Evening Star Newspaper, December 16, 1928, Page 101

Bull Fighting Still THE SUNDAY STAR. WASHINGTON, D. C. DECEMBER 16, 1928—PART 7. “Ancient Game of Cruelty in Spanish Arena “Bravo Toros!” Is the Cry Which Rings From a Thousand Throats When the Proud Bull, Gamely Fighting to the End, Is Slain, After Maiming or Killing the Picador’s Fran o - v TO GZIT OUT OF THE tic Steeds in His Death Struggle—Bull RI BY FRANCIS DICKIE. ‘Teledo, Spain, December 6, 1928. T is fete day in Toledo, Spain. The great religious procession of the morning, the march of the militarv, the band playing in the square—all are finished. Th2 Plaza del Zoco- dover, that center of all the town's activities for 900 years, is almost de- serted. The sun is slanting far to the westward. Through the Puerta del Sol. (the gate of the sun) long lines of people are streaming toward the Cor- ridas de Toros—toward the bull ring. The last, the greatest spectacle of the day is to be enacted in the vast brick Inclcsure upon the sanded floor of the great oval above which rise tier © tier of stone steps like a Roman amphi- | theater. It is fete day, and in the bud ring today eight megnificent bulls the | finest products from the great farms of Spain, will nobly charge their many tormentors, charge and charge again, and go down to death bravely in this vast arena. For three long years in preparation for this day there has been reared far| | last three mules drawing a whiffletree, followed by men in bright red coats. Now, as the procession crosses the sanded arcna and turns and makes thz circle of the bull ring, one sees that the horses of the picadors are strangely different from the sleex and lively steeds of the alguazils. This is but nat- ural, for the beasts which carry the gentlemen in the boat-shaped hats and imposing velvet costumes are meant to give a grand effect. But the animals which the picadors bestride are a sorry lot. The bones show on their hips; their rips are painfully apparent. Over their heads is wound a cloth which makes then blind in one eye—the sids that is turned later toward the bull. But of recent times the spectator can- not fully grasp how pitifully lean and old are those steeds, for their whole side (ths side that is turned toward the buill) is now covered with a very thickly padded quilt—a sort of armor which, though not impervious to the sharp horns of the bull, does save the horses on a great many occasions. This armor is the newest thing in Spain, just re- blindfolded. ward reluctantly. every line of his uneasy body. * Xk Xk S the bull. The picador is near enough. |He leans forward in his high-backed | saddle and drives the spear home into the shoulder of the bull as it charges. But all his weight, all the instant agony of the steel avails not to stop the onward rush of the toro. Its low-held head smashes squarely into the padded side of the horse, and flattens it to the ground as though it had been a thing of cardboard rather than 1,000 pounds of solid equine flesh. The picador, too slow to throw clear his leg, lies flat, pinioned down. And now the horse lies 2s dead, paralyzed with fear. It is in this minute that the observ- ant spectator first realizes how, after all, the bull, despite his dash and fury and tremendous horns, is a poor ad- cently put into use by royal decree. THE “DEATH THRUST.” ‘sut upon the plainsof Andalusia these grand animals to bz slaughtered. High at the shoulder, short of legs, compac”, supple, rapid, with legs of sinewed steel, strong-jointed, keen of eye, borns [long and sharply pointed, courageous hearts—such are the bulls brough{ ‘*o fght. On great pastures, the gan- , these beasts have roamed wild ‘and free. Those that come at last io the ring are carefully selected. Animals which, when tried, charged furiously, and showed themselves always game. Upon the great farms during i growing years the beasts have been sub- 4&:&&1 to a process of elimination. The | aint-hearted, the slow of perception, the cowards, all have lven culled out. Several days before -the fight they have been loaded into special traveling {boxes on wheels which are lifted upon Tallway cars. Then the last stage of the journey—the - “chiguero,” a dark ‘roomy stall beneath the bull ring; and waiting for their final gesture, a de- fiant and enduring courage in the face of varied tortures. a going down into darkness to face the enemy. * ok K 'HE hour is 5:30. The unclouded climbing down. Half of the arena is in shadow, half mn sunlight, Sombre and Sol these sides of the arena are named. And a ticket in the shadow costs you just twice that of one in the sun. But when you know | ‘the power of that Spanish orb on a| ‘Summer day you pay the higher price, | if you have it. | The whole arena is packed. Four fours previously many men and women have vainly sought tickets. Now the’l