, 1885-06-16
OLE WRelNny 'possuM.



Uncle sandy fsilu the story of How %
keteh, Cook, aud Eat En-
rralbotton tGa) Era
Long years ago there used to come
through Talbot county a negro trader,
O-Ncal by name. from whom Hon Henry
Persons CLEANED the story Of ~lEcie
Sandy $ 'possum. being the modus oper.
audi Of 'possum catching and eating as
told in the original language of the old
darby Of -Old \ irginny neber tire. -
Jesse, boss. josso, =" says Uncle Sandy.
dat pogsum am curious varmint. shores
yer born. yit hit shorely am de sweets
Of meat
"How you cotch i'm and cook an eat
fmi lse ess gwine ter tell year.
Yer fuss go down dar in de ole pine
hel whar we Glen up about ten years go
an yer cut yer sum or den fat lightered
roots out de ground from ono or dem
stumps: den yer fotches um hum IN sets
um up in de chimly corner Ter ter dry
twel adday night cum, Wen dat night
comes yer jes TAX dem lightered roots and
spit EN- up and lites um. and takes yer AK
on yer shoulder and goes out de cabin do.
calls yer dog, and den go down de boss
lot branch. Yer go long fer bout err hour
nm yer tink yer amt gwine ter ketch
nuttn- Bimeby. near bout wen seben
bthrs way up Johief, yer 1850 yer uog.
dc done clean gone fer sho Yer gits
miry tired. ler tink fer sho yer amt
gwine ter ketch NUN. Yer gifts sleepy an
yer eyes get hebby. Yer long ways frum
hum. Yer start Jack dar. too. nifty
low spereted Yer call an call
dat dog. but he ain gwine cum no mo;
den yer goes on back toards hum. and
bimeby yer gets dar. An yer dun TUX
yer boy. Sam, wild yer, and when yer
gits in de yard Sam he stops little vile ter
listen; den he Daddy. l ere dat dog
Yer say: ooh. hush yer fass. boy, yer doan
kno what yer talkin. But he say again:
Daddy. | do ere dat dog sho.' Well. den
yer listins an yer 'eres er dog barkin way
oil In the woods. pears like about i've
miles of Yer listins and yer eres I'm
again and dis time pears like he furder off
den fore sam said. daddy, less gor
4 err stops and links. Yer mighty tired.
sho. but de boz beg SO. yer halter 90. Yer
starts. or goes on pears like fore miles
and ye dos fall down on err log. ler say.
Sam. yer fool niger, ! SO not gwine er
nudder step. | doan bleeb dats my dog.
and err doan bleeb de emmy 'possum der
needer. Sam say, Well. daddy. Of yer
don't | does, Ise gwiner Yer halter
on des de same; an yer soon
gifts dsr. sho nuff. des like
Sam say, de dog is dar. m dat possum is
dar too. De tree whar he up is one er
desc little simmon trees and Samn soon
elem ii an fotch brer possum down by dc
TAIL. Yer look at the postum an smeck
de lips. fer e be big fine fellow. Den yer
tax 'em an 60 rite back hum. an jess 70
yer git ter de door. yer take yer AK andle
an put en- cross G ne k an bre k q mex
by pullin' oh c tail. Den yer TEX i'm in
fC,,e. n~I a. .fo 1.s-.- H.. I.QF -~..t III
fireplace heap full hickory ashes. Yer
takes de shubble. and opens big hole in
dem pile or ashes and drops dat possum in
dar. an when yer take i'm outer dat de
hA DIES pull oil des es easy. an yer put
i'm in some hot water and scrapes i'm wild
er casenife. aud he Gums clean. Den yer
takes out der ~intrals. hang i'm up and
wash i'm good. den yer salts i'm down,
and puts i'm away twel Monday morning.
Monday morning cum de ole oman
TEX i'm out an parbile I'm good. den she
git bout pek er taters and den slices dem
talers an piles EN- all over i'm. an den
she baks i'm twell de grease run all fru
dem taters. Len she teks i'm out an puts
i'm in de biz dish an sets i'm on de din
ner table wild de taters pile all ober i'm.
yer cum ter dinner fun do fiel. an yer
walks in an sets down ter de table, but
yer doan eat dat possum dem NO, sab.
loan yer eat i'm dem Arter dinner yer
des takes i'm an der taters an sets i'm up
in de cupboard.
"Himebye yer Gums HON FUN de days
work ter supper. You're nifty worn out,
fer yer been wuking in de fel hard all
day. Yer sets down odtside de cabin do
and takes yer pipe and smokes Fore
long Sam say i addy. supper reddy.'
But yer des set dar yer do N go in. Yer
WIT twell de ole oman and the chiliin
git fru eaten and de chillun go off ter bed.
Den yer knocks der ashes out yer pipe
and goes in. Yer moves de leetle squar
table front de fer and puts yer char close
up dar by 1t. Den yer goes ter de cup.
bard and gifts dc possum and taters Yer
puts EN- on de table Yer tells de ole
oman ter go on out an yer locks do do.
Den dar yer Is. You an de rossum all by
yeerself togedder. Yer frows yer ole hat
on de ito. takes yer seat In dat char by de
inble, and GIBBS yer sole ter yer Godi"