The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-12-12
'PossUM AND 'TATER.
Georgia Gourmets Reyeiing In the
Chief Delight OF the Year

Chief Delight OF the Year
Atlanta Journal.
Did you see that notwithstanding
animal hanging out in front OF n
Marietta-street restaurant yesterday :?
OF course you saw it IL you passed
tina, way. OF course you know. even
if it didn't have any hair on it. and
even If it was butchered and ready for
the oven, that it was a 'possum. But
did you know that the 'possum
market in Atlanta was not to be
"sneezed att? Did you know that
" 'possum and 'taters" was one of the
swell dishes at the restaurant now
adays?
Well. if you didn't, read along a
little further, and III givs you some
facts about the 'possum crop which
will astonish you as they did me.
This file-tailed country animal has
been part OF the South as long as
there has been any South, and, like
the rabbit, he is very prolific, and
seems TO increase instead of diminish
as the wears roll on. He is very fond
of persimmons. from which the name
of opossum is derived. He was
nearly always caught up persimmon
tree. and years ago was known as the
animal of the persimmon, which was
gradually contracted into o'possum.
Ii is useless to say that the 'posSum
is a nocturnal animal and is caught by
means of dogs who tree him in some
small tree which is easily cut down.
Strange as il may sound old 'possum
hunters will tell you that the bigger a
'possum is the smaller the tree in which
he is caught, and it Is only the young
'possums that climb a very large tree
when pursued by the dogs.
Three or four years ago our commits
sion merchants began buying a few
'possums from the country and selling
them to few select customers in At
lanta. Before that time a 'possum
now and then found its way into the
city through the agency OF Howard
Horton or some other great 'possum
warrior, who always found ready sale
for this toothsome animal.
Everything has changed since then,
and the 'possum has, through no eff
forts of his own, arisen TO very inn
portant place i'll the commercial world.
One commission merchant informed
me that he handled 800 'possums a
month, and at Folsom S restaurant 100
of these animals are butchered every
month and served out to those who
are fond OF them, and that means
nearly every Southern-raised man.
The majority of the 'possums sold in
Atlanta come from the country mer-
chants, and large percentage of this
number come from up on the Marietta
and North Georgia railroad, section
of the country which is regarded as
the finest in the world for grapes, rye,
'possums and corn liquor.
A number of countrymen living in
Fulton county catch many 'pOssums
during the season, and sometimes
they bring them in by the wagonload,
as they wsuld bring in a load of
chickens.
Howard Horton, the well-known
colored politician, is the middleman
through whose hands most OF the
'possums caught by the colored hunt
ers pass. Howard, although he is
great believer in protection and Re-
publicanism, showed his magnamity
when President Cleveland visited At
lanta by baking a fine 'possum with
taters and presenting it to him. He
was very much pleased with the gift.
governed according to the size OF the
animal.
The kittens bring from % TO 40 cents,
while the full-grown range from 40
cents to 81.
The 'possum is ripe by the LIST of
September, and he is pulled until the
lst of March.
The average sum paid for 'possums
n month during the season will amount
To something over $500, making the
'possum crop worth about $1,000 to
Atlanta.
A dish of 'possum and taters at the
restaurant will cost you 30 cents, but
if YOU want a postum supper it will
cost YOU from $50 To 5000
A 'possum supper consists OF a
whole 'possum, baked with sweet po
tatoes, and then there's corn bread
and coffee thrown in a extras, for
'possum and taters, to be enjoyed,
must he eaten with corn bread.
There's a very remarkable thing
about 'possum meat. Ii is a. greasy
as the meat of hog; but, unlike that,
it can be eaten with safety by persons
with the weakest digestion.
Ii won't fill you up like pork or 9TH
err meat, but you can eat very large
quantity OF it and feel no bad effects
from 80 doing.
'PosSums are caught within a mile
and half of Atlanta and a. | said
before. they are as numerous and pro-
life as rabbits.
My brother in coming home very
late one bright, moonShiny night last
winter met a very large and very fat
old 'poSsum on Wheat street, and
after little persuasion the 'possum
was induced to accompany him home
The next day that 'possum was the
leading attraction at the dinner table.
II you have never tasted 'possum
meat YOU have lived in vain; if YOU
have never inhaled the delicious fra
GRANGE arising from dish OF 'possum
and taterS, life has been but a mock
cry to you, and if You do not get you
a 'possum and bake him with sweet
potatoes for your dinner tomorrow
ysu'l II regret it even TO the end OF your
life.