disappointed ones are wending their | ‘way back to the town. They are hard, ! these stone seats. They are small and without backs. The feet and knees of the person above press against your back. There is only one slight relief t the unyielding stone. Whi the audience is gathering, boys and men parade up and down the aisles laden with paper-covered pillows stuffed with confetti, selling these at 8 cents the pillow. If you are wise you will | purchase two. Above the last stone tier is a railing, #and the boxes of the wealthy, roofed in from the sun. Over the railing seno- | ritas have draped gayly colored shawls, | which set off the more the dark and smiling faces, the high combs of red, white and black and the mantillas of similar colors which adorn hair that | has not yielded to the craze “to bob.” One box, separated by partitions from the long corridor of open ones, is st aside for royalty and the great men of the town. Today the young prince and | one male companion occupy the box. | Into the arena come riding two men | in black velvet suits, with boat-shapad hats and a long white plume adorning pach. Their horses are sleek and prance slowly about the ring. The band plays a lively tune. Thes2 impressive horse. men in their seventeenth century cos- tumes are the alguazil. They approach beneath the royal box and crave per- mission to begin the “corrida.” This is given. They ride away out of the ring. A bugle sounds. The entrance from the paseo is thrown open and into the ring the whole array of men and horses and mules which make up the gfudy yet somehow oddly impressive parade of the bull-fighting crew come marching. To | the tune of lilting music they file in. The alguazil, their horses so prancing, and so shiny from much care and good feeding, lead the procession. Behind on foot in two lines come the toreadors, | \.l cape wielde™s, { banderilleros gand then 10 horsemen—the picadors— { nificent capes. | the great espada, draws the bull with | onlooker catches breath, for the horns | the On= would like to think this was done from humane motives, but I greatly fear | tage, it is to save money on horses. At the same time this decree went into effect in the Summer of 1928, the custom of thrusiing burning darts into bulls which falled to kecep fighting was ordered g * Kk ‘HE procession passes around the ring. From the whiffletrees drawn by the three sturdy mules a long chain extends. It makes a long, deep mark in the sand. Soon it will enwrap the horns of the vanquished and dead bull, and the three mules will strain at the traces as they draw from the ring the inanimate mass that but a quarter of an hour before was all fire and fury. The native crowd does not deign a glance at the mules and their red- coated drivers. They gaze with admir- ing eyes upon the two marching lincs led by the toreadors. In these two lines are 16 men in tight-fitting suits of green and silver and gold—the torea- dors, the cape wielders and the ban- derilleros. The members of the “caudrilla” (the procession) halt before the royal box and receive the keys to the “toril. The muleteers, the mules, the picadors and the alguazils depart. The tore- adors and the wielders of “the capes stand close to the high wooden fence. A gate swings open. The first bull bounds into the ring. From 4,000 throats come varied noises. The bull stops. He gazes about wondering. All is so strange to this great beast who, all his life has roamed upon those silent plains. Ahead of him suddenly | flashes the rose red of one of the mag- | He charges. His low- | kes this ylelding wall of | d, and in an endeavor progress, the beast | goes sliding. He whirls. ~Another cape | draws him on. Around him are five!| capes. Now the man in the green suit is playing him. Now the one in the silver. Now it is the one in gold. Al shout goes up from the crowd, for this ! is Villalta, the favorite matador, or espada, the killer of bulls whose tim is worth $4,000 a day. And this is no ordinary day, for no less than eight bulls are to be killed before the sun has set, eight bulls whose value probably | totals $3,000 more. It is an expensive | form of entertainment, this bull fight ing, but there is one satisfaction—half | the profits go to hospiials and the poor. Now Villalta, the favorite matador, ered head stri color. Surprisef to quickly stay his e | clever cape work to the shady side of | the ring. One must be Spanish, or one must have seen mal many en- gagements between man and beast in| such a ring to fully appreciate the dar- ing, the dexieril he agility, the cool- nt the amazingly exact judgment of i man, and his kind. This is a fete day. And perhaps be- cause of this, perhaps beca: of the warmth of the crowd’s greeting, Villalia does something unusual. He plays all | three parts, “chulo” banderillero and the matador. Again and again