Norwalk gazette, Friday, June 5, 1896 · page 12

 

 

I

‘ ' bull fight arrived; .

‘THE CUB CREEK BULL-FIGHT.
g— I BY EDSON KEMP.

 

The great potato picnic will never be
forgotten by the people of the Cub
Creek valley. This district was at first
the scene of a brief mining excitement.
After that there was a blaze of disorder-
ly glory.
career of cattle ranching, which finally
developed an unexpected resource. It
‘vvas found that the light and powdery
soil of the valley, when properly irri-
gated, produced potatoes in great quan-
tity and of excellent quality.

From this moment the prosperity of
the Cub Creek valley was assured. Po-
tato ranches were opened in every di-
rection. Irrigating enterprises were
undertaken on a large scale, and land
rose rapidly in value. Cub Creek City
soon had a population of 3,000 souls,
“with an opera house, a daily paper and a
mayor and city council.

My father was the first mayor of the
city. He is a very enterprising man,
and had contributed many schemes to
“boom” Cub Creek. One of his schemes
was the great potato picnic—a kind of
grand potato “barbecue,” which was
advertised far and wide, which attract—
ed many thousands of people, and which
served to increase the fame and an-
nounce the resources of the district.

Committees were appointed to de-
vise attractive features for the occa-
sion. I was put on the commlttee on
sports, of which my friend, Tom Nar-
cross, was chairman. We were told by
my father that no ordinary programme
of sports would do, and that we must
get up something picturesque, novel
and “startling." .

“If it is to be picturesque,” I said in
one of the committee meetings, “it must
be borrowed from one of the bygone
times in this valley.”

We all remained silent and reflecteda
moment, and then Tom N arcross
jumped up in some excitement.

p. “I have it!” he exclaimed. “We’ll

give them a bull-fight!” We were

struck almost dumb by the brilliancy

of the suggestion, and adopted it by a
unanimous vote. ,
'Butitwas one thing to decide to have a

bull-fight and another to get one up.
My fat-her told us that we must “put it
through ourselves;” he had no time to
superintend it. But we must- guarantee
that no one should be hurt in it, and
that the animals should neither be
killed nor cruelly treated.

We gave the guarantee, and set about
organizing the “fight.” Of course» we
knew absolutely nothing about bull-
fights. We had come to the valley dur-
ing the potato period, and knew nothing,
except from'books and hearsay, of the
wild life in the mOuntains and the
plains. -. E ‘ ; '- ‘ .

Nor could 'we find anyone Who had
had experience in bull—fights. So much
time passed while we were vainly cor-
responding with various people in the
territory, hoping to find some one who
could direct a bull-fight, thatwhenwe at
last gave up searching and resolved to

‘Trust to our own resources, we had but
three weeks left in which to prepare for
the event.

We read all we could find in the books
in the Cub Creek public library about
bull-fighting, and then I went down to
Cheyenne and studied up the subject
in the public library there.

My first proceeding on reaching home
was to organize all the boys I knew
into a corps of toreadores, picadores,
chulos, banderillos and matadores.
Most of the boys wanted to be torea-
dores or matadores, but Tom and I ex-
ercised our authority, seconded by that
of my father, to such an extent that we
finally filled up the ranks. '

Then we appointed a sub-comittee
on costumes, and called in the assist-
ance of my sister Blanche and of Tom’s
mother, who, had a gift for getting up
all sorts of fancy dresses. I gave them
my notes on the subject of bull-fighters’
costumes, and they set at work.

Everything seemed to be going on

swimming now. One further im-
portant requirement in a bull-fight
had yet, however, to be met. ' We must
have some bulls! This was the most
diflicult task of the Whole enterprise.
But at last we bogrowed five handsome
Texas steers belonging to a ranchman
at the head of the creek.
- For our arena, we proposed to have
an inclosure of barbed wire at one side
of the grounds where the potato picnic
was to be held, in such a situation that
the grandstand, put up for other spec-
tacles, would command an excellent
view of it. An entrance way from out.-
side the grounds, through a gate at one
side of the grandstand, and flankedon
one side by that structure and on the
other by an ordinary board fence, was
to be constructed.

