The Brinkley argus., 1898-07-21
FROM SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.
The Mexican Inhabitants-Their Sport. An Interesting Let ter From an Argus Cor
 respondent.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS,
 July 21, 1898.

JulN @l3 1OCo' EDITOR ARGUS:-
 Emboldened by the success my communication met in escaping the dreaded waste basket, l again come knocking at the door of your sanctum and would fain have speech with sthe corps of writers who look upon the scenes that greeted my eyes in the long ago. True, 'I feel like one who treads alone, some banbuet hall desert- ed." For here I am away off in Texas, where few of our readers are interested in the local happen ings, but with permission l will give you typical scene Tn San Antonio. West of the San Pedro creek, which runs through our city, IS what is known as Mexico, so called because it is chiefly in habited by Mexicans, and it takes man with considerable austerity
 to go to west side cock-fght,
 and not get stirred up with the feverish impulse of dead game sport.
 The hot-blooded sons of Mexico get nearly as much satisfaction out of ssmatch" between two ] roosters as a bull fight. The pits are located in the rear of Laredo street saloons, to which they are profitable adJuncts. No admls sion is charged, but the proprie- tors make their money back at the
 bar, where those who have wager ed wisely "set lem up,' and the
 losers generally seek consolation
 in the same way.
 Things are lively at the pits in
 the fall season of the year and
 night after night at the little am- phitheatres the cock fighters, the gaffers, the packers and crowd of sports and spectators rally around the arena where the roosters do battle even unto death.
 For an hour before the fighting beglns the scene is somewhat like that at the New York exchange when wheat went up to $190.
 The motley crew of Mexicans, sports, toughs and characters that throng the saw-dust arena are all intent upon finding takers to their bets, and the weIkin rings with their shouts, while some one less fortunate gets a broken nose or a black eye by coming in too close contact with thelr furious gesticu- lations.
 Of course the two roosters which are to do battle are the cen- ter of attraction. They are held by two old Mexicans who will ex- pertly fasten on the gaffs and act as seconds during the fray. The roosters generally stretch their necks and look around as if en- quiring "what are we here for7" They are inspected by those in- terested and their weight ascer- tained, this being an important matter, as a difference of few ounces would, between birds of equal gameness, decide the con- test. Bets are made quicker in cockpit than anywhere else. "Ca- rambo" shouts an old greaser and everyone knows he is looking for a bet. "Carambo. Quatro reales pour colorado?"-Who takes the beti A tough young man with wide sombrero and mill-saw spurs leaps from his oroncho and fairly yells "What's thati Backing the red are youl Pm the one you're looking for. Here's four bits on the gray. Git out your stuff. !" The old greaser hands over his 50 cents and the bet is made. One peculiar feature of a bet at cock fight is the stakes are not held by shareholders, but by the party The system works admirably, as there are never any defalcations. A stiff flush stock man puts up $l0 on the red against an astonished looking tourist who has merely dropped in to see the fun," and is carried 1 away by the excitement.
 As soon as the bets are all made the arena is cleared and the sports