The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1888-12-20
'PossuM AND later.
Georgia Gourrnets Who Revel In the Chic
Delight-of the Year.

Deugnt~of the Year.
Did you see that suspicious looking
animal hanging out in front of Ma
rletta street restaurant the other days
VI course you saw it if you passed that
way, OF course you knew, even if ii
didn't have any hair on it, and even if it
was butchered and ready for theoven,
that was possum. But did you know
that the 'possum market in Atlanta
was not to be ''sneezed" att Did you
know that possum and AtaAers" was
one OF the swell dishes at the restau-
rantss Well, if you didn't, read along
q little further and I'll give you some
facts about tho '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 years 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.
1t is useless to say that the 'possum
IS nocturnal animal, and is caught
by means of dogs who tree him in
some small tree which is easily cut
down. Strange Us it 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
very large tree when pursued by the
dogs.
1nree or tour 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 timo 'possum now
and then found its way into the CITY
through the agency Of some great
'possum warrior, who always found
ready sale for this toothsomc animal.
Everything has changed since then,
and tho 'possum has, through no ef-
forts OF his own, arisen to very i'm
portant place in 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.
Tho majority of tho poSsums sold in
Atlanta come from the country NOR
chants, and a 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 sea
son, and sometimes they bring them
in by the wagon load, as they would
bring in load of chickens.
Possums are sold at various prices,
governed according to the size of the
animal. The kittens bring from 20 to
DO cents, while the full grown range
from 40 cents to 81. Tho possum is
ripe by the LIST of September, and he is
pulled until the 1st of March. The
average sum paid for 'possums a month
during the season will amount to
something over $500, making the pos
sum crop worth about $4,000 to At
lanta.
A dish of 'possum and taters at the
restaurant will cost you 80 cents, but
If you want 'possuIn supper it will
cost you from 81 so to 50. A 'possum
supper consists of a whole 'possum.
baked with sweet potatoes, and then
there's corn bread and coffee thrown
In as extras, for 'possum and taters, to
be enjoyed, must be eaten with corn
bread. There's a very remarkable
thing about possum meat. It is as
greasy as the meat of hog; but, I'M
like that, it can be eaten with safety
by persons with the weakest digestion.
1t won't fill you up like pork or other
meat, but you can eat very largo
quantity of it and feel no bad effects
from so doing.
'PoSsums are caught in mile and a
half of Atlanta, and, as I said before,
they are as numerous and prolific 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 q little persuasion the 'possum
was induced to accompany him home.
Tho next day that 'possum was the
iSoOIiIS SSCCrSsCCAOu Ut tHo UluUcf LdDle.
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 Eaters, life has been but mock
cry to you, and if you do not get you
% 'possum and bake him with sweet
potatoes for your dinner tomorrow
you'll regret it even to the end of your
life.-Atlanta Journal.