Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-09-08

his personal investigation and want
the people of Maine to Thoroughly
understand the situation. DR.. Still
man replied to me as follows:-
The American Humane Associa-
ton has been receiving complaints
pretty steadily for some two years
in regard to the development OF this
new phase of the sporting spirit In
| the United States. 1t Is rather anal
| ogous to the brutalities of the Span
ish bull fight, although not as many
| are abused. There are some deaths
among the animals and frightful SUI
fering on the part Of performers,
who sometimes are killed.
"An American one time wrote, 1
saw a bullfight once in Mexico and
my opinion is that the average So
called Frontier Day sports are just
as cruel. They call 1t red FLOODED
sport. 1t is cruel in every sense OF
the word
Sometimes the animals horns are
broken off and sometimes their necks
are broken One of the essentially
brutal features Of the Wild West
show is the bulldogging. A rider
races his horse along side Of a steer;
both are going at breakneck pace.
the rider grasps the steers horns and
drops off, holding the steer to a
standstill. Then commences a des-
perate struggle. The steer Is fear
crazed and makes frantic efforts to
get away. The man reaches around
and catches the animals nostrils
with one hand and twists Its head
clear around with the other. In this
way the animal Is forced to the earth.
Frequently the man seizes the steers
nose in his mouth.
Sometimes the steers horns are
forced into the earth and this may
result in throwing them over on their
backs with frightful force or their
horns being broken off. The animals
frequently stop with cries Of pain.
There has been a tendency to sub
stitute poor, harmless, little calves
and sometimes goats in place OF the
steers. The steers used are not us
ually of the corn-fed variety but
simply weaklings. Many times they
are injured so that they have to be
killed. One writer says. In roping
steer its leg was broken, then they
took it out and beat it to death with
a club: another had its lower lip
torn off and a third had the horns
broken Off
I'm addition to these abuses there
ia rough riding. Wild and unbroken
horses are selected. If possible out
laws are secured. The contests sim
ply become a competition between
the ferocity and wits of the horse
and the tenacity and determination or
the man. The horses buck fright
fully. Many riders are thrown and
badly injured. There are spur row.
els which penetrate half to three
fourths Of an inch into the horse.
Sometimes the TANKS of the horses
are cut and slashed until the oiooo
fairly runs from the wounds.
MANY western states nave revolt
cd against these barbaric perform
ances. In many cases the public
have refused to attend and great
deal of money has been lost. They
are totally antagonistic to the spirit
Of humanity and decency which Am
erican citizens approve. They nave
been forced on the market by money
making exploiters who have seeked
to coin gold out of the suffering and
lives of the wretched animals en-
ployed These shows are a blot on
civilization and should be stamped
out. =,
Americans must be crazy II they
natronize such performances as
these which are worthy of the days
of the Roman gladiators when beasts
and men fought in mortal COMBAT.