The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1900-04-04

cruel, bloody ana ucBfnulnB spectacle
than cock fight would be hard to
find.
Some years ago, when Iloilo was in
its balmy days and instructions of
the natives had not begun to trouble
the easy going life of the Spaniards, 1
was there on visit, and among other
sights of the city attended a cock.
fight. The pit was square, sanded
space, surrounded with plank walls
about four or five feet high and built
very strongly, more TO keep out the
crowd of excited spectators than TO
keep the combatants in, for in the ex-
citement engendered by n very close
combat between two favorite cocks,
the natives had TO be restrained al
most forcibly from breaking into tho
ring and putting their favorite's an
tagonist out of the fight by means fair
or foul At each end of the fence were
gates, through which the umpires and
trainer for each bird were permitted
to enter; no others than these were
allowed in the pit during battle.
Outside the pit was space devoted
to the owners of cocks, few selected
friends and the birds themselves.
The cocks were kept in small bam-
boo cages on little benches which ex-
tended around the space, from which
point of vantage they filed the air
with their shrill crows of defiance. For
the exhibition of the more noted fowls
elevated stands were provided, on
which they were exposed to the gaze
of an admiring multitude before the
fight in cages, gilt and carved with all
the skill at the disposal of the owner.
This space was also q lounging place
for these who made ''books" on the
fights; this latter class of gentry was
composed of Chinese, most numerous,
O few Spaniards and one solitary Fill
pino, the Chinese being in the major
ity on account of the fact that it re-
quired some capital to conduct sue
cessful book, and this most of the ma
tives sadly lack. All bets were taken
by tho "bookies" with impartiality,
either for or against cock, on the
number of rounds, the probable dam
age to the victor or any other of the
many ways in which the gentle Fill
pino wastes his cash in betting.
Back of this place began the seats,
arranged in tiers similar to our ar
rangement of opera seats; they were
divided into classes of which the
price differed according 10 location
and comfort. The seats reserved for
the officials and those able to pay for
them were cushioned, the next class
had mating ON them aud the third
and lowest price, the top rows, were
bare. These were mostly filed with
poor natives, the better class of
natives, clerks and lesser lights
among the Spaniards and the well to-
do Chinese being divided among the
first two divisions. One side of this
pit was without seats; this was set
aside for the natives too poor to pay
for seat. Admission was paid in a
coin equaling two cents in our money.
The building was filed to its utmost
limits with wildly excited crowd of
poorly-clad people of both sexes,
eagerly betting everything they owned
among one another, being too poor
to bet with the bookmakers.
The fight was heralded by an an
nouncement from native, whose
bosom was swelling with the pride of
his duties and n starched shirt, the
tails of which hung conspicuously
outside his trousers, OF the wonderful
achievements Of the two fowls in
words of many syllables. Tho de-
livery of this Grafton flor it was moth
ing less) was the sign for long aud
loud cheering on the part Of the spec
tators, who were impatient for the
fighting to begin, and as soon as it
was over nearly every one rushed up
to the ookmakers to place their bets.
Before tho fight began, each cock
was inspected by the umpires to see
that it had on the regulation gatfs and
was not otherwise rugged up with for
hidden devices. The galfs were OF
the finest steel, scimetar-shaped, with
the concave edge down; this edge is as
sharp as a razor, and a severe blow
from gaff has been known to COM
pletely decapitate fowl; they are
about two inches in length aud come
to sharp point. The upper edge is
blunted.
The spurs furnished by nature to n
fowl are not considered deadly enough
by the savage tastes of the Filipinos,
so those spurs are cut OFF at length
OF an inch or so and the hollow part OF
the gaf fits over the stump. Clasps
around the leg keep them from falling
off or slipping. 1t is conical sight
to SEQ lordly cock stepping along
the sand of the pit wearing pair OF
these hugo spurs, which are so long
and 30 awkward that the coc'; trins
over them at almost every step; but in
the combat of the pit, all is different.
a trained fowl uses his spurs with all
the skill of fencing master with a
rapier, all the awkwardness is gone.
BY way of note, sometimes the
cocks are allowed to fight with their
natural stumps OF spurs. Thisis how
ever, only for a match OF skill be-
tween two fowls whose owners do not
care to risk their slaughter, or be-