It seemed to us that a. barbed wire i1}- ~
closure was much better than the
ordinary arena of the Spanish and
Mexican bull-fights, because it would
enable every one to see plainly what
was going on, at the same time iii-pro.-
vided security for the audience. ,5, We!
brought the. Texas steers to the. town,
and put them on short rations to make
them ferocious. We. did not intend to
hurt them. Neither did we mean they
should hurt us.

The costumes were to be the principal -
part of our Corrida de Toros; we were
to have a sort of dress parade around
the corral of handsome boys on hand-
some horgs and on foot. The steers
were to be driven about actively for
some time, and a good deal of dust
kicked up; and finally the attention of
the people was to be diverted by a bal-
loon. ascension. We relied upon the
novelty of the spectacle to please the
people, and we knew that they would
not be pleased by any exhibition of
cruelty to animals. -

The potato picnic was certainly an
' .immense succcess. On one day at least
10,000 people were present on the
grounds. Eloquent and stirring
Speeches had been made; tons of roast-

“ ed potatoes had been eaten; the bands
' were playing, and the enthusiasm ran .

‘high "when the time appointed for the

-. ...~..-! wu....

This subsided into a tame

v.

. hr."

 

We had been all excitement for hours.
Our halfistarved steers were in a barn-
yard near the grounds. Five minutes
before the time the gate of this inclo-
sure was opened, and the five cattle
were started by the toreadors and pica-
dores for the picnic grounds.

By reason of my intimate study of
the subject, Lhad been made chief
toreador and master of ceremonies. I
was mounted on my father’s black
mare. We had one other toreador—
Tom Norcross—and three pieadores;
and our costumes, t ough made chiefly
of cheap flannel and cambric, were in
gaudiness of color at least a close imi—
tation of those worn by Spanish bull-
fighters.

The cattle proved to be unexpectedly
wild. One or two of them, touched up
by one of the picadores, plunged about,
fiery-eyed and snorting. ‘

After a good deal of trouble, they

were driven into the arena, where they
leaped and bellowed, and we five boys
went careening madly in after them,
amid intense excitement. The chulos,
banderillos and matadores, on foot of
course, stood on a large dry goods box
just outside the barb wire fence, ex-
actly opposite the entrance. From this
point they could leap over the fence
into the arena.
. As we rushed in I saw my father
in the grand stand, looking decidedly
nervous. I doflc'ed my sombrero in a
grand manner to the peOpIe in the
stand as we rode by, and then, coming
to a halt, saluted the crowd with a
harangue in Spanish, not a word of
which a Spaniard could have under-
stood, announcing the beginning of the
sport.

Then we began to chase the steers
madly around the ring, with wild
shouts, all in carefully selected Span-
ish. The steers, with eyes on fire and
tails aloft, ran magnificently.

After some ten or a dozen of these
circuits I gave a signal to the chulos and
banderillos, who, the moment we had
passed them, leaped over into the ring
and ran for the inside dry goods boxes,
where they began to wave in the air
.large sheets of red cambric.

Now came the thrilling moment.
When the steers came around so that
the red sheets confronted them, we ex-
pected them to be furious and to rush
madly at them, whereupon the boys
were to leap on the boxes and over the
fence to a place of safety. This was
to be continued until the steers or the
patience of the audience gave out, or
the balloon went up.

But unfortunately the steers, instead
of being filled with fury at the sight of
the sheets, were scared almost to death.
They turned about so swiftly that we
who were on horseback almost rode
upon them; but they dodged us, raced
across the inclosure, huddled together
with their tails to the fence and con-
fronted us with their long horns.-
Though I rode my mare toward them
as near as she would gee—and she was
(liSposed to give them a wide berth——
they refused to budge.’ This was un-
expected and mort-ifying.

The crowd began to laugh and jeer.
“Send the other boys around in back
of ’em and let ’em punch ’em out!” some
one shouted.

This was evidently the thing to do.
I ordered—in plain English, this time--
two of the banderillos to go around anf
punch the steers from behind, througl:
the barbed wire. Two of the pica-
dores handed the banderillos theii
lances.

' As soon as the steers were assaulted
in the rear they sprang forward with
so wild a leap and such frightful bellow-
ing that our five horses turned tail and
ran frantically around the ring. They
were simply uncontrollable. The
steers were bellowing and running in
every direction. The remaining boys
in the ring, pale with fright, plunged
almost headlong over the fence to a
place of safety. ' , .

