The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1908-01-11
LETTER FROM PANAMA.
Celebration OF independents Days ON the
Esthmus-Bull-fights and flashlights
che Chief sports-A Motley
Spectacle
ANcoN, CANAL ZONE, Nov. 80, 1907.
Correspondence of The Chief.

ANcoN CANAL ZONE, Nov. 80. 1907.
Special Correspondence OF The Chief.
Panama's independence celebr alton
on November Of this year was in
keeping with It's former efforts. While
only one-tenth as large as New Or
leans, this little city INDUCED in
! jubilee of four days. duration very
similar to q Msrdi Gras celebration
in the Louisiana metropolis. The
amusements commenced at daylight
and continued far into the night, and
the program was much the same for
each day, the average being about as
follows: Ringing of church bells, blow
| ing of whistles and other noises at
daybreak; solemn high mass and te
deum at the cathedrals: parades and
awarding of prizes; bull-fghts lasting
| until lunch time; after lunch more bull
fights, parades and athletic sports
continuing until the evening dinner;
AFTER dinner fireworks, public, private
| and Official receptions and balls.
or ell the sports the bull.fights were
tbs most interesting to Americans as
we'll as TO natiYsS. Judging from the
number of Ast-fiRhts that occurred, the
polics evidently had orders not to
make arrests for minor ofenses dur
ing the festival, for every native that
had grudRe against another sought
his man and took advantage of the OPP
portunity to settle his troubles. How
ever, they confined their fighting
among themselves and this but in
creased the sport for the sportily in
clined of the Americans. l witnessed
the bull fights of the afternoon of
November and, as far as sport was
concerned, everybody received their
full moneys worth. My party num-
beFed four, and we selected the top
seat In the grand stand in order to
witness the inevitable connections in
the street below, thereby taking in the
entire jubilee. We had just settled
into our seats when bull was roughly
ushsPsd into the ring; he marched
around the arena paving the dust into
the sir and snoring so terribly that
he frightened even the four profes-
sional mAtedores into seeking cover
until Kissing compelled them to enter
the field. This was followed by q
two-hour exhibition of dexterous side
stepping from the impetuous onrushes
of infurI ased taurus after red nag
had been waved In his face or iaYeiin
stuck In his shoulder. During this
time three bulls we're carried from the
ring Ia bleeding and believing con-
dition. After the fourth bull had been
partially tagged out all natives who
had aspirations as amateur matadores
were allowed 90 enter the ring aud
tease the bull, and the ring was quickly
filled with fully hundred excited in.
dividuals all anxious to become IA
nous. Some of these would be mat
adores had been imbibing SO freely
as to be unable to stand straight, and
in several cases relative or friend
was seen to catch an excited aspirant
in the ring and carry him bodily
away from danger, 1t was during
this interv al that the best sport of the
afternoon was Witnessed; the bull
rolled seven OF his tormeutors In the
dirt, catching one individual twice.
AT such episodes the Americans
cheered, but we're Immediately re-
primanded by their native neighbors,
who did not approve of this exhibit
ton OF science on the part OF angry
taurus. Unaccountsbly, none OF the
bulls victims we're badly hurt, each
appearing to have received only such
q rolling In the dirt as college boys
get in q football game. Throughout
the game, the street below us-in fact,
the four streets surrounding the plaza
were congested with surging mass
of humanity, and in this crowd was an
incessans exhibition of fist-fighting.
The police would promptly endeayor
to separate the participants, but
others interested would as promptly
intervene and hold the police until the |
battle was over. There was continu-
ally st least one center of commotion
and frequently several such centers.
Throughout all shia mace the MAYOR
rode back and forth on horseback |
scrambling IN all many pounds of |
small coins TO the crowd as school |
boys scramble marbles. Upon his
approach the fst- flights would cease, |
only 10 be resumed az soon as the
road Was again nnoccupied by his |
popular highness. One of our party /
remarked that our position was like /
being seated between two rings In q /
circus and unable to see both scenes
at the same time.
On October % Panama commemo-
rated another independence celebra-
bion, this being the occasion other oriyi-
from Spain; but, iudg.
Ing from the lack of enthusiasm dis.
played, Panamadoesn not appreciate her
independence from Spain as
she does her recent independence from
Colombia. The American holiday OF
occurred on this day
also. While the natives bad bull.
fights and other amusements, they
gave such poor demonstrate n as
compared with that OF November 5 as
TO show that their former Independence
has about been forgotten.
JOS. II. TIGHE.