Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 126, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 May 1919 — FROM THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY [ARTICLE]

FROM THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY

CHAUNCEY WOOD SEES BULL FIGHT—WELL PLEASED WITH THE COUNTRY. McAllen, Texas, May 23, 1919. Just a few lines to let you know that we are receiving the Republican O: K., and appreciate it very musi. We had<the pleasure of attending an old time bull fight across the border in Mexico a few days ago, and wondered if you would be interested in hearing about ;t. iSeveral days before the important event, large Signs were displayed all over town announcing the coming bull fight te be held at Miatamoros, Mexico, celebrating their independence day. This was the first bull fight that’had been pulled off for several years, and, of course, attracted a large crowd, especially of northern people. •. Excursions were run from all over the state. It was estimated that almost 25,000 people attended the bull fight, of which about twenty-five per cent were Americans. It was necessary for each person living on this side of the river to procure a passport before going into Mexico. There were five bulls fought and killed that afternoon. The bull ring was between 135 and 150 feet in diameter. When I first saw the size of the ring I was disappointed, for the ring looked so small, but, believe me, when the fireworks started, the ring was plenty large enough. The bulls are raised on a large ranch in Mexico, away from all habitation, just especially for the bull fights. ■As the bull comes into the fighting ring, he passes thrdugE a narrow lane and as he does so "a man stabs a short, wooden stick about ten inches long into the bull’s back betwebn the shoulder blades. The bull comes charging into the ring and immediately takes after one of the half dozen Mexican fighters who are in the ring. He jumps to one side and the bull takes after another. The fighters tease the bull for about ten minutes before trying to kill him for the benefit of the crowd. Each of the fighters has a large cloak which he teases the bull with, and when one fellow is pursued a little too strongly another attracts the bull’s attention with his cloak. In this way they keep the bull on the go most of the time.

There are two men on horseback with long spears who torment the bull, but do not try to kill him. The horses /have to suffer quite often, as in this case five horses were gored to death. When it comes to killing the bull, one of the fighters takes a very sharp sword and endeavors to stab the bull as he makes a charge, between the 1 top of the shoulders and piercing his I heart. The fighters must have been very much out of practice that day, i .for one of them had to stab a bull six times before he succeeded in killing him. This is very dangerous work and quite often a man is killed. One bull succeeded in getting a horse and his rider down, but the rider finally succeeded in escaping.

I am like some of the soldier boys who say *about the late war, “They wouldn’t have missed it for the world, but do not care for any more of it.” Come down and see us and I will tell you more about the trip across the Rio Grande. iWe are getting along the finest kind farming in the valley. Farmers are cutting all kinds of hay. Broom corn harvest has started this week, and Indian corn is in the roasting ear. .The eighty acres of cantaloupe a quarter of a mile from the farm are being harvested now. Come down and have some; they’re fina» A few days ago I heard a broom corn buyer, who was here in the valley buying brush, tell of the advancement in the production of the broom corn in this locality. t Three years ago only seven cars of broom corn were shipped from the entire valley, Which consists of a strip of land about fifteen miles wide and about forty-five miles long. Two years ago 243 cars were shipped, and last year 1,397 cars were shipped, and a large harvest is out this year.

in the towns and through the cduntry have advanced about the same, as one of the cavalry boys made the remark a few days ago. He had been across the water about six months, and on returning, about a monthr ago, says he hardly knows the country, for it has developed so much. Where there was forty acres of brush last October when he left for France, now the land is cleared, has good crops growing on it and a northern man living there. The towns are developing at about the same rate. Fellows who had out ’a field of cabbage during the winter, certainly hit

it fine, for they sold it on the car at their home station for as high as $72 a ton. It yielded from five to eight tons per acre. Onions are selling for over $2 a bushel. In fact, everything has a good market —even cigarettes and coca cola. People who have been Jiving here for several years say the weather we have been having at present is pretty hot, but we don’t notice the heat as much as we do in the north in the summer time. There is a cool breeze 'blowing continuously from the gulf. You never need complain of the nights being uncomfortably warm; they certainly are ideal for. sleeping. Mexican pigeons are coming, in now. They get very plentiful here a little later in the summer. They fly in droves like blackbirds and are very good eating. We are going to have a mess of them tomorrow for dinner,. Will think of you 1 while eating. o Best, regards to Jasper county friends. CHAUNCEY WOOD, McAllenj Texas.