Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-16
Vaults Over Bull
Fiqht Without Horses


It was the day of the Americans and
Robert fought the bulls as he had
promised, without horses and with only
his careful banderilleras and his keen,
tough sword to help him.
Early in the day the spectators began
their trip from San Diego to the bull
ring. Hundreds of them had arrived
from Los Angeles and had spent the
night there in anticipation of an early
start. Others left Los Angeles early
Sunday morning and arrived in San
Diego in time for the noon train to Tia
Juana.
The holiday atmosphere was every
where.
Staid American business men, keen
in their interest for the battle, were
rugged out in the trappings worthy Of
Jose
Fat men with forid faces and great
sombreros sat on the steps of the mar
row gauge car on their way to the
border and puffed hungrily at long
black cigars. Around their necks they
wore gaudy handkerchiefs around
their waists still gaudier sashes, and
around their hats the dainty folds of
the red, white and green of Mexico.
The Busy Cameras
Tourists, eager yet fearful. clutched
longingly at their cameras, their fingers
twitchng to begin in the incessant
click click of the little machines.
Some sang and shouted at the Mexi-
can men and women who smiled a
welcome at them from the doorways
of the adobe houses as the little cars
puffed industriously through the low
valleys.
And the heat was the heat of the
southland and every one was happy.
Out over the low-lying mesa land the
heat simmered. the sage and cactus
scrub seemed swimming in the ripples
of gently moving air, and far overhead
the buzzards tapped their lazy wings
and looked thoughtfully at the wide ex-
panse of sand.
On went the train to Tia Juana, to
the American side, and with a yell the
dashed for the buses and
vehicles which were to transport them
to the bull ring.
In Two Republics
Many of them insisted on walking
over the border line from the
United States. The tourists developed
the fad in the highest degree.
One fat man would not be happy
until his daintily gowned daughter took
a picture of him. He stood with one
thick leg on Mexican territory and the
other on American soil. His big cigar
extended from his mouth toward Mexi-
can soil and he blew smoke into Amer
lea and was extremely happy while he
stood there and blotched that peace
full landscape with his unholy beauty.
But the crowd didn't lose any time
and they carried little Tia Juana.
Over to the alleged restaurants. where
the old MeXicans and their extremely
pretty daughters sold frijoles at 80
cents for four beans, the Americans
dashed and ate greedily of the beans
over to the little .ent houses. where
one could get big thick glass of the
fiery mescal for 10 cents they marched
and cooed their joy while the red hot
liquid of the pulque coursed down their
protesting throats. Later they repented
of that mild form of ENJOYMENT.
And at last, with fair shrieks of well
come, they fell on the curio establish
ments and bought and bought until
they were intoxicated with the joy of
buying until their purses were small
emerged from the stores, sights to
behold.
And the scarfs!
Men, women and children were there
Around their necks they wore scarfs
Of untold luster. Their heads were
by tapping sombreros.
while they carried commonplace derbies
and other headgear in their hands.
Here a man had draped his sun
burned neck with a coral pink silk
and the contrast was
But they We're all happy. and they
took snapshots of the wild, scraggy
country and made attempts to snap
shoot the insulted buzzards, which |
Mapped protestingly from the fence
poles.
Then they went to the bull ring-and
a gay sight it was.
The far famed arenas of Madrid and |
Seville would have blushed at the
thought of the crowd of Americans,
Continued ON page two. |