Villalta draws the bull to him. It passes so close that the em certain to plerce that slim body | in its so garish golden uniform. But owd is fic! quick to tire. Their | vells take on a different tone. Seeing this, the fond darling of the moment ago draws back to the fence. The . padded blanket. T versary, stupid. failing to take advan- , easily distracted from taking toll of his tormentors. Now the horse and man lie at his mercy to quickly gore. Yet in this tense second a cape wielder flashes a cape beside the angry animal. Instantly toro, brave but stupid toro, is diverted. He leaps in pursuit of the flaming receding wall of color. Immediately the grooms in their red coats, with whips in their hands, are over the fence. One seizes the downed horse by the tail, one takes it by the bridle, a third beats it furiously with his whip. Yet for a full minute the horse remains recumbent. It does not want to get up. The men twist harder on its tail, upon the bridle; the whip falls remorselessly. It is the turn of the second picador. His horse is more nervous than the first, for now in the air there is beside the strong smell of the sweating tord, the odor of warm blood. The cape wielder by clever work has drawn the bull in front of the horse. With head up the toro stares at his new enemy. His sides, are heaving. On one side just below the shoulder blade shows a great red gash. The momentary rest gives the bull a much needed breathing spell. Yet the picador cannot force his horse forward. Its forefeet mark time, but it does not move. Abruptly the bull's head goes down. He throws his bulk with the force of a projectile. There is something sickening in the sound of the horse’s striking body. But the animal is held by the fence. And now the long, sharp horns, those horns, alas, for the cause of the bull awkward- Iy placed, tear into the quilting. Thrice the bull thrusts upward. The padding flies. There is a sound of ripping cloth. But this third time the horas get a more solid hold; one point is caught in the girth. Now one realizes the power of the bull. He heaves man and horse in the air. They hang sick- eningly. Then the girth gives. Horse and man fall back against the fence. A cape flashes before the bull, and, { again poor silly beast, just when he had | things all his own way, he hurries after { the flaunting rag. He is lured n front of the third horse Once more he charges. The horse is sent tumbling to ithe sand. This time the toro's horn goes home in something more than Seeming to know the difference, the bull roots viclously with his mighty head. Yet still a_third time | the flashing cape leads him from his prey. The grooms force the horse to its feet, and the animals move toward the gate. * Kk K % 'HERE has been plenty of action. Three horses downed. Cne done to death. Yet even as the last equine went over, the crowd were yelling for the next act. A From the stand the bugle sounds. It is the call to the banderillero. But for this bull at least no ordinary banderil- lero will perform. Villalta, the matador, ths great espada, himself will do this. Banderillas are thin sticks some two feet and a half long, made gay by a cov- (cape wle!der).;ertng of crimped paper in many bright | | colors. At the one end is a small barbed point, very sharp. The man takes his place in the { center of the ring, one thin banderilia in each hand. He calls the bull. He waves his arms. He shouts insulting things. All the rest of the fighting crew have withdrawn to not distract the toro’s attention. With head up, the bull approaches with slow steps. He has buzle has sounded for the coming of the picadors. Three horsemen ride into the ring, and take up’ positions close to the fence, dividing the space with long lances at their sides. And at - of the circle equally between them. been hurt so much. He has charged s0 much. A little of the edge is taken from his fury by pain and growing weariness. The man dances on his toes before him, Down goes the head ‘The first picador digs his spurs into his horse, this poor beast with one eye Yet, though blindfolded, the horse knows too well from past ex- periences what is coming. He goes for- There is panic in TEP by step the horse approaches “EL BRAVO TORO!” A PAINTING IN THE CORCORAN GALLERY OF ART. IT WAS MADE IN 1850 BY AIME NICHOLAS MORO. = once more, and he comes dashing for that taunting figure. It almost scems the bull is upon the man, so close he lets him come. Then as animal and mau seem one, the two long darts leave the hands and settle firmly one on either side of the shoulder. It is a perfect cast. The bull halts. Wildly flinging its head from side to side, rising off its forefeet in the agony of the moment, it remains threshing about there within a radius of a dozen feet, till its eyes are caught by the moving figure of the man returning