The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-01-17

about half it's length through the slit,
after which the wedge was withdrawn.
The captor slung the stick across his
shoulders, trimmed his torch, and, IL
not ready to return home, hied his dog
to another search. Occasionally a ne
gro would return home, not too late
for rest enough for the nlorrow's work,
with three or four hanging from his
pole
The killing was usually postponed
to Sunday. During the interval II
was kept in a box seat with its open
side upon the ground, and made firm
by heavy stones laid upon the top,
ventilated with auger holes. 1t was
fed upon persimmons mainly, but with
addition of bread, collards, potatoes
and other vegetables got from the ne
gro's small garden that lay behind his
cabin. 1t was really surprising what
degree of fairness it would take on In
very short time.
THE killing was after way peculiar
to that animal. In all probability never
since Georgia was first occupied by
white people with slaves did an opos-
sum, when killed by negro, meet
death in any other. For this time-hon-
ored custom he felt respect that would
have been sorely hurt even by sugges-
ton of substitution of another. The AT
lection he cherished for this dear OBJ
ject made him scrupulous that when
his end was to come, as it must come
inevitably, according to the destiny or
all beings. sentient and not, it should
be decently in accord with usage hand
ed down from the ancestors OF both.
And so on a fair Sunday morning, TAX
ing him by the tail. he drew him from
his box into the light Of day, let him
go dead for while, after his harmless
deceptive way, and, it may be, ad-
dressed to him some words of praise
for the manner in which he had made
himself ready for the winding up OF
this, his last job. Then, laying down
his AK with the helve across the VIC
TINS neck, and placing his foot upon
it near the place Of contact, While ne
kept it pressed, with his two hands ne
pulled the 'possum's tail until it's neck
was broken. Already pot OF water
hard by had been made hot for scaldmg
the hair from his precious carcass,
by this time become, as some eX-
pressed it, as round as a butter ball
After he was baked and set upon a
tray, thanked satisfactorily with at
tendant good things, it was interesting
to see the rapidity with which, using
favored sfmile among negroes, 1t would
go down the red lane
Practically, this goes TO the root OF
the matter" says Joel Chandler Harris,
reviewing the pamphlet in the Atlanta
Constitution" I'm the sixties the
Blue Dick was known as the Black
Jack and it seems certain that 1t is
variety different from the common gray
possum. Ordinarily they are smaller
but frequently Black Jack was cauG~]
weighing from fifteen to twenty POUNDS
They are as crafty as coonS and almost
as fleet They have been known to-
leap from falling tree and take to the
fields and give the dogs a race of a
mile or two before taking to tree, and
sometimes they were caught ON the
ground in an open cornfield The hounds
used in the days Colonel Johnston
writes Of were the fashioned long
cared, blabber- mouthed dogs, of the
bloodhound variety. Later foxhounds
were used as 'possum dogs. l remem-
Der two on the Turner plantation-Jol-
ly and Loud-black and tan in color.
With these hounds after a game Black
Jack the sport was almost equal to
fox hunting. The night made a fine
background for their musical voices as
they trailed in unison. The Black Jacks
had way Of taking to a fence and
walking it for quarter of mile or
more to elude pursuit; but the trick was
mere child's play to Jolly and Loud.
One would jump over the fence while
the other remained on the opposite side,
and In this way the trail was soon
picked up. The 'possum, If a small one,
soon took to big tree; if fart and big,
to small sapling, in the top of which
he would be found swinging and snarl-
ing. If found in a big tree he was
known to be small, and would be left
to grow and fatten. If found in sap
ling a negro would bend it down, and
whip the 'possum in the face until he
got 'shamed er hisse'f,' when he could
easily be picked up by the scruff OF the
neck and held so until a pole was cut
and split and his tail run through. =
New York Tribune.