The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1900-03-23
yOCK-FIGHTING is the ma

iulged in by high and low, in hand
somely fitted out pits and on tn
sandy stretch in front of the nativ
hut. No true Filipino is too rich ant
proud to own a choice assortment o
game-cocks, Of long pedigree and mar
vellous capacity for fighting and en-
durance, aud none is too poor to owr
one Tor at least n share) Of more ol
less claim to fighting strain. In
the Filipino heart. the order OF hi!
affections is thus: first, his game
cock, next, money. then his wife and
family, and in close order a general
desire for rest and a taste OF the fiery
LIQUOR distilled from the spent storks
Of the sugar-cane on the plantations.
As much care and money, compare.
lively, is spent in the Filipinos yearly
On the maintenance of game fowls
and fighting them as is spent here on
blooded horses and race meetings.
and far more is lost in the cock pit,
by those, able aud unable to afford it,
than on all the horse racing in the
United States for whole season.
A native will bet everything he
possesses on favcrite bird. even to
the clothes on his back, and il he has
nothing TO bet, he will steal il from
the most convenient source; were
they race who took their troubles to
heart, the list Of suicides every year
would be appalling; as ii is they
simply shrug the shoulders and abide
,,,,N1 N nhannn al ha,
way, when they have been stripped OF
everything in the ups and downs OF
cock fighting. Cock.fghts are held
in the largest cities as regularly as
theatres; Sunday is the day usually
chosen for the mains between birds OF
pedigree, though fight is on some
where every day, and il the cocks ad
vertised for that day are of any note,
the seats around the pit are usually
full, and when there is match be-
tween birds representing two cities or
provinces, the capacity Of the build
ing is taxed 10 the uttermost, oil
classes and conditions OF men and
women attend, the dissipation being
only limited by their purses. The
mains arc advertised on the streets
with gaudy pictorial representations
OF the cocks, just as we advertise the
coming OF some great actor or prima
donna, and for days before and after q
big fight the conduct of the birds are
the sole topics Of conversation high
and low.
The game cocks are raised and at
tended with the greatest of care; every
attention is lavished upon them, and
they are the motive for about the
hardest work Filipino ever does; /;
tho pedigrees Of full-blooded birds is
registered as carefully we register
that OF horse or dog; an association
OF breeders attends To this matter and
arbitrates oil disputes. To belong 10
this association is the highest honor
to which Filipino can aspire, as tho
men are usually wealthy and it gives
high social standing.
AS soon as they are able to walk
around, the cocks are kept separate
from one another, lest they receive
injury by fighting among themselves;
their diet is regulated with the ut.
most care, being one calculated to de-
velop as little fat as possible aud as
much muscle as can be gained. Red
peppers, opium and raw rum is given
from time to time to make the birds
savage, and they are tantalized with
the sight of other cocks behind a
screen and are taught not to be afraid
Hf ykh kh,nr, Eurtlnx -, -; -.
given by the patient trainers in strik-
ing with the gaffs and those are put
on every day to accustom the birds of
the feeling of them. Once in awhile,
q cock is allowed to fight with a low
bred fowl, to make it more fierce by
the sight OF blood and confident from
the easy victory obtained.
MAS consequence of oil this, when
a bird is fit and ready to 60 in the pit,
it is savage in feathers, afraid of
nothing, and will fight as long as a
spark of life is in its body, and seems
to rejoice to see the blood squirt from
the body Of its foe from the cruel
blows of the gaff.
The cocks are always kept in con-
dition save in the breeding season; as
matter OF precaution, the comb is
clipped close to the head, the legs are
plucked and shaven and the neck and
wings are trimmed as close as possi-
BILE; all this is to make them less liza
BILE to being fouled in an encounter
aud makes them lighter and more &C.
tive, and gives little hold for the beak
or gaff of an antagonist. The breast
feathers are allowed and are trained
to grow as thick as possible, for on
the breast most of the blows are re-
ceived, the birds being trained to op-
pose this thick cushion to the blows
of foe.
From long selection and breeding,
there is now a race of game fowls in
the Philippines which combines all
these points in a remarkable manner,
and next after courage shown on the
the field OF battle, a bird is valued by
il adherence to the standard. II a
bird shows cowardice in its first
fight, its neck is very promptly wrung
as q punishment for its behavior aud
as prevention to the perpetuating OF
the strain in breeding.
All fights are to the death Of one OF
both OF the combatants, unless one
runs away, and then it is killed by the
umpire. Every means possible fol-
making the cocks fight and keeping
them alive is allowable and is prac
ticed; drugs and rum are given, tn,
fowls are warmed in the breast Of th,
owner or trainer, air is forced dowl
their throats by tubes and nowaday,
even hypodermic injections of power