Year: 1868







From an Occasional Correspondence


On the banks Of the Rio Grande, and
opposite the State Of Chihuahua, be-
longing TO the Mexican Republic, is a
small town called San Elizario, which.
although belonging to the State of
Texas. is situated close to the frontier
of the Territory of New Mexico and
inhabited almost exclusively by Mexi-
cans Your correspondent, who was last
fall stationed about 100 miles north of
said place. had made visit with his
family to brother officer, whose good
luck had sent him to Fort Bliss, the
prettiest military post then belonging
to the district of New Mexico, but re-
Gently transferred to the military com
mand of Texas. The distance from
Fort Bliss to San Elizario was only
about twenty five miles. and as the peo-
pie of the latter place celebrated one Of
the numerous saints days, for which the
Mexican countries are noted, we conclud-
ed to take part in the festivities of the
occasion. At an early hour in the
morning our small party, composed of
three officers with their families, and a
small escort, which the Indians, con-
stantly lurking in those regions, render
necessary, we started in two ambulances
for the scene of the expected gaiety.
After hot ride of several hours
we reached the town, which, it
must be acknowledged, did have quite a
holiday attire. The stores were closed,
while number of small wooden stands
were erected for the sale of fruits, candy
and other luxuries attractive for the ju


venile department. Groups of men
could be seen gathering at the street
corners, discussing the all-important
topic Of the day, the expected bull-fght
which was to crown the pleasures of the
day, and without which festivity of
consequence is hardly imaginable in any
of those countries, where the Spanish
race prevails.


Some of your readers have probably
witnessed, and the majority of them
undoubtedly read descriptions of such
performances, which remind US in the
present civilized age of the fifteenth or
sixteen century. l will not, therefore,
undertake to enter into the details of the
conflict, so much more as it turned out
to be rather more tame affair than is
often the case, inasmuch as no body was
killed, and it appeared at first as if
several bulls, when once in the ring, be-
came of phlegmatic turn of mind
Some others were evidently exhausted
from the numerous wounds which the
bull-hghters infict on them by throw
ing short lances at them with sharp
point at the end, whenever the scarlet
cloth, which they show to the
effect. Emboldened by the apparent
good nature Of his horned antagonist, a
poor fellow ran straight against the eai-
NAL, but had the misfortune of being
seized by the horns of the quadruped
and thrown about eight or ten feet up in
the air. Landing on the ground, he was
seized second time by the enranged
animal, and it was only through the
courage of his assistants that he was
saved from certain death, and carried
away from the arena in a state of insen-
sibility. from which he only recovered
the next day. The Mexicans exhibit
as much luxury on similar occasions as
they can afford, and many man could
be seen in his national costume, with
velvet jacket beautifully trimmed, and
silver or lace embroidery along the sides
of their pantaloons. and mounted on a
richly decorated horse, which, when
once inside the arena, appears to know
as well as its master how to avoid the
attacks of the bull or the time for an
aggressive movement. The unavoidable
clown is, in my opinion, in the most
critical position, for while he is deliver
ing his comical songs and bon mots in
side the ring, his eyes are turned to the
public to look out for the numerous vol
untary contributions with which his
jokes are rewarded, and he has to jump
or climb the palisades as often
as the bull approaches the scene
of his operations, which occurs
about once every other minute. 1t is
almost needless to mention that a large
crowd was assembled to take part in the
festivities of the day, and from far and
near the neighbors had come or, horse
back, on mules, or in whatever con 7ey-
ance could be obtained for the occasion
We originally intended to return to the
fort that same evening, but were inform
ed that band of music had been engaged
on our account for the evening, and that
tandamgo would take place in one OF
the public town buildings. Fandango is
the name of an originally Spanish dance,
but the expression is used in Mexico for
dance or ball generally. We were
anxious to see the beau monde of the
place, and therefore concluded to accept
the invitatiov. The ball room was quite
nicely decorated and prepared for the oc-
casion, and the band played a good many
of those characteristic Spanish melodies
which appear to touch the melancholy
equally with the exhilarating chords ot
the human soul in sweet and surprising
harmony. 1t would be rendering in
justice to the fair sex of the place if we
did not mention that some of the
young ladies were exceedingly good
looking, but it would probably
strike any stranger to observe that
the system of social liberty and equality
appears to be carried out to the extreme
in those regions. Amidst the ladies
dressed in full ball costume would bt
seen some poorly clad women, evidently
belonging to the low class, with theil
heads and faces wrapped in black
shawl, as is the custom of the country
so that hardly anything but the eyes
were visible. They were apparently
watching with great interest the move
,nents and firtations of the dancing