Our horses ran, and the cattle ran,
each trying madly to get away from the
other. The audience shouted with
laughter. I screamed to my men,
and they screamed back again, but the
mad panic continued. There was really
danger that a tragedy might follow.
In the midst of it, I saw one of the
boys rushing on his horse out through
the lane which led to the gate and thus
out of the inclosure. Some one had
prudently opened the gate, , and the
brave picador was taking to flight.
Afterward I learned that my father had
ordered the gate opened.

In less time than it takes to tell it-
every toreador and picador had charged
down that lane and out of the in-
closure; and, as' we went out, the whole
herd of steers came bellowing after us.

Out into the open space surrounding
the grounds we rushed, with the now
maddened toros at our heels. We could

' {hear great shouts of laughter from

within. Rows of faces appeared at. the
top of the grand stand, grinning at us.

I overhauled Tom Norcross.

“Tom!” said I, gasping, as my horse
plunged—I was entirely out of breath
and so frightfully jolted by the riding
that I could hardly speak—“Tom,where
——are—you—going?”

“I’m—going—out—of town,” said he,
huskily, “and I ain't—coming—back
till—this Great Potato Picnic is over!”

“So'm I!” I gasped.

We rode on, all five of us, toreadores
and picadores, and did not slacken our
speed until we were well out on the road
toward the neighboring town of Slaters-
ville, where we put up for the night,
after sending a telephone message to
my father. The last. we saw of the
steers they were geing doWn the road
toward the ranch where they belonged
at the clumsy trot that frightened cat-
tle sometimes take. ‘

The great Corrida re Toros was over.,
It ended. very ingloriously for us. For
weeks we were the laughing stock of
the town. But the Potato Picnic was an
immense success. I have been told a-

housand times since that the bull

ght was the best thing that day on the
programme, but this was always em-
'phasized with a grin—Youth’s Com-
panion. . _ , . . '

 

'EEKLY - spawns-Jex-ZET

 

 

 

“IN THE TIME OF APPLE BLOSSOM.”

Music by FABIO 'CAMPANA.

Words by E; B. FARNIE.

Andante. =_‘ rall a tempo.

 

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In the time of apple blos - som,

Tender love bloom’din my heart,
Long a - go the fruit was gar - ner’d

That . like stars hung in the green,

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sb that in 3.11 the or - chard
the promise of the spring-time

Was not found its coun-ter- part.
By the autumn kept hath been.
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Fair,
And

 

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shad - OW cold,
is thine own,

And it knew no

Dar - ling! thy smile was its sun - shine,
Pluck it for it

So my heart, 0 dar-ling gath - er!

So my love like apple blos“ - som Stronger grew to rud ,- dy gold!
Ripe — 1y red from garden blos - som, And to love’s ...... fruit has. grown,
con espress:~

>—

.dy

grew to rud
has

Stronger
love’s... ........ . fruit

And to
m

So my love like ap - ple blos
Ripe ly red from garden blos

som,
som,

grown; Thine that heart. and thine a —

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espipss. pmo.

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rall.

 

f< rail. assai pmo. m

 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

- lone, Thine that heart and thine a. - ' lone!......

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Was

 
 
 

 

NATURAL HisTORY. '
Manners and Customs 01 European Royal-
ties as They Are—Not;

The pomp and ceremony which serve,
as a barrier between kings, princes and
grand duchesses, and Americans of
the common or garden ' kind, render
it dificult for the latter to study the
manners and habits of the earth’s ex-
alted, except at very long range, and if it
were not for the infermation offered us
by the makers of cigarette pictures, the
artists who design museum posters and
other persons possessed of accurate in-
formation, it would be impossible to.
give a satisfactory _ account of their
various modes of life.

