The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-01-02
GLORY 0F COCK
FIGHTING CONE
Former Tournaments for MeXi-
can Game Birds Are a Mem
ory of the Past.
ONLY LOWER CLASSES
NOW ATTEND MAINS
Professional Gambling Once
FlOurisbcd Near the Scene
of Bloody Contests.

Mt.NICO CITY. Jan. 1.-The ancient IN
habitsnts OF Mexico werc over fond ot
si'Tts cf al! kinds aud In the days hc-
Iorc lie coming of The white man TO TIC
shores cf America Eicy ndulgcd in n
sul1 al pcloia game. in aquatic contests
ra'rs. wrestling matches aud military c&
et'iscS "i various kinds The% also heltl
enduTa races much after The manner
"i the modern Marathon races. Al these
wore purely athletic.
But they also had MANY games oi
chance ana .kiJl. and certain pastIm"s
SD|h sS lighting coyotes aud other wild
Auimlls. There IL no doubt thar these
tendencies OF ilie Azt"cs and other nsi .
tive races mmJc them 'Ikc kindly 10
tho .oul fight mud the cock fight.
The latter especially. OWING 10 irs M
expensive nature. early bccanc y favor
itc p0$timc Of In" lower Glasses aud Was
lator ON taken w by the better people.
Soon every ou" who Was able aild uosi
nc"pl" were. had ono or more fish;IIs
cocks.
Every SUNDAY and every fcasl Guy tnc;c
throughout Mexico where thc populace.
oI Good!v part "f the men. spent the
afternoon nj tia" side Of tho cockpit.
Knows Form Of Birds.
u was no unrolnDun thing Tor some
""'l.fo-do gentleman Ia go la the scenn
81 tho contests a""omi'inied 10y Il nalt
lpIen or more servants. each with bird
under cJch arm. In those days tic true
devotne of tho sport prdcd himself uu ms
luoWlcdS" Of the fighting qualities of the
hirds and u" believed that n" Was able.
IN most eases. 10 pick. In" winner ON
eight. Then. too. thcrc We've strains ami
families III birds known throughout Mes
leo as well and as farorably lin" tlnus'
blood horses are now known ihrouhgoUi
'ho United States. Canada and all the
Snorting C"nterS nj Europe. Some III
thes" birds broueh; very high prices
sometimes rich gentleman r:sked as
40 .ls.s ass, ne
cock fighting contests.
In yeais past the greet cock tights were
Pn'd during tho month uf December IN
connection VITA the festival AT LiiiadalUp..
Then this sport We'd with that oT gumb-
ling for popular favor. pf th" thousands
upon tlouasnds of pilgrims who visited
ihc shrine. The greater number Of thu
men brought with them one or more
fighting birds each. and some Of the
Icons and lower middle cnsscs from in
ierinr points brought many birds to sell
NJ tho villa. These We're either carried
in great wicker cages upon The heads of
the owners or in on carts: often ;he jour
icy - the villa took from one To lhrce
Wcc!.S.
Professional Cock Gamblers,
In those days the cities ard towns
sNIrmcd with professional gamblers, who
mndc y living AT the side Of the cock
nlf. They were nen who had S.brnt all
Their active lives in the sport. and thcv
bud learned almost instiHctively, as IL
IS aoon they appeared nj the pitsidc.
Proflting by this experience. tney were
able Ia gain the ma ajorily Of bets thai
they made and thus To make good iiv-
Ing out of The sport
There were stlll others as there a.c
today. who acted as the g!vers and takers
of bets. from whom they collected sinai;
commissions. OF these men there were
thoucandS throughout the country and no
hnmlet. however small. was too unimpor~
iant 10 possess ono They We're the coun-
terpari % The modern bookInakors,
The slori- OF the cock fight has forevc!
gone from Mexico but the sport s,iii cX-
lists. though II IL now confined To the
lower classes in the cities and towns, and
once in 4 while rich hacienda takes An
interest In il in rural districts. But
though il has fallcn upon evil days. il
still survives as Il picturesque relic OF The
past. when II was once tho sport and
pasiime of kings. princes and mobiles. 4
visit 20 the cock Ut Is certainly Il novelty
and an entertaining experience 10 one
who has never been there before