The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-07-10

A ND so you want to hear about the
u bull-ight at the Pan-American
- exposition. Now, of course, bull
fights are very naughty things; every
body knows that. Their influence is
wholly bad. They tend to demoralize
the public. to brutalize and dull refined
feeling and to develop degrading tastes.
Why even the New York journal de-
nounCes this Midway feature at Buff
falo, and when the New York journal
is shocked, well--something, of course,
ought 10 be done.
1t is not necessary to state that IL is
no real bull fight. The bull at the PAN
American is like the wary man in the
couplet:
lie who fights and runs away
viii live to fight another day.
That's the way with the Buffalo bull:
he will he still in the ring when the
exposition has gone the way of all big
shows. and the beautiful buildings are
laid waste. Hs doesn't die. Not that
bull. They kill him with long paper
wreathed wands every afternoon. but
he hlithely trots out to join his family
In the stables, apparently undepressed
by his experience i'm the arena.
one thing about the bulls in the
Mexican village fights. They come into
the ring and go out with all their horns
which is more than can he said of the
poor cattle in the herds in the vicinity
of Scranton. You won't find dairy in
Lackawanna county where the unhappy
cattle are not cruelty mutilated, and
yet the New York Journal the min
listers and other good people make no
crusade against the horrd practice,
any moro than they do against the
torture Of horses which deprives them
of their defense against the fendish-
ness of flies. You will not find a dairy
herd which is not more or less COM
posed of cows who look humiliated and
degraded without that badge of i'm
memorial dignity-ther horns. The
pain and misery which they have en-
dured in the dehorning process are far
greater than the bulls suffer in the
mock fight at the exposition.
o.
Now, this is in no sense defending
the custom of bull-fighting. 1t is a
relic Of barbarism even in its most
improved condition, just S prize fight
ing and Glass-eating are relics of bar
harism, and even divested of its cruelty
as 1t is at Buffalo, is not especially
eleNating in its tendency. But there is
really nothing to shock the most sem
sitiNe beholder. There is big amphi-
theatre provided with seats, sheltered
and otherwise, according to your
finances All round the central en-
closure is a closely boarded railing or
fence too high for the bull to leap over,
| since in the course of his evolution he
| has not had time to learn the aero
battle possibilities contained in a ladder
or slight projection acting as a step.
| The agile Mexicans, however, when too
closely followed for comfort. can elude
their four-footed pursuer by springing
over this fence by aid of the step and
alightng upon a raised walk outside
| The batiled animal looks after them
with surprise and displeasure, but is
soon diverted.
The scene is rather a gay one in the
brilliant sunshine. The official box,
where is frequently seen some Mexican
senior and sonora of rank; the Preside
| band, of Mexico, numbering sixty or
more, in their brilliant uniforms; the
presence of many of the "Rurales" or
cavalrymen, also gaily attired, go to
make up an exceedingly picturesque ef-
| feet Through the audience pass MeXi-
can lads and lassies in native costume,
| selling wares of various sorts, one
young fellow insisting vociferously that
| you shall buy an official programme.
| Don't bother your neiehbOr by ask
| ing questions" he shouts with charm
| ing frankness. ITS so monotonous
Pay five cents and read it all for your
self"
The band plays "The Toreador," and
| you almost expect to see a lovely Car
| men, with roses in her black locks, fit
| forward to speak to that resplendent
picador who has just entered the ring
| Then many other resplendent gentle
men with yellow cloaks lined with red
disposed picturesquely over their shoul-
ders appear. They wear satin and vel
vet and spanGles galore, and the won-
| der Is that they are able to hop about
| with so much alacrity in those amaz-
| ingly tight neither garments. They are
banderilleros or cuadrillas.
Then enters MIR. Bull. He is a very
| large and comfortable looking animal,
| this one of today He has a miracu-
lous pair OF horns. wide-spreading and
sharp. One Of them curls down little
over his left eve, giving him a comic
ally rakish appearance. The picador