The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-05-28

PORTUGUESE BULL FIGHTERS.
DIFFERENCES OF THE TWO Ma
TIoNs.
Admirers of the Portuguese say that
II is a fundamental difference OF ma
tional character which makes the
Portuguese bull fight differ 50 much
for the better from the Spanish An
important and to the Spanish public
a very attractive feature of the Span
ish bun fight is the slaughter, with
sanguinary circumstances, of many
feeble and defenceless horses. one sell
dom or never sees in a Spanish bull
ring a horse fit to draw the ilimSiCSt
wheeled vehicle at a snaiIs pace. 1t
would be regarded as an absurd prodi-
gality to send into the bull ring
horse that might be used for any other
purpose. The mount of a picador is
not expected to gallon, or leap, or even
walk. He is only called upon to stand
still until it comes to his turn to be
disemboweled. His left eye is free to
contemplate the wooden barrier by
which he stands, but his right eye, the
arena being on that side of him, is
bandaged that he may not see the bull.
And if he can get his four decrepit old
legs to hold him up and can keep from
turning his head for a look at the
arena until the horns pierce his en-
trails, he is a perfectly satisfactory
steed for a Spanish picador.
Then again, as regards the bull, it
may be that he enjoys the fight as
much as anybody, though he is yet to
be heard from on that point. What is
known is that the bull is brought to
the Spanish ring to be first teased and
then killed. 1t very rarely happens
that bull leaves the ring alive. When
he does he has only his own pluck,
ferocity. and cunning to thank for it
and it means disgrace for some bung-
ling espada. But even if the espada
bungles, the others generally manage
to surround and overpower the poor,
gallant bull, disable him by cutting
off his legs with a villainous sickle
shaped blade, called a luneta, and
finally shoot him or knock his brains
out.
Eliminate these two ugly but highly
popular and most important features
of the Spanish bull fight, and the hor-
ror Of it is substantially diminished.
With such modification and without
the addition of anything in the sense
bull fight becomes the Portuguese.
Modern bull fights, indeed, every
where present a more or less Anda-
1usan aspect to the superficial OBJ
server. The days have long since
passed when the king of CASTLE was
expected to show his prowess as a
torero before he ascended the throne
The Spanish bull fight has long been
given over to professionals. It's An
dalusian character is obtrusive in al
the costumes Of the ring, whether al
Seville or at Madrid or at San Scbas-
tian.
IN THE PORTUGUESE RING.
In the Portuguese ring, on the con-
trary, there are two important ex-
ceptions to the rule of Andalusian cos
tune, one in the case of the cabaf-
heiros, the other in that of the purely
and characteristically Portuguese fur
cados. OF these furcadOs. more later
on. The Portuguese Cabalheiro wears
a Louis Quinze three-cornercd hat. a
wide-skirted, large cuffed coat, and
lace rufIles, instead of the broad SOM
brero, short jacket, and faring trous-
ers which make the Spanish piCadoT
look like a seedy specimen of the Mex
lean Vaquero. And this difference of
dress, like the names, Ca0llheiro and
picador, signifies a corresponding func-
tional elevation of the mounted tour
eiro in Portugal above the mounted
tarero in Spain. The picadOr is the
meanest, most mechanical, least VEN
turesome, and least regarded partici.
pant in the Spanish game, and his
name means goader. In contrast
cabalheiro means gentleman. He is tho
most important figure in the POrtu-
guese ring, he must be a skilled rider
his mount must be both mcttlesomc
and highly trained, and if the bull Sc
much as grazes that glossy, well.
groomed coat, the cabalheiro must get
out of the saddle and continue The
fight on foot, incumbered by big iacE
boots that reach above his knees ant
are armed with long old-fashionet
spurs.
A bull fight is always preceded by
what Americans would call a parade
in the arena. The peninsula calls thi.
ceremony the COrtesias. The long lin,
of fighters march in like the gladiator.
In Roman circus, and go through
something like the ave, Caesar I'm
perator, morituri te salutant." They
form front, with their centre facine
the box occupied by the King or som,
other exalted parsonage, who is sup
posed to be presiding over the festival
In Spain the centre of the line is occu
pied by mounted official in a Cas-
tilian black velvet court costume a.
the sixteenth century, whose only bust
ness for the day is to ask the presiden
FOR and receive from him the key o.
the bull pen. In Portugal the ccntr,
n Is occupied by group of cabaIheiros
while in Spain the picadors and theil
n Fretched jades are reegated to tn,
Il humble position of supes in lunches
On the hanks of the line. A FrencI
spectator at Madrid fiesta once sug
Sested that the ancient Roman "Nori
i turf te salutant" was omitted from thi
teremony because the horses could no
talk Latin and no one else expected +,
die, In Lisbon this irony would hay,
been quite pointless. There the horse