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April 13, 1900: A bullfight at Lake Harriet?
Posted by: Ben Welter under Minnesota History, Minnesota Parks Updated: April 12, 2010 - 10:21 PM
Even in 1900, a promoter hoping to stage a bullfight in Minneapolis knew he’d have to deal with the local humane society. And so a man named Hugh McFarlane floated a modification involving armored horses and bulls with brass-tipped horns. The Tribune, alerted to the scheme, asked the mayor for his opinion. He provided a great line-in-the-bullring quote, but it would have been more interesting to hear from the SPCA.
CAN'T STAND BULL FIGHTS
Mayor Gray Declares That Promoter
McFarlane Will Feel the Frost
When He comes to Minneapolis.
Hugh McFarlane, who, according to reports, is in Mexico, and who, according to the same reports, intends to become a promoter of bull fights, will encounter a frost that will make Greenland’s icy mountains appear a summer garden when he calls to tell Mayor Gray about the scheme.
“There will be no dog fights, bull fights or man fights here as long as I am mayor of Minneapolis,” declared Mayor [James] Gray yesterday when questioned as to Mr. McFarlane’s reception. “They may pull off a fight of some kind here, but not if I know about it and the police force is in working order.”
In a letter Mr. McFarlane says that he is thinking of returning to the states for the purpose of giving an up-to-date bull fight. In the City of Mexico he has witnessed several fights, and according to the letter he has hit upon an original scheme and will have bull fights pulled off under the auspices of the humane society.
The idea is a simple one, and it is strange that no one ever thought of it before. All that Mr. McFarlane intends to do is to tip the horns of the untamed steer with brass knobs and then turn him loose to do battle with the matador, who will be frisked about the ring on an armored horse.
Of course it will be a trifle inconvenient for the horse, who will probably cork himself with his armored legs every third or fourth prance, but then the humane society will have to be humored in some degree, and this is done to satisfy its members.
Mr. McFarlane thinks that with a permit the fight could be put on at Lake Harriet or at Como Park. The superintendent of the park is at the present time reported as making arrangements for a number of automobiles, and this, too, would offer an excellent opportunity of having an automobile bull fight and thus do away with all danger to the horses.
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