KING OF BULLRING RETIRES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 93, 15 May 1909, Page 4

KING OF BULLRING RETIRES.

ilazzanlini, the famous Spanish bullfighter, has just gone through the cereinony of having his "coleta," or pigtail, cut. oil', therehv signifying Unit lie lias finally rclircif'from the ring for all time.

During his career of over twenty-five years he is said to have killed* 3300 lmlls. and to have received in payment for so doing over « million pounds sterling of our inoncv. SI'KXT MoXKY LI.KK A KlXti.

J This sounds well-nigh incredible to us, I but it is very likely true. In Spain a I popular bull-lighter is more honored than a king, and th,, size of the ''gate" | (hut he is able In draw is limited only by the holding capacity of the particular bull-ring he is appearing ill. And Mazzanti.ii was the king o 'f all the toreadors, lie has lived, too. and spoui iik.ii.-v lil«. „ kin"'. His- sword—which. ,bv the way. he has just presented to King Manoel of Portugal—was a j Toledo bind- with a ..'old and gem encrusted hilt for which lie paid .tlilll). His hats co.I. hi,,, ,tS(I apiece. When appearing at a eitv or town the finest suite of rooms at the best hotel was I invariably retained for his exclusive use, ami in them he wined and dined his friends sumptuously. V,.i hj,. himself I neveit drank anything stronger than ' water, and sixpence a day was the outi side value of his two meals of mixed polenta and chestnut meal, plentifully sprinkled with red pepper, and flavored with oil and garlic. .Mazzantini never had but two rivals in the art of lighting bulls. One of these was Kspartcro. who was killed in tire bull-ring at Jlmlrid "while aUeniptiii" to emulate a favorite feat, or' his. which) consisted in leaping into the air from a! sitting .posture iu a chair „t the moment I the bull charged, allowing the astonished | animal to toss that niece of furniture, i while he filnzziintini) alighted grace-1 fully on the ground in rear of liiml „ml \ renewed the attack from that direction. The other was Rafael Cucrra, com- I monly known as (iuerrita. who killed I three thousand bulls, and "then retired 1 with u fortune, of £OOO.OOO, '