Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1851-12-19
Scientific Discourse.
Delivered before Wo!f5to,ca Hoecaks association
By CUFFEY MINOR, F. R. :.

Delivered before Woif5tolcn Hoecaks association.
BY CUFFEY MINOR, F. R. :.
(ELorr ofthe Rhyming Society,"
BENITED FELLER SITTYzANs-I draw
de subjec Oh my lectur dis evenin frum de
animal kingdum kun and tend to inter-
duce to YOU one of your oldest frens whose
name when you har it will make your blud
tingle wild delite and your lips smoke wild
Joy. lou will no doubt recomlect scenes
in your past life, while huntin dis crittur,
dat will sharpen your appetite like de grine-
stone; you muss all know by dis time dat
| mean to 'Iucidate de manners and kus-
tums Oh De PossUM.
De Possum am a animal de same as
man, and he hab a great many oh de tricks
oh man: one OBJ de tricks dat dey learned
frum man am de trick OBJ stayin out all
mite, for you muss noe, dat Mr.. Possum
sleeps moss all day, and den loafs bout
in de mite time, derefore, dat am de reason
dat dey am hunted in de middle OBJ de
mite, jis like de ole koon.
De Possum am a kurous kind oh crit
tur, bout de size oh a koon only not half
so sassy. His skin fits wild bout de same
tlteness and grace as bed quilt would an
empty barrel of flower. He hab got
pockets under each arm in he fur skin
.Obercoat, whar he carries his young chill
dren, and it am a beautiful site to see de ole
one pretendin TO be sleep and de little ones
all playin round, some wild deir heds lis
out ob de pockets, and odders cimbn all
ober him, den if you want to see fun, jist
wlssel fur a imaginary dog and see de way
desc little rat looking fellers will scramble
in de pockets, and see de ole one make
tracks for de tallest tree he can find,
whar he am sure OBJ safety.
De Possum aint got no feet, de hole
four eXtremities am hans; he back foots
am hans an so am he fore foots which
enable him TO crawl up a small twine wild
de same ease and quickness dat lie cline
up tree. His tale am oh de creates use
TO him, lis like Boz's tales am to him for
he can hang by it and slepe all day, way
out on de end OBJ a limb, whar de han OBJ
.sarchin darkey kant molcss him.
You hab all heard, no doubt OBJ de long
Yankee who hab such big nose he Good
hang it TO de lin oh a cherry tree and
pick wild boh hans, but my stingy hearers,
de possum kan do more, he kan hang by
his tale, eat and file wild all fore ob his
hans; derelore, de possum have de van
tage OBJ de Yankee.
bar am kurious ting conneckted wild
de mopf oh dis animal. 1t am shaped a
good deel like de little pig, but dat amt
muffin; he got ears too like de pig, dat
amt muffin but de kurious part OBJ d
lmouf am dis; on he lower Jaw he got jis
twenty-five teef, and on he upper one he
only got two dozen and one, which tink
fully counts for de bitin an scratchin
pensity.
De Possum 'semble de darky in some
things. lie lubs young chickens lis like
de darkey, and in order TO 'dulge de ap-
petite, he will steel dem jis like de dar-
key. In size dis animal am tween de
rackoon and de tomcat, in color Don
Dorety Gray, III specy possum, IN dispo-
-sition womany.
| hab dus far spoken only OBJ de crlttur
while he am alihe, but he is one OBJ dem
animals dat de deaGer he am de more useful
he am 10 mankind. De poet and de auther
are more preciated artur dey am dead,
and so am hen, hog, de bullock, and de
possum. Who in dis vast assemblage hab
not luXurlated on de fat oh dis chap till he
face shine all over like glass bottle, and
his nose git so greasy dat it coodent be
bIowed wid out de aid oD ashes on DC fin
gers Who. / ak you, III dis crowd, hab
Uot rose wid de moon III de ui.e. and went