzy OF rage,
hey lasSoed and held him firmly by =
he horns while the picadores fixed up
n his back the figure OF a soldier IN a
OckSd hat, seated IN a saddle. Both
oidier and saddle were made OF wood
aPsr and gunpoWder, forming = for =
1ida-oie piece Of firework. When i was
rmly secured all fell back at cafe Z
Astance; the pAcadores mounted and
nth poised spears took their places in
he ring the band struck I'D the Mex
an Hymno Nscional: and at <ne IL
atnt The Nose was. slipped iiberating :
% f,s,fI rf,.a "a 49, Sof5sar -, g. :