The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1904-06-09
BULL FIGHTS IN MEXICO.
BARBARlc SPORT STILL HAS
MANY FOLLOWERS THERE.

i
The Arena Days Are Made a Period
Of Festivity-The Spectacle Wit
messed by All classes-Ho W Con-
tests Are Fought.
The bull ring and bull fights in
Spain and Mexico are survivals OF the
Flavian amphitheatre, the ancient Ro-
man circus maximus and the gladia-
torial games. Still the people who
boil living Holsters, skin cells alive,
encourage prize fighting and with
hounds and horses chase poor fox to
death cannot afford to throw stones at
the Mexicans.
The Romita Plaza, at which all the
fights now take place, is new ring,
built in 1899. 1t is reached by cleo
the fare is 10 cents. The building is
trio cars, marked "Toros" (bulls), and
an immense amphitheatre of wood,
and seats $4,000, the benches rising in
tiers from the ring walls. The arena
or ring proper is $50 feet in diameter
There is no roof or awning to the
building, and in the afternoon, when
all fights are pulled off," the sun
throws a shadow over one'half the in
terror of the structure. There is quite
a difference in the price OF seats in
the sun and shadow. The general ad-
mission for the sunny side is $3.50,
and the shady side 81.
An hour before the performance
the great building begins to fill up
First, two companies Of soldiers, with
fixed bayonets and businesslike ap-
pearance, enter and take up positions
They are here to keep the hoodlum
element in order.
The fight commences promptly at
the hour advertised, and continues
from two to three hours, when from
five, to seven bulls are killed. They
are fierce animals Of the old Andalu-
sian stock, raised especially for the
ring.
A few minutes before the perform
ance begins the director of the sport
arrives, and with his friends takes
his seat in the box exclusively re-
served for his use. He is generally
duty is to see that the municipal reg
ulations governing pull fighting are
observed. When the director is seat
ed bugle is sounded, the gate bar
ring the entrance to the fighters quar-
ters flies open and a gayly dressed
horSeman rides in. He is the alguaZil
or master Of the arena. Superbly
| l. \ ;,-l,k e. Il;
rector's box, removes his plumed hat
and with a graceful bow asks permits
sion for the performance to open.
The key of the corral where the bulls
are housed is tossed to him, and horse
and rider back out of the arena. Then
the band strikes up the Bull Fighters
March" from Carmen" and the act
ors file into the ring.
/ The alguazil on his richly capari-
soned horse, leads the parade, fol-
lowed by the stars of the company,
the matadors, respondent in their
costumes of silk and satin, gold and
velvet, wearing flowing capes of Ly-
.onnaise silk, costing anywhere from
5000 to $500. These are the real bull
| fighters, the stars of the aggregation,
and are all. Spaniards or of Spanish
descent. Behind them, in brilliant
costumes, proudly march the bander
illeros or arrow men, followed by the
capadores and picadores, astride of
poor, NANCY, broken down hacks. The
gaudily harnessed mules, three
abreast, which drag out the dead bulls
and gored horses close the cavalcade.
When the procession has made the
circuit of the arena, the actors in a
body salute the director, then take
their positions Suddenly, high over
the shouts Of the multitude is heard
the blast of a bugle, the gate OK the
bull pen is raised and the proud beast
springs into the ring.
Suddenly one of the capadores adj
ly waving purple cape, the bull with
lowered head and horns, leaps for the
flag, and the fight is on. The capadore
retires, and the picadore or man on
horseback, advances. !. He rides
straight for the bull and invites his
charge. He is armed with a long
lance-pointed staff to protect himself
and his mount from the bulls horns,
but often the poor horse is disembow-
eled and rider and horse roll in the
sand.
The next act is a most graceful anu
daring spectacle. A banderillero adj
vances to the bull, holding in each
hand a tinsel-wrapped stick less than
a yard long, and steel barbed. When
the bull charges the man side steps
and plunges into the rushing animal
! the barbed stick.
The barbs are not thrown; they are
driven in just above the shoulder
blades, and If only one barb is mis-
placed the actor is Kissed and jeered
| by the gallery. When the performer
plunges his darts he retires, and an
other repeats the act, and again an
other until six gaily decorated barbs
are fastened in the flesh.
| By this time the bull is worked up