Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1909-11-04

ure day of the week, bands play and
bells ring the whole day.
My first experience in Tepic would
be hair raising to some extent, to a
tenderfoot, when they turned loose
seven or eight bells Of different tones
two bands on the plaza started play
ing and the troops came marching a.
round the corner with four buglers
trying their best to drown out the
music
At noon a solitary bugler announ-
ces media dia'' with few long
long drawn out notes and that
meant hats off, to every believer
in the church.
From twelve to three p. m an or
chestra plays in the patio of the ho-
tel de la Bola de Orc, Topics prin-
cipal hostelry.
About two O'Clock, strains of music
are heard in a different direction
and rounding another corner comes
the military band heading gaudily
decked horsemen and men in car
r1ages which We at once recognize as
"Barqureos," (men who play with
bulls).
We were all anxious to see a bull
fight in all its horrors and bloody
demonstrations of creulty so we
rounded up all of our Gringo friends
and proceeded to the plaza de To
ros," where all the lovers of sport
congregate, from the best families
down to the poorest peon, who works
hard all day for forty or fifty centare
and gladly gives it up to see this
fine sport as they call it.
At exactly 4:15 the bugIe sounds
the big gates are thrown open and
in marches the matador in his gold
mounted suit, fur cap and pink stock
lngs carrying a gaudy satin cape.
followed by his ''Banderillos'' and
"Picadores" in silver trappings. the
Picadore riding poor old worn out.
bllndfolded nags which have passed
usefulness and are sentenced to deatI
In this manner. Lastly is a team
OF mules with harness slightly decor
ated, whose duty it is to haul out
the dead bulls and horses.
Again the bugle sounds, the mules
are rushed out, the large gates close
and while the military band plays. in
bounds bull with a barb in his
neck for a starter, facing the light
for the first time in three days. AS
rule he charges at once and it is
laughable to see the "Barqueros
flee to their ''buladores' Qittle
fences behind which man can
crowd for safety.
The ''Picadores" with their horses
are rushed forward to test the fight
Ing qualities of the bull. If he
charges at once he is fighter
and if he kills horse or two. he is
an extra good one and they proceed
at once to tantalize him with red
capes.
1t no doubt takes marvellous skill
to stand in front of a charging bull
and side step as the animal gets with
in foot of him, the bulls horns
grazing him barely an inch or two.
In last weeks fight the Matador
was in this attitude when his foot
slipped and he fell upon his side, in
a second the infuriated bull was upon
him giving him a bad wound in the
head with his hoof and would have
gored him to death had his horns
not been SO long and slightly turned
up at the ends; as it was he gored
the ground ON either side Of the un-
fortunate "Barquero's'' back until
his attention was called by a red
cape which he followed, leaving the
hero Of the occasion with a very
bloody face to rise and swear ven
geance on the bull.
The next step was to place the
barbs or ''banderos'' which are a.
bout two feet long and gaily decor
ated with rosettes of colored paper
It was during this dangerous feat
thai Harper Baylor Lee, the ideal
lied American bull fighter received a
dangerous wound in the thigh a week
ago at San Luio Potosi
After the enraged bull is we'll decor
ated with three or four pairs of ban
deros the bugle pronounces the death
sentence and the 'Matador" finishes
him with a we'll directed thrust of
his rapier between the shoulders,
sinking the blade to the hilt into
the animals heart. If the bull is
too long in dying he is thrust with a
small dagger just back of the horns
which kills him Immediately.
The mules haul out the carcass