The sun., 1898-02-27

sons. Many Of the best northern and mid
land clubs have soceded and formed union OF
their own. Tho quarrel with Wales is about a
testimonial the smaller country gave It's most
prominent player a year ago. Arthur Gould
was the most famous and the best OF Rugby
football players in tho three Kingdoms. After
playing for Wales times innumcrablc, ho do.
tormined to retro from tho field and get mar
ried. So Wales made him q farewell present.
Peers, Bishops, members OF Parliament, men,
women. and children of all sorts subscribed,
and gave Mr.. Gould a house to live in and a
check to help him furnish 1t. Upon this tho
English union met and said Gould was pro-
fessonal. After while they relented, and in
difference to Wales's angry protest white
washed the popular favoritc. Then the other day
Gould actually played football again. and tho
English union declared 1t more than they
could stand. They could only recognize him
as an amateur as long rs he did not play. So
the trouble broke out afresh. But 1t was
hard to forogo the big gate money an inter.
national match brings in. So tho Welsh
union and the English union came together
again. And they agreed to settle their differ
ences, Wales stipulating that. IL they promised
not to let Gould play any more. England was
not to make known tho conditions. After
standing up for their idol SO stoutly Wales
did not like to publicly abandon him. But
perfdous Albion let the cat out of the bag
after all. And once more 1t seemed that thero
would be no England VS.. Wales match. But
again the matter has been patched up. With
out entering into the merits of the case in dis
pute. the method in which affairs have been
conducted is, to say the least Of 1t, unsports.
manlike.
After oil this 1t were boo tless to tell how Eng
lish golfers have been writing to tho papers to
complain that all over the country 1t Is hard
to find an opponent that will play fair and alb
stain from minimizing his score, or to recount
the dire conflict between some golf clubs and
some foxhunters as to which party had the
right to wear a red evening coat at dinners
and dances.
Not for a good many years has the Spanish
capital enjoyed such spectacle In its Plaza do
Toros, or bull ring, as that presented last Sum
day by a fight between an elephant and bull.
The best remembered combat Of the kind took
place in 1865, when an elephant named Pizarro
held his own against all comers, putting tho
bulls hors de combas by wrenching their fore
paws out Of their sockets. At last however,
Pizarro. In a furious fight, lost of his tusks,
and was obliged to retire from the ring.
That the sport, II sport 1t can be called. has
lost nothing Of Its charm for the Madrilene was
proved by the eager crowds that surged through
the streets leading to the Plaza dc Toros intent
upon enjoying their Sunday afternoon. The ele-
phant that was to afford the sport was young
one, named Nero, recently bought In Amster.
dam. The poor brute had suffered terribly on
the sea voyage to Spain, and this may account
for the poor figure he cut in the arena. That he
was strong was shown by the fact that he
twice broke an iron chain which held him back
till the bugle sounded and the first bull bound.
cd into the arena. Nero, however showed no
desire to make the bulls acquaintance. and
amid derisive howls from the public allowed
himself to be chased round and round the ring.
Occasionally he halted to pick up and eat the
oranges with which he was bombarded, but he
always kept good distance between himself
and the bull. The bull. indeed. showed very
little kcenness for the fight, and the spectators
soon demanded that another should be re.
leased. This DONE but not before Nero In
revenge for the insults showered on him for his
cowardice. had partly destroyed plank stand
filled with people, causing for a time q consid-
erable panic.
Tho second bull showed fight at once, and at
tackled the elephant furiously, driving him,
trumpeting piteously all the time, round the
arena. Six or seven times the bull succeeded
in wounding his adversary, though the dam
age inflicted was not really serious. At last
Nero fell upon his Knees pronounced van
ouished and led away to his box. The bull was
led in triumph round the arena, receiving sal
vos OF applause for the bravery he had shown
in pursuit of an ever-feeing enemy.
After this bull fights proper proceeded. and
half dozen bulls were killed. In one of the
courses q matador was seriously wounded in
the groin and had to be carried out of the arena.