The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-03-04

(By Frank G. Carpenter)
By Frank G.. Carpenter.)
tCorsricht. 1913. by Frank q. Car
penter.i

MEXICO CITY.
,aa i've magnificent bulls and
eight horses tortured TO death n al
ternoon not long ~ amid the clap
ping and shout OF $1,000 Mexican
spectators. The bull fight was held
IN the TiaZa de TorOs. within q rifle
shot Of Chapultapec. where President
Niadero has his sunrner home. ana
within an equal distance Of the mighty
cathedral of Mexico City. the largest
house of worship on the North Amer
lean continent. This bull ring IS the
biggest of its Kind. and with us seats
rising In cOncentric circles from tne
arena In which the fighting goes on !.
reminds one Of the amPhitheatreS ol
old Rome. Altogether il covers acres.
and it's seating capacity Is just about
one-fourth that of the Coliseum, .,oVv
Greater thar that Of the largest ouii
circus of Spain. The bull ring - Dulil
of American steel. and II cost $tVV,-
0eo. Ii is the best patr"niZed or all
the places OF amusement Of the MeXl-
can capital, and III that day It's box
receipts must have been at least S2o.-
900. am old tina the holiday tightS
often net $50, 900 and that the city lev
jcs a tax of IS per cent on All that
comes in.
Fifteen Thousand Wild McNicans.
At the fight there were at least TX
teen thousand spectators. The am
phitheatre was filed from the ring TO
the roof. and that with a more enthu-
siastic audience that o will lind at q
championship American basebat!
game. The people went wild, and al
most every man. woman and cniio
acted the part of q ian.
took good notice of the audience.
1t consisted OF people of all ages and
sexes. I saw boys OF six and girls OF
- -roro uylN chPrnlod
their applause az the horns of the bull
gored deep into the horses. l saw DEL
icate young ladies' in new gowns from
Paris. who broke their white kid
gloves in clapping. and galy dressed
dudes who fairly burst their spaf-
covered patent leather shoes as they
stamped In response to the death
stroke Of the matador.. There were
also thousands Of the common masses
OF Mexico, ranging from the Indian
in his sandals and blanket to h we'll
dressed member Of the chamber OF
deputies and from wrinkled old wom-
en- in black shawlS to juicy young
maids in mantillas all forming, as ii
were. Il great human flower garden
rising from the arena to the top seats
near the skies.
In addition to the spectators were
the city officials, on hand to direct
the fighting and give the signals tc
start. There was a brass band which
burst forth in triumphal marche:
from time to time as the Hghtins
went on, and there was a company O
soldiers with rifles n bayOnetS read!
to shoot at a signal II any s.gn o
revolution or disorder broke out.
sat in the shade n my place
on the steps cost me 81. The fight
always take place In the afternoon
when the sun Is declining. go tina
onc-half OF the seats are in the shad'
and the others In the full glare OF tn
tropical sur. The shady seats are re
served and the n e correspond
to the bleachers OF our baseball stands
Some OF the box seats are equal i
price to those OF our grand opera.
The (:iadiatOrs Of 1918.
Further on I give you some note
Of the bull fighting as I whisDere
g into the ear OF my stenographe
AZ tho scenes went on in the aren
below ME. The show was a horribl
one. but I give it as an evidence Q
one phase Of the character OF thl
Mexican people. 1t was as disgustin
a. any OF the massaGreS which OC
Cured in the public shows during tn
days OF Caligula and Nero on tn
banks OF the Tiber. and, ncverthe
less. the young girls waved the
handkerchiefs and clapped just ~ tn
Roman girls turned down the
thumbs and thus consigned the
heroes to the teeth Of the lions,
Some Of the worst features wei
tho t%orturing Of the bull into KILN
the horses. Tho picadors or gay
dressed men upon horseback rode
with great ances which they thru
at the bull. and now and then dro,
n his shoulders. They rode scrawr
street car steeds, and these wei
actually ripped to shreds by tho horl
or tho bull. At times the hors
would be wounded almost to deaf
They had been gored again and axai
but they would be spurred and viii,
ped TO their feet and made to col
tinue until they were finally killed.
Thes poor horses were blindfoldt
AS to one y with a band Of r,
flannel. the other eye being kept tur'
ed away from the bull So that it cou
not see the enraged beast which can
with head down on the run and thru
In itS horns IN the roOfS A. o0o <;r