But," thanks to the great American
taste for advertising, says the Cincin-
nati Gazette, he who runs may read the
story of the daily actions of England’s
queen and Russia’s czar, not to mention
other personages of almost equal im-
portance. _

From the trusty sources indicated
above, one learns that Queen Victoria
has in the evening of. life developed an
extraordinary fondness for various
branches of prepared food, many of
which are of American manufacture.
[n the morning she makes careful use
of Apple’s soap, preparatory to partak—
ing a cup of Steppe’s cocoa. At lunch-
eon she tops with Skimple’s canned
corn beef, and at dinner she will have
no dessert but Racy’s prepared blanc
mange. So particular is her majesty in
regard to her favorite articles of food
that every package, can and bottle
must be adorned with the name of its
maker in letters large enough to be
easily read by the group of princes,
princes, nobles and: courtiers who stand
at a respectful distance whenever roy-
alty partakes of any proprietary article
of food.

The prince of Wales has also been
noted for many years for his fondness
for extensively advertised toilet prep-
arations and costly brands-of cigarettes
and champagnes. Whenever there ap-
pears on the market a new Turkish
cigarette with a. gilt mouthpiece, and ..
costing a little more than an: imported
cigar, we may be sure that his royal
liighness will contrive to purchase at
least one box of the largest size, no
matter what economy he may be com-
pelled to practice in other ways to
make up for it, and smokes the cigar-
ettes with much ostentation on.- the
terrace in front of Windsor castle or
some other equally conspicuous place.
On such occasions the prince usually
wears a red uniform and is attended by
several regiments of lancers.

The late czar of Russia having been
brought up from his childhood on a
simple diet of caviare tallow candles,
vodka, caravan tea, bear‘s grease, and
other products of his native country,
'never distinguished himself as a con.-
sumer of prepared food and drink. He
was better known—that is to the fre- -
quenters‘ of dime mu seums—as a mighty
hunter of freaks, and up to the day of
his death he was regarded as one of the .
most distinguished and erudite connois—
seurs of human monstrosities in all
Europe. 1.

According to the unimpeachable teS<-
timonv of the superb works of art
which lure the humble amusement
seeker into the temples which are given
over to the worship of the eccentric
and the deformed, his imperial maj-
esty assisted at the capture of several
of the best known freaks of eastern,
Europe, and was always ready to ac-'
.cord special audiences to those taken
in remote portions of his empire. The
'dog-faced lady, for example, was
dragged from her cave in the Balkan
mountains by a detachment of the im-
perial guard, commanded by his maj-
esty in person, and it was the same
enlightened sovereign who captured
the turtle boy, who sunning himself
on a bit of sandy beach on the Caspian
sea.

When prevented by officers of state-
from enjoying the excitement of the
freak chase, his majesty always made
it a. point to give special receptions at
the winter palace to such curiosities as.
were found in his realm, all of which
were instantly brought to St. Peters--
burg that they might receive this;
special mark of the imperial favor. At
these receptions there was always a
museum artist in attendance in order
that an accurate representation of the
scene might be placed before the Amer-
ican public, and it is through the mag-
nificent oil paintings thus obtained that
we know of the fondness of Prince
Gortchakof, M. de Giers, Prince Bis-
marck and other eminent statesmen
for the society of human monstrosities
destined for the American museum
platform.

 

 

Sumclently Rewarded.
The latest joke at the expense of the
French Society for the Protection of
Animals is to the following effect: A
countryman armed with an immense
club presents himself before the presi-
dent of the society and claims the first
prize. He is asked to describe the
act of humanity on which he founds
the claim.
“I saved the life of awolf,” replies
the countryman. “I might have easily
killed'him with this bludgeon,” and he ‘
swings his weapon in the air, to the .
immense discomfort of, the president.
“But where was this wolf?”.inquires
the latter; “What had he done to
you?” ,
“He had just devoured my wife,” was
the reply. '
The president reflects an instant and
then says: “My friend, I am of opin-
ion that you have been sufficiently re-
warded.” ‘

 

 

 

A Runaway Steamship.
Very few more unpleasant predica-
ments can be imagined than to be
aboard a runaway steamship. The‘
steamship Marchioness, While making
the passage from Rothesay to Glasgow, 3.
Scotland, met with an accident to her
machinery, and the engineers were un— '-
able to stop her. The boat raced ahead:
at terrific :speed, and things began to
look alarming, until the captain took
her out to mid-channel and steered her .
around in a circle. When the steam . A
was nearly exhausted the runaway
was headed fo‘r'Glasgow, .' where Sh

d: b ' ' ' d" h