The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-11
BULL FIGHT AT VALENCIA.
GRAPHIC REPORT BY AN ENG
LlSH WITNESS.

Arthur Symons in Saturday Review.
have always held that cruelty has a
deep root in human nature, and is not
that exceptional thing which. for the most
part, we are pleased to suppos. it, I be-
ieve 1t has an unadmitted. abominable at
traction for almost every one: for many of
us, under scrupulous DISCUSSES; more sim
ply for others, and especially for people
OF certain races; but the same principle is
there, under whatever manifestation. and
II one takes ones stand on nature. claim
ing that whatever is deeply rooted there
has its own right TO exist, what of the
natural rights of cruelty? The problem is
troubling me at the moment, for was at
Spanish bull fight yesterday, the first
had ever seen; and I saw many things
there of nature to make one reflect a lit
tie on first principles.
The Plaza de Toros at Valencia is the
largest in Spain. 1t holds 1900 people.
nearly 5000 more than those of Barcelona.
Seville and Madrid. Yesterday it was two
thirds full, and looking from nv seat
IN the second row of boxes, that is. from
the highest point of the house. | saw an
immense blue circle filling the space bo-
tween the brown sand of the arena and
the pale blue sky overhead. The SOL"
the side of the sun, the cheaper side was
opposite to me, and the simmer of blue
came from the "gradas," where the blue
iblouses of the workmen left The darker
clothes OF their neighbors and the occa-
sional colored dress of woman hardly
dlsungulshable as more thanR slight va
Ration in single tone of color. Below
me was the presidents box, and half way
round to the right the band which pune
tually al 3, began TO play a march as
door in the arena, Immediately opposite
to me, was thrown open, and the process
sion came in, the espadas and banderlle-
ros IN their pink and gold, with their
bright cloaks, walking, the picadoIes. pike
in hand, on their horses, the chulos follow
ing. There were to be eight bulls, four in
plaza pariida," that is. with a barrier di-
Viding the arena into two halves and four
in 'Hdia ordiEaria," with the whole of the
arena. As soon as the men were in their
places a trumpet was blown, two doors
in the arena were thrown open, and two
bulls, each with a rosctte on his neck gal
loped in. The two fights went on stimuli
taneously, in the traditional three acts
the ''Suerte de Pcar," when the picadores,
on horseback and holding long wooden
pixies with a short head, meet the bull;
the "Suerte de Banderillera," when the
banderillerous plant their co ored darts in
his neck; and the ''Suerte de Matar," when
the espada, with his sword and his red
cloth, gives the death blow. Each fight
lasted about half an hour, and was divid-
ed into its three acts by the sound of
trumpets.
The first act might be called the Massa-
ere of the Horses. There is no pretehse of
fighting, and the picador rarely attempts
10 save his horse, although nothing would
be easier; on the contrary, The horse is de-
lberately offered to the bull, with the very
considerable chance. of course, that the
picador himself may be wounded through
his pads. or as he rolls over with his horse
The horses are old and lean, one eye Is
often bandaged and If, as they often do,
|. they press back in terror against The bar
rier, or become unmanageable. a red-coat-
ed chuiO comes forward and takes the bri-
die, and another follows with a stick, and
the horse is led up to the bull and placed
sideways to receive the charge The bull
who has not the slightest desire to attack
the horse, is finally reased inio irritation
by the red coats and the pink cloaks,
which are tossed, and Haunted before him;
he paws the ground puts down his head
and charges. The pike pricks him, and
his horns plunge into the horses belly, or
are caught on the loose wooden saddle or
as happened once yesterday, scrape the
pica6ors leg. The c.oaks are fourished
again and the bull followe- them Then the
horse, if he is still on his feet is again
turned TO the bull. There is a great red
hoe in him. and the blood drips, but he is
dragged and beaten forward. The bull
plunges at him a second time, and this
time ne rolls over with his rider, who
scramb'es out from under him, his yellow
clothes stained with red Then one chulo
takes the bride and beals the horse on the
head and another chulo dTags him by the
tail. and if he can, he staggers to his
feet. He is literally falling to pieces, he
has not ten minutes TO live; but the sad
die is thrown on him again and The plea
dor helped into the saddle. He makes a
few steps, The pcador drives his heels into
him. and then jumps off as he falls for the
last time ard lies kicking on the ground
a torn and battered and sopping mass.
Then a chulo goes up to him, hits him on
the head 70 see if ne can be made to get
up again, and finding 1t useless, takes out
a long, gimlet-like dagger and drives it in
behind his ear. Then, keeping an eye on
the bull the chulo scrapes up the blood
clotted among the sand into basket and
strews fresh sand about. Meanwhile an
other horse Is being butchered, and the
bulls horns have turned crimson, and his
neck, where the pike has stuck into him,
begins to redden in a thin line down each
side.
The trumpet sounds again, and if one of
the horses is stil living he is led back to
tho stables, to be used a second time. Now
comes what is really skill in the perform
ance, the planting of the banderilieras The
bun has tasted blood. he is still untireJ
and but slightly wounded. Little shouts of
delight went through the house, and could
not but join in the applause as Velasco
nodded to the bull and waved The bander-
il!eras close TO his eyes, between his very
horns, and planted them full-face before
he leapt sideways. And Veasco's play
with the cloak; the whole house rose TO
It's feet in fear and admira ton once, as he
wiped the ground with II, only its own
length from the bull, again and again and
egain and then, wrapping It suddenly
about him with its white side outward,
turned his back on the bull and stood still
The trumpet sounds again and the es-
pada takes his sword and his muleta and
goes out for the last scene. This, which
ought to be, is not always the real climax
The bull is often by this time tired, has
had enough of the sport, leaps at the bar