The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-01-09
'PossuM UP A MAPLE TREE.

Brooklyn Times.
'.Um, yum de 'possum meat,
I'm, yum, de tatcrs sweet,
Eat him all 'cept his feet,
Marthy, get de fryin' pan on"
Thus chanted an ancient darby as
he gazed longingly and lovingly this
morning at one of the upper limbs OF
big maple that grows at the junction
of Marcy avenue and MeDonough
street. He was one of about thous-
and other gaZers, the eyes of whom
were eentered on a small dangling OBJ
iect on the limb in question. Tint OBJ,
ject was a 'possum--a real bona fidel
possum-that, supported by its eau
dial appendage, hung bead downwards
and scanned the crowd beneath with a
my-what-a-time- EXPIRES
sion.
A few days since an enterprising
dealer in game and fish ON upper Full
ton street managed to get from some
where or the other half dozen opos-
sums. Three roughly constructed
wooden crates held the Iat-tailed quad
rupeds. and placed on the pavement
outside the store they held receptions
daily, in which the small boy was
multitudinous and enthusiastic par
ticipant. Last night one of the crea-
lures got tired of being feted and adj
mired and gnawed his way though the
wooden bars that stood between him
and liberty. His escape was not dis
covered until the proprietor OF the
store'b began to close his establishment.
A hunt around the premises failed to
reveal the whereabouts of the fugitive
and neither did a scout through the
Bad Lands of the neighborhood tell
aught save that the 'possum had
.curled up his tail like corkserew
and silently stole away
At about 10 O'Clock this morning a
small boy with a falcon eye and u
slingshot detected something I'M
familiar about the bough of the maple
aforesaid. 4 shot from the lethal
weapon OF the youth resulted in a
small head cooking itself over the edge
of the Dough.
This was enough for Johnnie, with
his india rubber gun, and his yells
| quickly brought about three hundred
other small boys about the scene of
action. A shower of missiles was
directed at the unhappy 'possum that
at intervals peeped over the edge of its
protection at tho throng below
Very soon the eolored population
began to turn out. So did the yaller
| dorgs within radius of half mile
| rom lne central pOlnU OF Ine pOSSuIn.
! Marcy avenue aud McDonough street
were blocked by the hunters.
Yells, cheers, laughter, boots, dogs
barks and the clatter Of sticks and
stones made pandemonium. Still
the 'possum was unhurt. The bonn
bardment continued. The dogs made
frantic attempts to climb up the tree.
The darkies saw the furry eNcresence
on the bough with watering mouths.
Windows in the neighborhood of the
tree began to suffer. The efforts of
| the officer on the post was useless.
| The din and the confusion continued.
All at once well-aimed stone struck
the animal on the back, and the
possuml, swinging over, caught itself
by the tail and hung pendulum like.
The discharge of stones was re-
| doubled, and ut last half brick struck
the creature square in the stomach.
The 'possum with u faint grunt
dropped into the throng below, there
was a swapping yell from the dog, a
combined shrek from the crowd, and
the history OF one 'possum closed for
ever.