The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-25
Chicago Inter OCEAN,

NCHlCdSO inter OCedn.)
General Stewart L. Woodford, for
mer United States minister to Spain.
owes his life to an act of courtesy that
he once paid to a Spanish toreador, or
bulI-fghter. There is no moral in the
story, as the act of courtesy was en-
tirely unintentionaI, and the toreador
was dead.
One afternoon during the Spanish
American crisis. a few weeks before
war was declared. General WoodfOrd.
accompanied by his wife and niece.
went for a drive in the embassy car
riage through the streets of Madrid. A
noted Spanish toreadOr had died q few
days previously, and it happened that
his funeral was being held on that day.
Owing to his wonderful success in kill
ing bulls, the man had become a pop
ular idol. and his funeral was attend
ed by all classes of Spanish society,
even the grandees sending their car
riages to swell the procession.
Miss WoOdfOrd, having expressed the
wish to see the funeral the general or
dered his cOachman to drive to GER
tain point where the procession would
pass. When they arrived there it was
found that a great part of the process
sion had already gone by. General
Woodford ordered his driver to turn
about and go home, but the man mis- =
understood him and drove on. He at
tempted to drive right through the
funeral procession.
Such an act is not considered good
taste in any European country. and in
Spain it is a heinous offense. To make
matters worse, General WOOdfOrd. ow-
ing to the unpleasant relations then
existing between Spain and the United
States. was a marked man, and by no
means a popular enc with the people.
The embassy carriage was one @ the
best known vehicles in Madrid.
ACCOMPANIED THE PROCESSION.
Realizing how the mistake would he
misinterpreted by the pOpulaee Cen
eral Woodford directed his Coachman,
when he had reached the middle OF the
street. to turn and accompany the pro-
cession, intending at the frs oppor-
tunity to leave and drive 70 mis- 1ssI-
dence. The opportunity did not ofer.
! Owing to the dense crowds thai lined
the street, the minister was cOmDelle1
to accompany the funeral 20 the cenne-
terry. So long as he was there. General
Woodford made the most of it. Accom-
panied by Mrs. WOodfor1 and his pieee,
he left the carriage and went INTO the
cemetery, intending to remain there
until the funeral party had gone AID
the streets were once more quiet
After waiting for about an hour they
started to leave the cemetery and go
to their carriage At the gate the gem
eral found, to his surprise, that COM
pany of the civic guard was drawn Up
on either side of the path leading -
the carriage. AS the Americans sp-
preached the officer in command Of the
guard gave an order. and immediately
the swords of the men rose in salute.
Wondering what on earth it all meant,
the general returned the salute. and re-
= too 4
eral soldiers and officers on the way
back. and his astOnishmeat was inteH-
sified, for they, ZOC, stopped, faced lie,
carriage and saluted as il passed.
Shortly after he had returned to the
embassy he learned the reason of all
the unusual respect that had been
shown him. deDutation of toreadors
called upon him and thanked him for
the honor that he had done their pro-
fession in attending the funeral of their
chef darmeS in person. instead Of only
sending his carriage. They assured him
that they would never forget it, and
their feeling of affection was shared
generally by the people Of Madrid.
A MOB AND THE TOREADORS.
The toreadors were appreciative; the
people of Madrid were not. A week
or so afterward when international
matters had almost reached a climax
and nearly all the Americans had left
Madrid, a mob formed for the purpose
of destroying the American embassy,
and, it was feared, to assassinate the
minister and his family. The tOreadors,
who live in a certain part of the town
by themselves, heard Of the intention
Of the mob, and they resolved to frus-
trate it.
| They got together and went to Cen
| eral Woodford's house to assure him
/ ,NF4 1,efr. hi
send for military aid. Then they went
out to do their part. They walked
/ down the street few blocks drew the
| terrible little whip-like swords in the
use of which they are so expert, form
| ed double line across the street and
| waited. The mob came up, saw the to-
readers with their swords ready to use,
and cheered them. Then they saw that
the bullfighters had their backs turned
/ to the embassy and their swords point
| ed at themselves-and they halted.
! They couldn't understand it.
The leading tOreador explained mat-y
| ters. He said that General Woodford
had once taken the trouble to do honor
| 20 a dead tOreador. He had gone with
his wife and family to the funeral in
| his carriage, and had driven all the
way to the cemetery as a mark of re-
! spect. The toreadors were going to pro-
/ tect the American minister with their
! swords and lives If necessary, and ask.
ed the mob what they were going to do
about it.
The mob stared. They looked the to-
readers up and down, at their faces
and then at their swords. Then they
dispersed. After that General Wood
ford had military protection night and
day.
Wages and Elizabethan Legislation.
(Gentleman's Magazine.)
The attempts of Elizabethan legisla-
ton to fix wages by statute and to Sc
cure greater fixity of labor are well