from a hasty run to the fence for a second pair of darts. A second time the toro is led to make his futile rush. Two more banderillas are driven behind the first pair. The crowd shrieks its approval. And, indeed, it is work well done, for all its cruelty. There is danger in every moment of the work. Four more banderillas the man places. Each holds. All are evenly set. Four on either side, they stick up upon the bull’s back, waving wands of torture with its every move. From the stand a bugle sounds. It 1s the call for.the “matar,” the call to the kill. Ages seem to have passed since the toro first came in, all verve and sleek freshness, unheaving sids Yet by the watch nine minutes only have elapsed. Villalta has now in his left hand the “muleta.” It is an oblong.of turkey red cloth, its edge rolled around a short round stick. In his right hand he car- ries,a thin and gleaming sword which keeps hidden behind the cloth. Just why, there seems no particular reason. Certainly the bull is not afraid. It is merely the etiquette of the ring, the rule of the game. Again and again the man lures the bull to him. It passes him by what seems a miracle. Sometimes it stobs short, for now the rushes are not so long, as when the animal was played by the larger cape. The vast bulk seems as if 1t were to pass beneath the man’s very arm. Again and again thc play is repeated with a score of brilliant variations. Twice the bull comes to & sliding halt beneath the very arm of the man, and, as the cape rises, the | bull throws his forefest off the ground, | snch is the fury of his attempted toss. ‘The bull is very tired. He comes to a halt before the man. He stands sul- lenly. His sides heave, a deep undula- tion painful to look at, silently voicing the agonizing pounding of the great heart. Froth rests at the corner of his mouth. .A momentary hush comes over the multitude. The matador brings| forth his sword from beneath the hid- ing red cloth. He stands directly in front of the bull Only a sword’s length of distance separates them. * ok Kk K ‘HE fatal thrust, “the matar” must be given at the top of the neck, between the two shoulders:and must go_ straight through to the heart. ‘The matador gives a slight flirt of the red cloth. The bull's head goes down. In that same second the man thrusts the sword straight from him, his body | bending forward. The shining steel | disappears. A moment the bull wavers, | then goes to his knees. The hind legs | fold under him. There is something | wordlessly dignified in the beast’s sink- ing down. For a long moment his head remains erect. His eyes seem to take in the entire sweep of the ring, the piti- fulness of this uncalled for savagery. His head falls. A bugle sounds. The three mules and three men in red coats come hurrying in. The bells of the mules tinkle happily, but are instantly drowned in the rising din. Villalta, tall, slim, arrogant, bows and bows. But quickly silence falls. The crowd is er for more action. They waste no time at bull fights. The mules trot out. Men with brooms and rakes erase the bloody sand. Exactly 15 minutes elapsed since the bull entered the arena. The second bull comes in with a rush. He is a strong bull. He is fast and eager. The capes flash. He races here and there. Ah, but he is speedy. Twice he nearly has his man. Only the open- | dozen feet of the wooden wall two feet beyond the rest, saves one of the cape | Planning Sea PARIS, December 6.—A Greek pro- in an attempt to discover the arms”of the famous Venus has caused great astonishment among the Louvre officials here. The news of this sensational sug- gestion was contained in the following telegram sent out from Athens by one of the principal European news agencies | several days ago: “As th2 result of studies and reports published by Prof. George Gaetanos and the archeologist Dragatsis, the Athens newspapers are carrying on a campaign to urge that the harbor of Milo be dragged for the arms of the Venus of Milo. They declare that the arms- were broken off in the course of a battle between the sailors of the French war- ship Estafette and the citizens of the port, who wished to send the siatuz io Constantinople, and that in all probabil- ity these arms are lying within a few hundred feet from th2 shore line. “Prof. Gaetanos also announces th discovery that the Venus' left arm cov ered her breast, like the Venus of Medicis, and that her right hand held an apple.” The reason for the Louvre's astonish- ment is that, although hundreds of persons have written books to advance various theories as to how the Venus Milo held her arms, there is not ihe ightest mystery about it. Her left arm was held upward, with an apple in the vhand. The right arm hung straight down and was broken off at the clbow when first found. As regards the pos- sibllity of finding these arms