Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-08-29
MEX|CANS BORN GAMBLERS.
ENORMOUS SUNS WAGERED On
CARDS AND COCkFIGH1's.


r ZACATECAS, Mexico, August o.
Like all Spanish races, the Mexicans
are born gamblers. From the prondest
cabalero to the lowest peon every one
INDUCES in gambling. About one-third
of the men carry dice in their pockets
ready for a moment when they may
throw for a cigar, drink of mescal or
pulque or for a meal or for money.
Many women carry tiny and prettily
ornamented boxes of very small dice.
ithe person who does not hazard some
money on the outcome Of bullight or
a cockight is an oddly.
! Along the Mexican streets knots OF
peon men and women squatting on he
culDs are seen a dozen times a day en-
gagged in games of monte, dice throw
ing or drawing cuts for a handful OF
'hardearned copper centavos. On the
street corners, in quiet corners Of the
p.azas and even on the steps of the Ca
thedrals in Mexican cities one common
ly sees set up temporary stands of cam
vas tops with folding legs, where gam
bling games are conducted among the
poor by itinerant professionals.
The chief gambling diversion in the
Mexican pueblos and in the camps of
the laborers on the enormous ranches
throughout the Republic, is cockfight-
ipo Tho aVeraoa mann uil, noortpaop a
year of his grinding labor on the re-
suit of a cockfight, and will cheerfully
walk forty and fifty miles to back ia
vorite rooster in a cockpit From the
Rio Grande to Yucatan at least a thou
sand cockfights take place every Sum
day. On any of the many holidays in
Mexico there are double the number Of
Sunday cockfghts. Every pueblo has
its cockpit and in towns Of 1000 or s.
900 population six of seven cockpits
compete for public popularity.
There are usually cheap board at
fairs with covering Of canvas or palm
branches to protect the spectators from
the sun. There are rude wooden
benches built amphitheatre-like about
a hard sun-baked dirt space some ten
feet square. On the earth the cocks
are matched, and the benches are gen.
orally packed with the poor men and
women of Mexico who at times scream
like demons and wager their petty ear
nings on the contest of two cocks
squirting and pecking each other to
death. Periodically there are cock
fights for the honor Of rival pueblos,
and recently at one Of these in the
State of Chihuahua the people of the
two valleys were so wrought up that
for eight days all work and business in
the pueblos was abandoned. Every one
attended the day and evening fights.
One pueblo lost practically all its cash
in hand, and finally there was riot so
serious that the people of a neighboring
community came to adjust the differ
ences.
Men who make an industry Of grow
ing fighting cocks are in every locality
in Mexico. Two men in Guadalajara
have made fortunes of several hundred
thousand dollars each in breeding a
specially pugnacious variety of game
roosters from Japanese pheasants. Last
year one of the men shipped more than
1 600 of these birds at fancy prices. A
good, game cock, one that can spur
seven or eight birds to death before he
succumbs himself is worth from $40 to
$12, and very superior bird sometimes
sells for even $1S and $25. Many a
Mexican knows the pedigress and fight
ing records of game cocks as thorou6 l.
ly as American horse fanciers know
those of horses on the tracks.
There are half dozen bookmakers
at the entrance to the usual cooking
plaza. Any sum may be waged from
- 2 ME