The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-29
cow To EArA,PCssuM-
A Dialect Story as Told by Congress-
man Coleman OF Louisiana.
From the yashiaotoa Sfor


From the Washington Star.
Only those who have enjoyed an acouain-
lance outside Of business relations with the
modest representative from the second
louisiana district know that Hon. Hamil-
ton Dudley Coleman is one of the best story
tellers ever member of congress. In a
distant southern town the writer has heard
him talk, read and sing to sppauding
groups Of delighted listeners. There are
people in Washington, too. who have
enjoyed his happy gifts in a way
member of the FIfty-first congress who
does not come back here reelected will be
more missed by the social circles that knew
MIN than MIR. Coleman. He is particularly
happy in reading and telling stories which
are illustrative of the dialect as well as the
humor Of the genuine far-south plantation
negro, excelling quite as much in the man.
ner OF Interpretation OF his genius as does
the famous Joel Chandler Harris in his in
comparable folk lore tales Of Uncle Remus
to the little boy"
A year or two ago it was at a club, after
a promising meeting of one of the American
shipping conventions, that a score or more
OF gentlemen vera enjoying lively run of
sQcn stories as set the table on a roar
MIR. Coleman was called upon by a com
panion and told what is given below, being
twice encored, so inimitaply did he tell it
IL Is the story or an old plantation negro
HOW TO EAT A 'PossUM.
"If yuh wants to know what's good. des
lis'en: Yuh look at de 'possum and SMACK
yer lips, fer he big. fine Teller. Den yuh
take 'em an go rite bac home, an jes' To-
yuh git to de do yuh take 20 axe-helye an
da ~ hxa To- L
pullin' of de tail. Den yuh take i'm in de
house an de ole oman done lef' great big
fireplace heep full hick'Iy ashes; yuh takes
de shubble an opens or big hole in dem pile
or ashes an draps dat 'possum In dar: an
when yuh takes i'm outer dar de hair dress
pull off deSs as easy, an yuh put i'm in some
hot water an scrapes i'm wild or case
knife an he Gums des as clean. Den yuh
takes out der intrals, hang Inn up an wash
i'm good; den yuh salts i'm down an puts
away twel Monday mawnin'. Monday
mawnin' cum, de ole oman take i'm out an
par biles Inn good; den she gifts bout
peck o. taters, an den slices dem taters on
piles em al ober i'm. an den she bakes i'm
twel de greese run all fru dem taters. Den
she takes i'm out an puts i'm in de big dish
an sets i'm on de dinner table wild de taters
piled up all ober i'm. Yuh cum ter dinner
from der fiel' an yuh walks in an sets down
to de table, but yuh doan eat dat 'possum
den. Ell Ehl En- Ehl
mo, sab; doan eat dat 'possum den.
AFTER dinner yuh takes i'm an de taters an
sets i'm up in der cubburd. Bime6y yuh
Gums home FUN de days wuk; fer yuh
Gums home fer yer supper. Yure nifty wore
out; fer yuh ben wukin' in de fiel' hard all
day. Yuh sets down outside de cabin do
an takes yer pine an smokes. Fore long
Ephrem say: Daddy. daddy, thupper's
ready But Yuh d IS sets dar: yer
doan go in at all. Yer wait twel de ole
oman an de chillun 60 off ter bed-she
nuffl Den yuh knocks de ashes out yer
pipe-an' goes in. Yuh moves de little
squar table front de fire an put yer char
close up dar by it. Den yuh goes ter de
cubburd an gifts de 'possum an de tatera.
Yuh puts i'm on de table. Yhu tel de ole
oman for to go out an lock de do. Den
dar yuh isl Yuh au' de 'possum all by yer
selves-togedder. Yuh frows der ole hat
on de f1o', takes yer seat in dat char an GIBBS
mp yer soul to Cord n ..-.s ...|