Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-05
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

|
the gallery, which is partitioned off into
boxes by rough wooden rails. Everybody is
expected to order wine, coffee or other re-
money back in that way
The aristocracy, as you may say, occupy
| the front seats; the boxes are usually filed
| with ladies who do not like to mix with the
| crowd down below, while the rest of the
house is packed with enthusiastic but
| severely critical audience composed of those
| who cannot raise / Ocents to pay for bet
| ter places. From this portion of the house
| applause or expressions of dissatisfaction
are expected.
But there is no disorder. A policeman
! may be looking at the show, but there
| is no need of his presence. The Sevillianos
| never drink too much, and when they quar-
| rel they switch out a knife from some part
| of their clothing and use 1t effectively be-
| fore anybody has a chance to interfere.
The Performance.
| The program is made up of songs, dances,
recitations and other stunts similar to those
! given at our own vaudeville entertainments
| but the singing and dancing alone is dis
| tinctive. The former is not usually good
| A woman and a man or two men come for
ward and take seats on the stage The
man carries a big guitar and plays an ac-
compartment to a long ditty of love and
sorrow, some comedian may appear
made up for his part, and sing a topical
song dealing with local affairs, or national
politics.
Just now the republican party is making
an active propaganda which the govern
ment is trying to suppress, and that fur
nisheS plenty of themes for the music hall
satirists. Last night comic band made
its first appearance, q dozen men with imi-
tation instruments of papier mache or other
materials, and dressed in fantastic gar
ments. They pretended to play on their
horns, but made the sounds with their
voices in quite a clever way.
The dancing is the feature, and is pecu-
liar to Seville. Half dozen young women
in the old-fashoned peasant costume come
out first in solos, then duets, and then all
together, clapping castenets and doing the
figures that Carmencita. Otero and others
have made familiar to American audiences.
The girls are often pretty, but they are al
ways raCeful and the dances are supposed
to interpret some love story-the poetry of
motion. The spectators sit almost breath
less until the number ends. when they en-
courage the performers by cries Of ''corre!'
! "anda!' ARE and howl with diSapproval
if they do not meet expectations. Finally
the premier comes forward. accompanied
by Il man dancer in holiday dress to add to
the eclat, and closes the number with an
exhibition of perfect grace, the genuine
poetry of motion, while the other perform
ers stand sit in the wings and accom-
pany the guitars with castenets and the
clapping of hands in rhythm.
Carmencita came. and there are performers
here today I'm told who are quite
complished. They receive the smallest of
salares-only a few francs a week-but
cannot be induced by golden tempta tons to
leave these smoky. smelly places for an
American tour. There only Seville.
and they are content to stay here.
The Bull Fights
There are several larger places of amuse-
ment. an opera house at which perform
ances are given by foreign companies dur
ing the winter season in the regular way
and various theaters, at which comedies and
tragedies are performed during the season,
but the bull fights are the most popular en-
tertainment. and are held every Sunday
afternoon during the season in the Plaza
de Toros, which, next to that in Madrid, is
the best In Spain, and was built century
and a half ago
The diameter of the arena is e46 feet Sc
vile is the favorite place for bull fighters.
and the most famous matadors have come
from this city, although the presence of the
cour: gives the performances at Madrid
greater public notice. No statesman or
phila ntropist. no popular soldier. no pa
triot or musician, not even the king him
self, is so honored in Seville as the mata-
doris and toreadors of the bull ring. and the
boys of Spain all aspire to be bull fighters,
as in America they aspire to be Buffalo
Bills.
Not long ago there was tremendous ex-
element here over fight between a bull
and lion. A travelling menagerie had a
beast that was uncomfortable. 1t had killed
two or three of its keepers, and the police
authorities had warned the proprietor of
the show that 1T must be shot The latter
conceived the idea of making a speculation
out of TIE death of his lion, and arranged
with the manager of the bull ring at Sc
vile, who advertised an unusual perform
ance for the next Sunday.
Anything in the way of bloodshed or
fnrn int a
pl esume that if the exhibition had taken
place in New York or Chicago. or in any
otter town in the United States, just as
many people would have fought for seats
in the amphitheater. Indeed, the public was
so eager to see the struggle between the
two beasts that the thousands who We're
III able to get tickets overpowered the door
keepers md the police and burst into the
galleries without paying admission fees.
The cage of the lion was hauled into the
arena by pair of mules. which We're UNI
hitched and driven out again. The door of
the cage was opened by pulling a long
string, and when the lion saw that he
was free he cautiously sprang to the
ground and looked around curiously. After
the spectators had been allowed to watch
his movements for a time and began to
shout for the bull a pair of doors flew
OPEN, and a beautiful white monster with
a long pair of horns came snorting and
shifting into the ring. He was one of the
finest bulls brought out that season. and
was bred upon the ranch of the Duke of
Veragua, near Toledo. He ran first one
way and then the other, trying to find
some way to get out but every avenue of
escape closed, and then he began to
look about for other dangers. He perceived
the lion very soon, and must have
dered The latter had been watching him
ever since he came through the door. but
neither seemed anxious to make the others
acquaintance. and each kept his own side
of the Enclosure while the mob in the
galleries shouted at them.
A Fierce Struggle.
After a little the curiosity of the lion
got the better of his dignity, and he moved
slowly toward the BULL Seeming danger
Taurus lowered his head and began to paw
the gravel, while the spectators could see
the hot breath pour like steam from his
nostrils. He stood his ground, however,
even when the lion sprang at him and
buried his teeth in the back of the bulls
neck. For a few seconds the two ANNA Is