The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1897-03-25
BULL FIGHTING IN MEXICO.
A Yankee Newspaper Mans View
of the National Sport.
From the Hartford Courdnt.

From the Hartford Courdnt.
Cry OF MEXICO, March 1 -
Everybody who has been trout
ing in Connecticut owes the
bull one at least, if not more;
and every boy who has lived on
a New England farm has wish
ed he might see the beast come
up with. So with revived
thoughts of rough fences I had
climbed and the tempting pools
I had hastily abandoned, [ went
to a bull fight in San Luis Po-
tosi on Sunday with far less
concern at the fate of the bulls
than at the fact that this was a
Sunday service. It did not
seem exactly appropriate, even
if we admitted that, with the
churches opened every day and
the bull rings only on Sunday,
the odds were seven to one in
favor of religion.
The bull ring is several times
as large as a circus ring and is
down at least five feet below
the level of the lowest seats.
It is circular space, set in a
solid masonry wall, and the
seats range upward like a Ro-
man amphitheatre. The bulls
are let into the ring one at a
time through a tunnel that
comes out under the seats, and
inside the actual ringis a stout
board fence, built all the way
round, so that the fight is con-
Quoted in the inner circle and
all around that is narrow out
side passage way. The first
qualification for a bull fighter
is to be able to jump this fence.
At the least chance of being
ripped open he cuts for it and
is over like a jumping jack.
And, as if that wasn't enough.
there are at convenient inter
walls barriers set in the ring
near the fence, and the fight
ers," when close pushed, step
behind these and let the bulls
horns rattle on the other side.
So much for the geographical
layout.
I asked the friend who &C
companied me, "a resident for
years in Mexico, why the fence
was broken by gates. He said
it was so as to let the bull back
into the ring if he should jump
over. 1 laughed at the absurd
ity of a bull taking such flyer,
and then the trumpet sounded
and the procession entered and
marched to the judge. There
were the two men who alter
nately give the fatal thrust, the
fellows who stick goads into
the beast, those who flout cloaks
at him, and the men on horse
back who carry great boat
hooks with fishhook points ito
drive him off when he charges
their horses. The bull is given
just one chance. He can only
be dealt with while charging
So long as he stands still the
etiquette of the ring protects
him, and when it comes to stab
bling him only one man can do
that.
"Toot-toot" went the bugle,
and in rushed the first bull
amid the cheers of at least 1900
people. He was jet black, about
three years old, and as full OF
life and vigor as. any young
creature on the plains. He
took a careful look at the enc
my lined up before him, trotted
gently about for a minute, then
put his head down and started
on a dead run-for the fence.
He took it like a goat, and land
ed in fine shape in the inter
vening space. What had seem
ed impossible was done within
a minute of opening the game
He was driven back, and made
a new survey and seemed a lit
tie ashamed that he had failed
Then suddenly he rallied sec
ond time, and, with a fiercer
dash than before, he not only
cleared the fence, but the in.
tervening space, and got his
front feet on the place where
till that instant, a crowd were
seated. They weren't there
when he landed. He fell back
into the passage way and re
entered the ring. If he hao
tried again, [ think he woul6
have gone clear uD and iOineC