The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-01-16
BASEBALL TOO TAME
FOR MEXICAN SPORTS

game you anu ne may say tnlnHS
which both of you understand Is not
meant and must be forgotten. Not so
in Mexico. When O Mexican becomes
opposed to one in game, love or war,
It is very serious matter, matter
Of life and death. An enemy, senior
must be killed. for II dead no stands
no chance OF winning. says the Mex
lean, and this is especially true OF the
little game Of politics. a game which
nearly approaches the bull fight.
They'd XIII the Umpire.
And no Mexican ever says anything
that he does not mean, and mean In
deadly earnest. which would discour-
age baseball before 1t got start
Killing the umpire would be no joke.
Should Carranza by some miracle be
able to establish baseball umpires will
have to wear suits Of mail and watch
the ball with periscope.
Baseball has been played In Mexico
for many years, but only by Amer
leans. 1t Is In their blood. Just rs the
bull hight is In the blood Of the Mex
lean. and in the larger towns usually
ball game is played every Sunday.
But few. II any, Mexicans attend. For.
they reason. why should they go 70
see grown men hit al harmless little
ball with Il club and chase each other
around lot? What's the idea? Why
all that unnecessary work? The poor
incxplicable gringo! Why, at the 9TH
er. end of town they can 80 and see
men and animals In a life and death
struggle! Many horses and bulls will
be killed; blood will run over the
sands; alert Mexlcans will escape
death by the fraction Of an inch;
beautiful black eyed senoritas will be
there; all the high officials will be
there; a riot Of color, glamour. beau
ty and death. What! Quit this to see
Americans play with a ball? Oh. senior
must be joking.
This is exactly the view all Mex
leans have Of baseball and the bull
fight, so bush leaguers had better buy
round trip tickets or else practice
bull fighting.
The Sunday Bull Fights.
The fights invariably are held on
Sunday afternoons. and the manage
ment is never disappointed in the
gate receipts. The peon will rake UP
peso somehow to get to the arena.
Four to six bulls are killed and fire.
quently as many horses. Seldom are
any of the bull fighters killed. The
bull has absolutely no chance. He is
always slain in the end. ] have seen
some Of the animals jump the five
foot fence in front Of the ampi-thea-
ter. but gates were opened and they
were driven back INTO the ring and
the torture resumed.
After the banderillps are stuck into
a bulls hide the picadors. mounted
on blind folded horses, jab him with
their spears, and by the: time the mat
ador is ready for him the bull Is well
nigh exhausted. The matador uses
n long, straight sword. which he aims
to drive between the shoulder blades
into the animals heart, a stroke that
takes strength, skill and alertness. !
have seen the blade plunged into the
animal clear up to the handle. the
matador's hand resting on the bulls
flesh. But the lnatador' makes no
lunge as is supposed. The bull pllmges
on to the sharp blade and the force
of his attack drives the blade far into
his body. In word, the bull takes
his own life.
Frequently the men with banderil-
los attach fireworks to their darts,
and as they hook into the animal they
also burn him, driving him frantic,
which delights the fans"
Mexican Humor.
Yes. the Mexican does have humor.
For when bull or horse is gored
to such an extent that the vltals are
disclosed, the Mexicans will laugh and
exclaim to each other: 1.-THE pans and
kettles in the kitchen are falling
down." This wltticism always gets
a laugh.
Carranza and his officers attended
bull fight in Saltillo one Sunday
when six "bravo toros" were killed.
The chief and his party seemed to en-
joy it every bit as much as President
Wilson enjoys ball game. ! sat
close by. so was able to Judge. Mex
cans would feel that they had Sighted
their chief IL they failed to hold a
bull fight in his honor. Just as Amer
cans would neglect their duty in fail
ing to provide parade. banquet or
review when visited by their pres
ident
A Mexican Cane Rush.
| was present one day in Monterey
when the program for once was
changed. Just why | do not know. A
cane rush was provided as entertain
ment to Carranza, and the foreigners
who saw the contest will not soon
forget it, although 1t may have seemed
tame to the natives There was a
rough and tumble battle In which
fists, feet. teeth, guns and swords
were used. American college stu
dents would have been delighted. Mex
lean soldados were lined up, and at q
given signal they plunged for the
cane. The casualties were two killed,
twenty seriously injured and two hum
dred sworn enemies for life. The