Bulls vs. Bears

By Paisley Kirkpatrick

One of the most popular Sunday afternoon entertainments for miners was the bull-and-bear fight. As reported in 1849 by the local Sonora newspaper: A fantastically dressed Mexican clown, preceded by a band of shockingly bad music, parades the streets notifying the citizens of a fight about to come off.

Bear and bull fighting, a favorite Sunday afternoon diversion for miners, was certainly not for the fainthearted.

A 600 pound grizzly bear was enclosed in a pen -- chained either to a post or his opponent, a mean bull twice his size. If they didn't take unkindly enough to one another on initial meeting, the promoters got up a little spirit by goading them with spears. It didn't much matter to the spectators whether the bear, with his sharp teeth and powerful jaws, got to the bull's neck first -- or the bull, with superior weight and sharp horns, gored the bear. Blood was the object.

Sometimes the spectators themselves became part of the sport. In a Sonora arena, jammed with 2,000 spectators, a wounded bull jumped the fence and ran wild through the crowd, goring one man to death and trampling several others.

Meanwhile, another incident was taking place inside the area. The promoter decided to throw some water on the exhausted bear. He was grabbed by the animal who started chewing on the man's leg. Several volleys of pistol shots killed the bear, but not in time to save his victim.

An attempt was made to discourage this cruel sport in 1856 by imposing a $25 licensing fee (not much of a deterrent), but it wasn't until 1905 that it was outlawed altogether.

By 1854 Sonora had turned to more sedate family life. Instead of the bull-and-bear fights on this sacred day, troops of rosy-faced, quiet, orderly children are seen returning from Sunday school. Where men from the surrounding camps once quarreled, fought, drank, swore, and squandered their hard-earned means at the gambling table or low brothel, well-dressed men and women attended church. What has caused this great change in public sentiment? It was the presence of women -- virtuous, pure, sympathizing women, the great controller of public opinion, without whom society is dull and existence a blank.

From: California Gold Story of the Rush to Riches