The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1885-12-18
JQBPRINTIN9.
GAIL on Us.
Bill Heads,
Letter Heads
Etc, Etc.
al About 'Possums.

washington letter in Philadelphia Record.
; 7 was talking with Southern
man about the opussum which 4
1 Tennessee man cought OF the battle
field Of MurfreeSbore, aud sent 70
1.-THE President for h!s Thanksgiving
dinner. The Southern man, a
| Georgian, by The way said: The
'possnm is net what he's cracked np
to be, / ed to hunt him years
aeo when ] W0s ,youmg, bul | hunted
nim for The ,Fuft and rut iur hiun-
sci There Is spnethng very
picturesque and piquant about a
! 'po, sum or UoL hunt, A Jrssum
hunt differs from ali sthtr huntIng
in flat 81 good 'possun hunter does
hot use Lis gun at all. A . 1ssum
or coon uog, a thin, nlal gy, cur
like dog and big tpfeh, are all that
he Leeds. The hunting is always
at niglt The dog h4itls the 'pcssum
and tlvcs him1-usuaIly in II perslih-
mon tree. Then the hunter climbs
up, torch in hand, and grabs the
pCssum. The light of the torch
dp2zles the epps Of the 'possum and
his il stinctiVe stimulation of death
makes ft easy to catch him. The
hunter must take care that the 'pOs.
sum does not fall to the ground IL
1t does there will be fight not be-
tive Ell the dog aud the possun, but
between the dog and his master for
pose sion of the 'possum. My inter-
tsst ia the coon, however, ends when
ne is auCh', | wound as eve as
not that thc dog ate him then. He
looks to much like a rat for my
stomach and tastes too course aid
greasy squirrel is much bel o.,
FIhe p ssums seem as Numerous
a. eves} SAID Vrgiuian; ''and
they seem TO he hunted just rs zeal
eusly. | aon'L think. they are par~
ticuharly good eating. The darkies
like 'possum, just as they like coarse
rich fut d Vi any sort, but if pos
sum were not traditional delicacy
WY few white men would eat il.
Of course, you have heard the classic
possum story which is always told
" hen 'pOssum is mentiOned2 NC2
Wei, an old darGey once caught
'possum one cold Thanksgiving Day,
and taking il home 70 ms cabin,
built up the f 70 and put it in the
pot. Then he lay down, tired out;
with his feet to the fire, darkey fash
ion, and went to sleep. As he lay
there snOarIng while the pOesud
simmered IN the pot, his son, a lin
Der, brig ht-eyed YOu.h, ghded INTO
the cabin. lie took im tile ituatIuH
in a moment. The 'possnm was
ready tn be eaten, and its strsLg
aroma filled the room. Stepping
softly to the fire the grac, less ymitll
.ook the 'possum out of he pol aud
-ap:diy devoured its gamey frah,
softly to himself rs he
lid so. When he had eaten ad
mere was to eat he gathered tha
bones in little pile beside the nro-
place, and thOn smearing little Of
he 'possum grease Oh the rnouth .tnd
rose OF the sleeping man he stote
.aftly away BY aud by old POns
1ey awUke. The air was redOlsnt Of
)oiled 'pcsum--the oId mans mouth
Rising slowly to- his feet
le took the lidof the pot and looked
n. 'Jerucha mighty he exclaimed,
us done gone. Then, glancing
lown at the freplp ce, he aw the
bones, and passing his
rand over his mouth he felt and
melIed the p ssum grease. A
Dload smile spread over his puzzled
ace: Good La9dP be exclaimed, Il
lone forgot 1 ate him!"