The New York herald., 1921-07-10


hes's novel OF the bullhght. Blood and
Sand" IL to be. given here next fall and
that the leading actor Is to impersonate
matador. for which purpose he has
gone to Spain to get local color. reminds
me that about forty years ago we had
In this town a real bullhght with real
imported spanish bullfighters and In q
real bull ring built on 116th street near
Seventh avenue. saw it. So did Henry
Bergh, then president of the Society for
the Prevention Of Cruelty to Animals,
who afterward told me what he thought
about it. This u the story; also the
local color:
Some Spanish residents brought here
from Havana company of celebrated
toreros. and in the newspapers boldly
advertised a fight. Mr.. Bergh accepted
the challenge and grimly said that If the
show started he would put everybody
connected with 1t In Jail. The promoters
then got the Spanish Consul-General to
try to soften Mr. Bergh by telling him
that they were poor men who had inno-
Gently invested their little all In the en-
terprise--which. needless to add, didn't
work. When, however, 1T was pleaded
that no blood would be. shed, no horses
mutilated ana that the bulls would have
rather a happy time Of II than other
wise. the philanthropist, who, despite his
usual somewhat saturnine expression.
really possessed a wonderful fund Of
humor, saw at once that II the AFFAIR
took place under the foregoing condi-
tions. together with some others OF his
own devising, 1t would laugh itself out
Of existence, and 50 consented.
As most New Yorkers do not nabitu-
ally attend bullnghts It may be briefly
explained that the principal fighters be-
sides the bull are the picadors, who are
mounted on wornout horses, and who
for their part receive the initial charge
of the bull upon pointed goads, while the
horses for theirs are irfgpaled on the
bulls horns the banderilleros. who plant
barbed darts (banderillas) In the charE-
ing animals neck; and the natador who
finally kills the bull; together with
number Of people who distract the brute's
attention by waving cloaks In front of
him. especially when In chasing some
body he gets uncomfortably near. Mr..
Bergh eliminated the picadors and the
matador, took the barbed needles from
the ends Of the banderillas and substi-
tuted pieces of sticking plaster with
bright colored ribbons attached, and
said that he would personally supervise
that entertainment in his own way.
AT that time 116th street was In
rural region of empty lots, market gar
dens, squatters and goats. The arena.
built Of rough boards, looked like a
country circus without the tent. except
that the ring was surrounded by close
fence some FIVE or six feet high, between
which and the tiers of seats there was
a passageway. In this barrier were the
doors for the entrance of the bull and
of the fighters. and here ana there other
doors communicating with the surround
ing passage; all. of course. shut during
the night. Some flags were about the
only decoration.
While this was being erected the bull.
fighters, who had brought no bulls with
them, discovered that there were none
to be had. The peaceful monarchs Of
nearby barnyards proved to be about
as tame as kittens. The only visible
resource was Texas steers drafted from
tho cattle yards In Hoboken. A bunch
Of these, Represented a. OF uncertain
temper and bad disposition, was OBJ
tanned, the billpoards were duly covered
with lurid posters, and on the day ap-
pointed crowd, chastened by an ad-
mission fee of S. each. fled into the
enclosure.
The brass band played the march OF
the Skidmore Guards. and also that of
the ever memorable Mulligans from
Harrigan and Harts famous dramas.
then in the zenith of their popularity.
There was much delay In starting and
the assemblage was getting restive. al
most turbulent, when Henry Bergh ar
rived at the head of about fifty police
men with drawn clubs and facial ex-
pressions of great doubt as to what they
were up against
Amid the hilarious greetings Of the
audience they solemnly distributedthem-
selves in the gangway. the tall cops
looking over the barrier into the arena
and the short ones similarly watching
for cruelty while mounted on soap boxes
or other inprovised platforms Their
heads resembled battlements along the
wall. and incidentally served as targets