Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-03-17
CUBA At SHORT RANGE.
A Resident Gives His Views on
It's Sports.
THE CHANGES NOW IMMINENT.

Bullnehts, CocknEhts and Gambling
the National Amusements Of the
People of the Island-Duels Free
auent and Fencing Popular.
copyright. 1899. by the Author.l
w.
With the passing of the old regime
in Cub4 there will disappear a great
many Institutions, social customs, sports
and pastimes purely Spanish in charac-
ter. Many Of these, though possibly
meriting disapproval or even condemna-
ton on the ground Of their being bru.
tai, lacking i'll refinement or exercising
an evil influence on the manners and
morals of the people, had yet come to
be regarded as objects of at least pictur-
esque interest by Americans, numbers
OF whom were tempted to pay short
wash their faces every morning in wa.
ter, and once week rub themselves
down with towel saturated in alcohol.
Further contact with cold water is by
them considered injurious to the health.
Cuban women do not admire beard
less or smooth shaven men. NThey con-
slider the American and English Gus
toms hideous and insist on their hus-
bands and sons wearing a beard or mus
tache.
The Spanish governments lottery,
long an institution, has passed away.
Ire LAST lra inc pxx,oo "a
II. Tickets were sold en- the streets for
a fortnight previous to the date Of
drawing, all unsold tickets being re-
turned and redeemed by the government
before the drawing was held. Two i'm
mense glass balls or globes set on re-
volving axis were placed on high plat
form in the courtyard of the colonial
treasury, the one containing $4,000
numbers, from to $4,000, representing
the total number Of tickets issued, the
other the amounts or prizes, marked on
little ivory balls. A child, selected from
the State Orphan asylum, was seated on
the platform between the two glass
balls. These balls were set in motion SO
as to shuttle the numbers. and stimuli.
visit to Cnba during the winter months
to take part in the very games they SO
strongly criticised at home.
Foremost on the list stands bullfight-
ing. That will die out in Cuba, togeth-
er with Spanish rule. 1t will not ba
tolerated by the United States, and it
is not sport INDUCED in or upheld by
the Cubans themselves, who rarely If
ever visit the bull ring. 1t is character
istically a sport Of the Spanish, for the
Spanish, by the Spanish. Sundays have
always been the great days for such
exhibitions. The Sabbath is observed as
. holiday, q day of recreation, not of
rest, every theater, music hall, saloon
and place Of amusement being wide
open.
The "corridas, or bullfights, take
place at p. IN. and are always attend
ed by tremendous crowds, from the
highest official to the humblest soldier,
each armed with his bottle or two of
Manzanilla, which he drinks steadily
through the afternoon. saving the empty
bottle to throw into the ring or at the
bullfighter, according to tho style in
which he dispatches his animal.
If the matadore kills his bull at the
first thrust, the public goes wild with
enthusiasm. Hats, jewelry, cigars, bot
ties, money, canes are showered into
the ring. If, on the contrary, he stabs
the bull in clumsy fashion, the unfor-
tunate matadore is Kissed and cursed.
Bottles, stones and sticks are thrown at
him, and it often happens that he is
seriously hurt by one of these missiles.
Women do not attend bulltights as
rule, but occasionally You will find
some fair foreigner following the sport
with intent gaze and rapt curiosity.
The Cubans, as before stated, disap-
prove of bullfights, and few go to them,
but spend their Sabbath in the equally
humane sport Of cockfighting. Just as
bulltighting is prominently Spanish
sport SO is cocktghting typically Gu
ban. One thousand dollars is but low
price for gamecock with brilliant
record, and in the olden times when
the Cubans still had money enormous
sums were bet on the result of fight.
The wealthy Cuban views his game
cocks with the. same pride that
wealthy American views his racing
stable, and the bird s pedigree is as i'm
portant matter to him as horses
breeding is to the horseman.
Dueling is still much in vogue in
Cuba, and gentlemen settle their differ
ences on the field of honor. On the
most trivial excuses quarrels are pick.
ed, cards exchanged, weapons and place
selected and duels fought. The rapier
or foil is the favorite weapon, and it be-
hooves man to be good swordsman, as
he may be called upon to face an adj
versary and naked steel at any moment.
A refusal to accept challenge is con-
siderad rank cowardice, no matter on
what grounds the objection is based.
The native Cubans are, as rule,
clean and fond of water. There is hard
~ a single private house to be found
that has not tank or swimming pool.
The Spaniards, on the contrary, are
slovenly and dirty and can hardly be
called cleanly in their habits. They