The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1885-06-12
"DAT 'POSsUM"
'POssumOIOgy of Ye Old Virginia
Time-HOw 10 Ketch, Clean, Cook
and Eat'Em.
From the Talbotton, Ga, Era.

From the IalDOb6on, Ga, Era.
Long years ago there used to
come through Talbot county a ne
gro trader, q, Neil by name, from
whom Hon. Henry Persons CLEAN.
ed the story of "Umcle Sandy's
'pOssnm," being the modus Operan'
di of 'pussum catching and eating
as told in the original language Of
the old darkey of 'Old Vireiney
neber tire.n
"Jesso, boss, jessO," says Uncle
Sandy, "dat 'pOssum am a curious
varment, shores yer born, yit bit
am de sweets of meat?
"How you cotch 'em and cook
'em and eat 'em 7 Ise Jess gwine ter
tell yer"
"Yer fuss go down dar in de ole
pine fieP whar we Glen about ten
year go, an yer cut yer sum or
dem fat lightered roots out de
grOuU' from one er dem stumps;
den yer fotches 'em hum an sets
'em up in de chimly corner fer ter
dry twel SADLY night cum. Wen
dat night cum yer jes tux dem
lightered roots an split 'em up an
light 'em, an takes yer ak on yer
shoulder aud goes out de cabin do,
calls yer dog and den go down de
boss lot branch. Yer go long fer
bout er hour and yer tux yer amt
gwine ter ketch muffin. Bmeby
near bout wen seben stars way up
yOnder yer lose yer dog. He done
clean gone fer shO. Yer gifts nifty
tired. Yer tInk fer sho yer ain't
gwine ter ketch muffin. Yer gifts
sleepy an yer eyes gifts hebby.
Yer long ways trum hum. Yer
start back dar too, nifty low spere-
ted. Yer call an call dat dog, but
he ain gwine cum no mo, den yer
goes on back tOards hum, an bime
by yer gifts dar. An yer dun tux
yer boy, Sam, wild yer, an wheu
yer gifts in de yard Sam, he stops
little vile ter listen; den he say:
"Dady l do ERE dat dog Yer say:
ooh, hush yer fuss, boy, yer doau
kno what yer talkln.' But he say
agin: 'Daddy do 'ere dat dog ter
sho." Well, den yer listius an yer
'ere er dog barkin way off yOnder,
pears like about five miles off. Yer
Iistins agin au yer 'cres em agiu an
dis time pears like he furder off
den afore. Sam say, Daddy, less
OF Yer stops an tinks. Yer
nifty tired, shO, but de boy beg so,
yer halter go. Yer starts. Yer
goes on pears like fore miles and
yer jes fall down er log. Yer say,
"Sdm, yer fool nigger, Use not
gwine er nudder step. | doan
bleeb dats my dog, an er doan
bleeb de emmy 'possnm dar Oeeder."
Sam say, "Well daddy, if yer don't
l does Use gwine" Yer halter
git up an' go. Dat dog barkin on
DIES de same an yer soon gifts dar
an sho nuff, jes like Sam say, dc
dog is dar, an dat 'possum is dar
too. De tree whar he up is one er
desc little simmOu trees and Sam1I
soon elem it an fotch der 'poSSum
down by de tail. Yer look at der
'pOSsum an' smack de lips fer he be
big iue fellow. Den yer take em
an 70 rite back hum an jess TO yer
git ter de door, yer take yer ak 'an.
die an put em cross e mex an bre'k
o mex by pullin' Oh de tail Deu
yer tex i'm in 'ouse and de ole 'Oman
doue left great big fire place heap
full hickery ashes. Yer takes de
shubble aud opens big hole in dem
ashes an drops dat pOssum in dar
an' wen yer take i'm outer dar de
har des pull of des es easy an yer
put i'm in some hot water am
scrapes i'm wid or case knife, an he
Gums clean. Den yer takes out de
intrals, hang im up and wash i'm
good, den yer salts im down an
puts i'm away twel Monday morn
ing.
"Monday morning cum, do ole
oman tex im out an parbile Im
good, den she GIT bout pek er ta-
ters an den slices dem taters am
piles em all over im anden she baks
twel de grease run all tru dem ta-
ters. Den she teks i'm out an puts
i'm in dc big dish an sets i'm ON de
dinner table wild de taters pile all
ober i'm.
"Yer cum ter dinner fun de fiel,
an yer walks i'm an sets down ter
de table, but yer.dOan eat dat pos
SUN den Arter dinner yer des
takes im an de taters an sets en-
in the cupboard.
"Bimeby yer Gums hum fun de
days hard work ter supper. You're
nifty worn out fer yer been wurkin
10 de tiel all day. Yer sets down
de cabin do an tekes yer
pipe and smokes. Fore long Sam
say, "Daddy, supper reddy.0 But
yer des set dar; yer doan go m.
Yer wait tvel de ole oman an de
ceillun go of ter bed. Den yer
knocks der ashes out yer pipe an
goes in. Yer moves de little squar
table front de fer an puts yer char
close up dar by it. Den yer goes
ter de cupboard aud gifts de pOssum
and taters. Yerputs EN- on dc Ia
BILE. Yer tells de ole 'Oman ter go
m yer locks de do. Den dar yer
Is. You an de pOssum all by yerself
tOCedder. Yer frOws yer ole hat