Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-01-26
'POSSUMS FOR SALE.
ONLY A FEW FOUND IN THE NEW
YORK MARKET.

ONLY A FEW FOUND IN THE NEW
YORK MARKET.
An Old Darkey Talks About the Favorite
Dish That Tickles the Palate of His
Fun Loving Race, and Tells How to
Cook 1t.
A reporter was leaning against popular
stall in the Washington market recently,
when countryman came along with a small
bag swung across his broad shoulders. He
paused before the stall and eyed the bulky
form of the ponderous marketman with a
twinkle in his eye which proclaimed that he
not stranger to the man he finally
winked at. The huge butcher returned the
silent greeting with the humorous stoicism
OF his tribe, and, after decorous pause re-
marked with a satisfied blandness he did not
attempt to conceal:
"Ahl / see you've got EN-"
"Yas; I've got en-" replied the country
man, "an' theys jess tn purtiest critters you
ever lay y'r eyes pom"
The couutryman slowly shifted the bag
from his shoulder to the floor, and then thrust
his ample right hand into it, but with the
measured slowness which denoted long prao-
tice in the art of subjecting haste to science.
Slowly he drew his hand out Of the bag and
held up large animal by long, clean,
white tail. The animal looked like pig and
it didn't. 1t had iron gray hair all over it in
thin patches. 1t was remarkably fat. The
countryman repeated the operation until
three of the animals lay upon the stall. The
butcher gazed at them with admiration.
Then turned them over and over. Then held
them up, one at time, by the long tail, and
> finally dumped them in the scales. one at a
time. When he had finished he went to his
drawer and produced silver dollar,
which he handed to the countryman, who
took the coin and went his way only grunt
of satisfaction disclosing thas he was amply
satisfied.
''Opossum. eh7" said the reporter.
Eyes, and mighty fine ones they are; plump
as they can be, and first class in every way"
said the butcher.
"Who buys themf
"Who buys EN-" exclaimed the butcher.
why, my dear fellow, them possums won't
hang ON them pegs twenty minits by my
watch. Every coiored man what comes
along this way will see them 'possums the
mint he strikes the entrance, and he'll make
break for my stall There's nothing in this
market in the meat line colored man II buy
as long as one of them animals is around"
"You make good profits on them'"
"Well, you see l take all that John brings;
and not all the butchers cares about bother
ing with 'em. They don't ornament stall
to kill, you know"
The reporter could not subscribe to this
sentiment, but before he had time to remark
he caught sight of an aged African bearing
down upon the stall with all the expedition
his years would allow.
"How much fur dis, boss7 he said, grab
bling the largest opossum by the tail.
"Soldp said the butcher, with emphasis
"Soli Great Scott!" exclaimed the Afri-
can, with lamentation in his voice and con-
sternation in his looks. "You dom SOP EN-,
eh3 Too bad l dom set my heart on dat
'possum. " can't femme have 'emi"
"No. He's sold; sold him before I got
him"
.'But you amt dom sol dis one7" said the
customer, Selling the next in size with look
of defiance
mo; that ones for sale"
Before the conversation had proceeded fur
ther another ancient representative of Ham
had come upon the scene and was waiting
his turn. He looked upon the second prize
with longing eye, and the reporter could
see that he was anxious to compete for the
possession of it.
allow much does y'r want fur 1T" asked
the first customer, cycling the second conner
with volumes of distrust.
II want seventy-five American pennies
the butcher, with O wave of his hand.
"Ill gin y'rer dollah, boss" said the Sec
ond conner.
mo, y'r won't do no SIGH, Mr.. Smartie,"
exclaimed the first customer. "Dat's my
possum, an I'm gwinter have i'm, an y'r
needn't let y'r mouff juice up ober de hopes
OBJ gittin' i'm" The man held the opossum
firmly in his strong grasp with his right
hand while he skirmished in all his pockets
Ii, Il
the required pennies and said with lofty
mien: Oars y'r money, sab, Pokeehuntus
an all"
The second customer said nothing, but as
certaining that the remaining opossum could
be had for fifty cents, paid down the tariff
and shutiled Off, casting upon the first GUS
TONER however, a glance which looked like
razor in the sharpness Of its direct view
and in the bluntness of it in its sidewise
sweep.
.Tell the gentleman here something about
the 'possum, Uncle jack" said the butcher.
"Certnly,n said Uncle Jack, with a
chucke. us been buyin' 'possums from
y'r more'n five year, amt it9 l guess it am
AM mighty nice 'possums dey is, ter be
sho'. But they don't hoP er candle light ter
'possums i'll de Lam where was fotch up
Gums from ole Virginy, Were de 'possums
grow on de 'simmon trees"
81 see. Your mind goes back to the good
old days before the war. You can't forget
those days, even here in New York, eha'
swell, l mout furgit de days, but l can't
furgit de 'possums," said Uncle Jack, and
there was levity in his voice which indi-
Gated that the sly old fox knew thing or
two
"Well, tell us all about it. Tell US how you
cook the opossum," said the reporter.
"How you cook 'em, bossi OATS a fine
quest'n. De people up dis way doan know
muffin bout cookin' err 'possum. Dey goes
bout it like dey want de 'possum ter swim
erway in grease. Wy, look at dat 'possum.
Do he look like he want eny mo- grease ter
cook heself in it9 An den dey 60 skin de
'possum' And Uncle Jack burst out in
fit of laughter which was simply indescriba-
BILE.
''Lemme tell y'r how y'r do it. Yr TEX de
'possum an hold i'm ober a fire mex of corn
shucks till yr dun SINCE all de hair off him.
Den y'r scrape i'm wild dull case knife; an
den y'r put i'm in hot water, jess like y'r do
er pig. By dat time he be clean an wife.
Den y'r clean i'm jess like y'r wo'd pig.
But now comes de pint. Ee mex y'r stuff1n'
in dis way: TEX er loaf OBJ corn pone an
brek it up fine. Den y'r cut up two red in
yuns; den cut up two red peppers; mix dis
up nice an put it inside de possum, careful
like. Den put i'm in er big oben and wedge
i'm all round wild big sweet pertaters. Put