in the harbor of Milo, it is simply nul. In the first place, the Louvre Museum possesses the forearm, part of tha hand and apple of the upright left arm. They were broken off in th~ fight between the French sailors and the Greek inhabitants of Milo, and there are many indications to show that the missing porticns were smashed to bits. These broken pieces are kept in a glass case beside the Venus in the Louvre, but not one in a thousand ever szes them. The right arm was probably broken off centuries ago and there is not the slightest reason to believe that it lies in Milo harbor today. In the Louvre archives there is plenty of testimony to show how their graceful figure originally held her arms. For Efimple. Lisut. Matterer, & French naval officer who was at Milo'ywh'n it was found, and who saw the statue a num- ber of times, wrote in his diary: | The Arms of Venus posal to dredge the harbor of Milo | rch for | “When Monsieur d'Urville and I saw the statue in the peasant's cabin, she had her left arm in the air holding an apple, and her right arm, which hung down, was broken off ‘at the elbow.” He does not mention that the right arm was broken off when the peasant found It, but there is other good testimony to this effect. The right arm was cer- tainly broken before the battle on the Milo wateriront. The story of how the Venus of Milo came into possession of the Louvre is very exciting. A Greek peasant named Yorgos found it in a cave on the Island of Milo in April, 1820. M. Brest, the French consul at Milo, heard of the discovery and wanted to buy the statue for his government, but hesi- tated when the peasant demanded the equivalent of £240. On May 26, 1820 (the letter is still in the French for- eign office archives), he wrote to M. | de Riviere, the French Ambassador at ! Constantinople, asking for his approval to purchase it. The Ambassador hesi- tated, but several young French naval! officers named Dumont d'Urville and | Matterer, who had seen the statue at ! Milo and been entranced by its beauty, ! arrived at Constantinople and described it in glowing terms. M. de Riviere im- | mediately commandeered the French | warship Estafette, placed his secretary, | M. de Marcellus, on board and told him to proceed to the Island of Milo at all speed and secure the Venus regardless ! of the cost. When Marcellus arrived” he found | that the Greek priests on the island | had decided to buy the statue and send it to Prince Nikolaki Morousi, a high | Greek official in Constantinople, as a | present. In fact, the priests and their followers were _already loading it on a ship sent | by Prince Morousi when Marcellus | stepped ashore. He claimed that the French consul there already had an! option on it and, seeing that it was his | ing in the fence, made by advancing/a T Fighting in Toledo. and in the Corridas de Torro, National Bull Ring Are Colorful but Cruel Events. with the fence. how his quarry vanished. He stands. in every line of head and body. fights well, this bull. wielded longer than for the first one. chulo in silver. They are men encounter. wildly than for th> matador. these poor chulos, for all their skill get about $12 @ day. they hops, too, tn bs 1nt~ors. Th to_fame. ‘The bugle sounds for the picadors. | Three horsemen ride into the ring. Bui Before ihe this is an exceptional bull. first picador can swing himself and of the fence, the toro is racing at him. petus. With an impact unusual f and the puzzled expression is evident Ha | The capes are ! The chulo in green gives place to (h(;i o talent, drawing the bull to them again | | and again with a skill quite the equal shown by the matador in the previous ' The crowd cheers, but Assru nd | But some day is only one stage of the long, hard climb horse into position; before he is clear | It is a long run, giving him added im- | i or | creus in, of Spa THE ey ’ Iy, magni defiant. i deep v ng, rumbling cry, very low, very very terrible. He is bleeding a Iit the mouth. This is very bad. A bul chould never bleed at the mouih. | wielders. Th's opening is thus parallel | of the ring. Mow he stands hcad up. The bull cannot sce | tail up, grandly ccntly, nobls tle ai 1 A the matedor. The third swo ¢ home. The bull bends his kn down. But he will not die. again. espada. From the tier on benches pour down bowls and jeers anc whistling derision. velcus a creature must go the 1 floch. H2 sinks to @2 © r2n in green uniform approac is the “puntillero.” He carries a gger. He raises his hand . . . o 1| Ho 1 20 their thumbs. But g there is no such gen- The bull must THE MULETA E THE FIGHT. 