The Opelousas courier., 1899-02-11
LADY B%ULL-FIGHTERS,
AROUSE ENTHUSIASM OF THE MEXICANs
BY THEIR SKILL
Pftifulest ExempIification of the Latest Phase
of the New Woman-HOrns Sawed Off the
Most Ferocious Administrative Scenes
in the Arena.

W th~ ~ III kI
Most Ferocious Misunderstanding Scene.
in the Arena.
In spite of the many attempts made
by certain religious Organizations and
phiIanthropists, bullfghting continues
to be the sport par excellence in the
City of MeXico, writes a correspondent
to tne Philadelphia Press. An ordi.
1ance excludes the sport from the city
proper, but in the environs there is nc
law against it, although the license is
prohibitive except in the great Buca-
yell ring, where weekly fights are held.
The sport is ~patrOniZed by all classes
of people from the president of the re-
public down to the humblest carga-
dor who can secure the price of adj
mission.
During the past year a female quad.
rilla Of bulltighters has caused a great
ly augmented interest in the sport by
the skill in which they handle the
sword and banderillas in the great
rings Of Spain, and SO great was the
Adh4S tiNN w lAoS lax III
were fain to gaze upon their charms
and witness their skill and bravery,
AN immense sum of money was guar
anteed the senoritas torras before they
left the mother country, and they al e
now giving performances before i'm
lnense crowds in all the large cities Of
the republic.
So novel a sight as six women fIirt-
ing with q mad bull could not be miss
ed, and our party Of ten unanimously
voted to witness the performance. Sc
curing a box the day before, we went
early to watch the arrival of the pres
ident and his staff, as well as the 9TH
er strata of society which dearly
loves q bullfight, a taste never eXtermi-
mated from the Spanish strain, yet
paramount in the blood of the native.
born Mexican.
There is an ~undercurrent of excite
ment as you enter the immense ring,
with rows of boxes and tiers Of seats,
about equally divided into the sunny
side" and the SHADY side," the former
occupied by the lower OR peon classes.
In the centre Of the shady side Of the
ring is the Governors box and to the
left tie musicians stand, whence live
ly airs are played at intervals.
Precisely at $50 o'clock a door oppo-
site the Governors box is opened ami
the procession enters the ring. First
come the senoritas torreas, or lady
bulltighters," dressed in the regulation
costume, which consists Of knee
breeches and jacket, deliberately en-
broidered in gold and silver bullion,
and pink silk stockings.
They march around. Then the bull
enters. This animal always closes his
eyes when he charges, and there is far
less danger in this part Of the perform
than one would imagine.
A senorita advances, goes through
the play; then another and another
until the bull is somewhat tired, the
female performers being assisted at
critical points by the two male pro-
tectors who follow closely in their
wake.
Two Of the women then take the
banderillas, which are long darts with
prongs like ishhooks, and. by skillful
manipulation of the red capes, invite
the bull to charge toward them. As
he makes the 1unge the darts are
in his side, where they hang,
and further enrage him. Eight or ten
banderillas are planted in the ami
mails side, when a ,cornet sounds
from the Governors box, which is the
death signal.
The woman who has been assigned
to do the killing takes a sword and
red cape and advances to. the Cover
nor's box, where she makes a speech,
his Excellency, then engages
the attention Of the bull. Sometimes
the animal refuses to fight and is sent
out of the ring, and another n is
brought in. Often the. horns of a too
ferocious creature are sawed off, the
spectators sometimes insisting that
this be done if the animal looks par
dangerous.
Now comes the critical moment, and
the crowd manifests interest in di-
verse ways. Those in the front rows
stand up, and are speedily called down
by the spectators in the
Fair-faced women, who look incapa-
Bile of hurting a fly, lean forward, and
lnxiously watch every movement OF
HE matador as she strives to plant the
sword in the heart of the animal. The
bull lunges toward the matador, and
he passes her with a rush the sword IL
leftly planted in the animal clear to
The hilt, and the enthusiasm OF the
spectators knows no bounds. AS the
animal staggers, falls, regains his feet
and falls again, believing with pain.
The scene is indescribable.
A del~icate-faced woman just in trout
me stands up and cheers with the
bowling mob, clasps her white hands
N an ecstacy Of delight, and throws
her corsage bunch of yiolets at the
Ieet Of the woman in the ring.
a pretty girl, scarcely fourteen.
a bunch of roses, poems throw
heir sombreros aloft in joy. n the
eading socieF young men send down
ward a raiR of silver dollars at the
littleNSpanish feet. Several
f%acetiously iptiined men in the front
'oW toss inty the rings spools of cot
ION, papers u pins, and pair of scis-
the gentle irony of which is
greeted by the crowd with shouts of
approval.
Al male matador then cuts off the
ear of the dead bull, and pre-