The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1892-03-11

doctors Rooster Powder Laboratory"
we could plainly see it all, but had not
the power to avert the sickening calam-
itY. O'Hooligan called us TO breakfast
next morning at o'clock, saying that
nicely roasted 'possum awaited our
pleasure but the mere mention of the
name caused our stomach to promptly re-
bell, and the debris of our undigested
supper came rushing in great waves
through our mouth and nose, upsetting
the wash-stand, spelling cur new suit of
clothing, and playing wild havoc gener.
ally with the surroundings. Low, SUBJ
dued means were occasionally heard in
the direction of Captain Sans room
and not doctor within twenty miles.
We then turned our face TO the wall
and with the sweet resignation of
martyr at the stake, prayed that death
would come Immediately and put quie-
tus to our excruciating anguish! Twas
three days after this delightful episode
before we were in a condition to leave
our room, and then our erstwhile inter
est in the 'possum ranch had gone down
to forty degrees below normal curiosity,
in fact, we are no longer a possum man
in any sense of that term, now or here.
after. The fourth day after our arrival
we went out to view the captains prop
erty-"Mount St. O'Hooligan," as he fe-
licitously named it. The property in
question consists of about 800 acres,
mostly timbered, mountainous land fifty
acres being cleared and under cultiva-
tion, yams being the principal crop.
There are twenty milch COWS ,all the milk
being consumed on the premises, and in
q manner quite different from that of any
other known dairy-the yourg 'possums
being fed with it and roasted yams mashed
up together. Captain Sam owns and
runs large incubator here, which is
utilized in Matching the 'possum eggs,
hundreds of which are daily gathered
from large number of boxes that are
scattered about in the woods in which
the old hen 'possum deposits the fruit of
her race. Four hundred eggs are "incu-
bated" at one time; the young posses are
then handed over to the motherly care of
Madam O'Hoo!igan who, with the help
of several assistants, feed them on mix
ture of soft roasted yams and milk till
three weeks old, and are then told to
scratch for themselves if they would live.
! ho in MI ho
incubator business, several other indus
tries, viz A fiddle string mandatory, a
tannery, a canning and packing depart
ment. About 40, 1000 'possums are slaugh-
tered annually, packed and shipped to the
northern markets. Both the kins and in
testines, also the livers, hearts and brains
are all utilized, as will be shown further
on. He here manufactures fiddle string
vastly superior to those of Italian make,
and from the intestines of this same old
festive 'poss. The demand for those
music makers are much greater than
the possible supply at present In the
canning department all the livers, hearts
and brains are carefully selected, canned
and shipped to a commission house in
New York. The tannery takes the SIX ins,
dresses them with the fur on; they are
then sold to a wholesale buyer in Boston
and are there made into muffs, beas, ETC.,
for the ladies and guaranteed genuine
"ermine." Captain Sam thinks of order
ing male kangaroo from Australia with
which to raise cross between his pets
and that great jumper from the antipodes.
He is of the opinion that the strain thus
brought into existence would be far su-
perior to the present bare tailed denizens
of his ranch, and Pat OHooligan 1eli-
giously shares this bright idea without
limit or reservation. Saint O'Hooligan is
the genial and general superintendent of
the ranch; knows every by path in the
mountains from here TO the Peaks of
Ottes, and is on intimate terms with all
the moonshiners within radius Of fifty
miles. We have tried to give an unbiased
account of this highly interesting enter
prise, but if we have failed in any par
ticular, Captain Sam will please pardon
the oversight and lay the omission to the
terrors we encountered at our introduce
tiOn. l.. ID. NANN.
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