1y decp. It is a heavy mark against the skill of gocs H~ staggers drunienly ot the tier of But even 5o mo- ¥ O act be seen ag :| [NTO the em: In ancient Rome when a gladiator "1nd made a grand fight his life might the populace if the ma- here die. re one is impressed with that queer ling of looking upon a stuffed doll just discarded. But toro turns, joyous with success. Straight down |upon the fallen man h2 rushes. It seems nothing can save him. Then one sees the miracle, thé unecxpscted, |that variation which makes watching | bull figh!ing a sight ever nmew. The cape wielders have sprung into posi- tion, and on> turns th> bull at the last sccond. He swerves and his pound- |ing hoofs just miss thy head of the | fallen man. Th-y ea Toriguez away. His ribs ars » s favorite will r mny months, | Onee! mo P & 1123 the mule team comes with I Lirkling of bells end hauls eway to i1 cpen court at the left of the rng ihe final bull of | ths day. 1 stand a msm-nt hors. Against the | wall of the court five of th> bulls, al- ready siinned cnd quarterd, hang. the bull ring, the two masses of flesh hit the fence. There is a different crash from any heard before, and then the splinter and snap of breaking wood. ‘The whole side of the fence gives. Horse and man, completely turned over, lie ia- ertly in the narrow aisie. The crowd comes to its feet as one man, voicing their enthusiasm. Not in years has such a thing taken place. Heavens, what a bull! From every section of the arena comes the enthusiastic cry: “Bravo Toro!” * ok ‘WO cape wielders are frantically beating their gorgeous cloths in the beast’s face. He turns just as the sec- ond picador has swung his horse clear of the fence and stands broadside on. The bull is on him. The swiftness of so clumsy an animal is amazing. The horse goes down. And this time there is no turning toro. Drive and heave. The first tears through the armor. Drive and heave. One horn cuts a long gash along the horse’s thigh. The other catches in the armor. Indeed, the thickly padded covering stuffed with cotton 1is a remarkable protection! Capes beat upon the toro’s head. He is turned. Drawn a little distance from the fence, he comes to the first halt since entering the ring. Two horses to his credit and never a picador given a chance to wound him. Theecrowd is frantic with the unusualness of the spectacle. But the action has taken the first_edge off even this exception. And so the third picador drives home his spear. Man and horse are toppled over. ‘The quilted blanket cannot this time save the sorry equine. this fantastic gathering, who but a fow hours before stood bowed in prayer as the religious procession went solemnly through the street. The bull is drawn off. The horses pass from the scene. It is remarkable, but the beast and rider driven through the fence are unhurt. ‘The bugle sounds for the banderillero. Again one sees the supple, agile body of the man seemingly become part of the bull, yet in a star-falling space of time, swing clear. But this man has not the skill or the luck of Vil lalta (for that element plays a strong part in the game). Four times he essays to send in his long dargs. But only three of the eight remain fast. The crowd howls. The bugle sounds for the matar. It is a new espada, a matador young and without name. He is nearly a head shorter than the great Villalta. However, he handles his muletta with skill. Once he comes close to the bull and actually put his hand upon his head. He plays him a long time, for seldom has a toro of such strength and lasting power stood in this ring. But at last comes the moment for the kill. The sword drives down. It is & poor thrust. With perhaps six inches of the blade sticking ihto .the shoulder, the sword remains waving. The beast shakes {tself vigorously. Two cape wiclders come forward. While one draws the beast, the second man with a only chance to get possession of the masterpiece for France, he had a de- | tachment of marines seize it. There was a violent clash on the waterfront. ! with many split heads on both sides. | The Venus also had her left arm, smashed. But the marines carried the day and the statue with them. One of the marines picked up severa! frag- ments of the left arm. The Esiafett> sailed for Marseille with her trophy the same day—June 25, deft swing ®f his cape wraps part of it about the handle of the sword and pulls it clear. Once more the matador 'ays the bull into the exact position r the last stroke. He has taken an- other sword. He lunges. A second | time the sword sticks high from tie back of the bull. The cape wielde come forth. fiflmuly s lfi‘cnpe o they A deft sweep and this sworc 00, is pulled to pull has moved Yet it pleases ! | That is tradition. The dagger goes home. The beast falls. He lies full length upon the sand. The mulecs with tinkle of bells come in. The chain is made fast. The mules, to the sound of cracking whips, trot out. * k% X UT what is this? The crowd is clapping loudly. I turn to my com- panion. He is a Basque, and speaks French as well as Spanish. ‘Why do they clap?” ‘They