The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1888-11-23
,possva AAo ,rATrs.l


Georgia Gourmcts Who Revei In the Chtsf
Delight OF the Year.
Did you see that suspicious looking
animal hanging out in front of a Ma
rietta street restaurant the other days
OF purse you saw it if you passed that
way. vi, course you knew, even if il
didn't have any hair on il, and even il il
was butchered and ready for the oven.
that it wasa'possuml But did you know
that the ,possuin marked in Atlanta
was not to be ''sneezed" at2 Did you
know that "'possum and 'taters" was
one of tho swell dishes ut the restau-
rants7 Well, if you didn't, read along
o little further and I'll give you some
facts about the 'pOssum crop which
will astonish you as they did me.
This file tailed country animal has
been a part of the south as long as
there has been any south, and ike
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 n 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 hat the 'possum
us a nocturnal animal, and is caught
by means of dogs who tree him in
some small tree which is easily cut
down. Strange as it may sound old
'possum hunters will tell you that the
bigger a 'possum is tho smaller the
tree in which he is caught, and 10 is
only the young 'possums, that climb q
very large tree when pursued by the
dogs.
Three or four years ago our commits
sion merchants began buying q few
'possums from the country and selling
them To q few select customers In At
lanta. Before that time a 'possum now
and then found its way into the city
through the agency of some great
postum warrior, who always found q
ready sale for this toothsome animal.
Everything has changed since then,
and tho 'pOssum has, through no ef-
forts of his own, arisen 10 q very inn
portant place in the commercial world.
One commission merchant informed
me that he handled 300 'pOssums a
month, and ut Folsom's restaurant 100
Of these animals arc butchered every
month and served out to those who
r fond OF them, and that means
nearly every southern raised man.
The majority Of the 'possuIna sold in
Atlanta como from the country mer-
chants, and a large percentage Of this
number COINS from up on the Marietta
and North Georgia railroad, o 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 tho ca
son, and sometimes they bring them
in by the wagon load, as they would
bring in @ load Of chickens.
'POssums arc sold at various prices,
governed according to the sizo Of the
animal. The kittens bring from 20 to
40 cents, while the full grown Ialige
from 40 cents to 81. The 'possum is
ripe by the LIST Of September, and be is
pulled until the 1st Of March. The
average sum paid for 'possums q month
during tho 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, bnt
IL You want q 'possum supper it will
cost you from 81. SO to So. A 'possum
supper consists Of q whole 'possum,
baked with sweet potatoes, and then
there's corn bread and coffee thrown
in IS extras, for 'possum and taters, to
be enjoyed, must be eaten with corn
bread. There's a very remarkable
thing about 'possum meat. Il is as
greasy as the meat of o hog; but, UNI
like that, il 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 a very large
quantity Of it and feel no bad effects
from SO doing.
'Possums are caught in q mile and q
half Of Atlanta, and, as I said before,
they are as numerous and prolific rs
rabbits Ny brother, in corninglh orpe
very late one bright, moonshiny night
last winter met q very large and very
fat old 'possum on Wheat street, and
after a little persuasion the 'possum
was induced to accompany him home.
The next day that 'possum was the
leading attraction ut 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 a dish of 'possnm
and Eaters, life has been but a mock
cry to you, and If you do not get you
q. Spossum and bake him with sweet
potatoes for your dinner tomorrow
you'll regret it ven to the end Of your
L. W.T. ~