are clapping toro.” The bull? “Of course. He was a fine bull ‘Bravo toro.” The sound of beating palms fills the arena. What irony! To clap the beast when he was gone. How strange are the ways of men. But not one in all that vast crowd, save me, was moved to grant this noble creature. his life, a little more existence, his natural span | to be lived out upon those silent plains | whence he came. | A, bravo, brave toro. You never had | a chance. - I look at my watch. It took them 20 minutes. _Toro after toro comes ip and meets his ¢nd. In from 17 to 20 minutes they pass. One...two...three...four ...five.. .six.,.seven...eight. One grows weary of blood, falling xhcu'selt, ‘;M hoarse cries of men. At < a3t over. In the gathering pale | twilight the crowd files out. Below‘?he | town the red rolling land reaches away. decolate, lonely, ineffably sad, a pitiful | region, as pitiful as the scene just left behind. I is Sunday afternoon in Madrid. T stand on the curb in front of the Ocrridas de Torros, the biggest bull ring in Spain, and waich 14,000 people move into the brown brick interior. The | picadors drive up in an open horse- jdrawn carriage. Presently the great ) matador. Villalta. arrives in a huge motor car. A little later comes Rod- riguez, a rival for the favor of the public. ate to buy a ticket down town. I go | to lU’le ticket wicket. The place is sold | out. . Whispers the magic word. I gaze upon | a little man. With a barely perceptible | gesture, he bids me to follow. In the | back room of & nearby cafe he sells me i & ticket marked 7 pesetas for 15. This ! ticket sralping is very soverely pun- | ished. Hence the precautions. I enter i the arena. There is a fascination about this so- called sport. Even those who do not like it are forced to admit it. Because never are two same. There is always variation. Villalta takes the first bull. 1t is ther tame. Yet there is loud ap- lause. For today there are two strong “camps” gathered, the admirers of Vil- lalta and the admirers of ‘The second bull comes into the ring. The capes flash. Here and there charges the bull. Now, it is Rodriguez who plays him. Then it happens. So swiftly one fails to grasp fully every detail. A second of indecision,. one false motion. The bull has got Rodri guez. High in the air goes the body Af the man. There is something ridicu- in “the sight, sdmething almost I have just got in from Granada, too | I turn away. But a soft voice| With an axe one of the butchers b&(gs cutting away at the head of the sixth. Everything here is horribly matter of fact. All the color, the vividness of action is ended. One should never see an anti-climax. Testing f(;r Kcoustics. ¢€}/OU never can tell,” used to be the common answer to any one who asked what the acoustics of a proposed new structure would be. Whether the sound would carry to vari- cus parts of the room or hall, whether or not there would be an obnoxious echo, were questions left largely to chance or guesswork. Even where the “cut and dried” method applied to a shaping of rooms and arrangement of balconies in which the sound would carry well to all parts of the hall, any echo is a serious and incurable defect. Only within the last decade has it been found that a series of strings would intercept sound waves in going to the part of the structure which reflected the echo. However, the locating of these echoing parts and proper placing of the yarn or thread was also a matter of guesswork until recently. Now. architects and engi- neers are learning that they can easily determine the echoing surface by means of an electric automobile horn, fitted with a megaphone trumpet. The horn is placed on the plat- form at the place where the speaker usually stands and so pivoted that it can be turned in any desired direction. The meehanism then is adjusted so that the horn will send out its toots at regular intervals—say, once every three seconds. When slowly swung to and fro so as to direct the sound to the various parts of the hall, the dif- ference in intensity of the echo shows at what part it is produced. When these echoing portions have been locat- ed and webs have been drawn to in- tercept the sound waves going to them, { the test is casily repeated to make surc V) er or not the remed: been I properly applied e Electrics of Taste. ONE scientist has suggested that the reason certain foods eaten to- gether seem to improve each other is that a certain amount of electrical ac- tion is set up between them. Experiments have been made along these lines, wherein two eatables were used as elements in a galvanic battery instead of the proverbial copper and zinc, the idea being to ascertain v a current would be trical action occurring, produced. He stated as a result experiments that bitters and sweets, pungents, salts and bitters and aj generally to furnish