The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-16

| Only dumb possum, from AlaDam,
Doomed to die in a far-off land,
| Tc be cooked and garnished with yellow
| yam
To fill The belly of a Yankee" man!
Taken from the woods I love so wei,
| Deprived of liberty and all that's dear;
| Pent UP in This narrow cell:
Sick at heart and agonized with fear!
| Oh, jaiors, l cannot speak your tongue,
l cannot ask for water and for food:
| But freedoms song-the sweetest ever
surg
Sounds in old Postum 5 aeart: Therefore
be good
Be good to me ere OBEY Gods call
Whilst l my cup of anguish drain
] And God who notes the sparrows fall.
May spare you some like hour of pain!
These lines were attached to cage con-
| tanning large, fat Alabama possum, which
was sent from Birmingham by the Southern
| Express company over the Southern Rail-
way yesterday afternoon, consigned to a
New York address. They were meant to
be an appeal to express messengers and
porters to be kind to the doomed marsupial
| from the Alabama nils.
The lines quoted were written by James
Weathariy, the eminent member of the
birmingham bar, who adds to ripe legal
learning many varied and graceful accom-
pishments. Several weeks ago Mr.. Wealth
erly went to New York on law business,
taking with him a number of legal papers.
One package OF these papers ne handed to
Clerk Dunlap of the Netherlands hotel,
where he was stopping, with the request
that Mr.. Dunlap keep them in the office
safe until called for. 1t transpired that Mr..
Weatherly had no occasion to use these
particular papers, and, leaving New York
huriedly, ne forgot to ask the clerk for
them. Some days after his return to Biz
minsham The papers were required in the
course of practice; but they could not be
found in the law Office. 1t occurred to Mr..
Weatherly that he might have left them in
his room at the Netherlands MOTEL and so
ne wrote to Clerk Dunlap, making in
quries. His letter was answered promptly,
and Mr.. Dunlap proceeded to say That the
papers had been forwarded by express;
that they had been kept in the office safe
as directed by Mr.. Weatherly. The clerk
letter of very friendly nature, and
the Eaters" and if ne mad a possum he
could enjoy a feast. Mr.. Weatherly de-
termined that the New York man should
have the possum and he called to his as
sistance John Clark, a past master in
the art of obtaining and cooking possum.
John Clark maintains, and with a good
Show of reason, that The is the best possum
cook in Jones valley. He had no trouble
In procuring a fine possum for Mr. Wealth
erly, and that is dle possum that was sent
east yesterday. Mr.. Weatherly's appre-
hension chat the possum might be roughly
handled at some point on the long journey
from Morris avenue, Birmingham. to
Broadway, New York, inspired the very
clever verses. The beautiful sentiments
will be appreciated all along the line the
postum will be gently treated, and in the
end of his earthly career will furnish forth
a feast worthy of the gods
Judge A. Fl. Alston of Barbour. is the
head of the Alabama Alstons and is one of
the most accomplished and most admirable
representatives of a race that is famous
On Thursday he gave ample evidence of his
love of justice, his devotion to law and
order, and that fearless courage which is
and always has been characteristic of the
Alstons. Judge Aston is holding court at
Bangor; and the trial of Henderson Tun-
stall, the negro who is charged with the
killing of Justice of the Peace Hamilton in
Blount county last July, will begin in that
court next Monday Several days after the
killing, Tunstall, who was shot four times
by a mob, surrendered to deputy sheriff,
and in order m no
he was conveyed to the Jail at Culman, and
from Cullman to the Jefferson county Jail in
this city, where he has remained. On
Thursday the prisoner was taken from Bir-
mngham for the purpose of being conveyed
to Blount. The prisoners attorneys, Hon.
William Vaughan and Julius Davidson, to-
gether with two or three others, Travelled
with the deputy sheriff and his prisoner
The men were armed; for word had come
that there would be a large party of men
at Blount Springs station, and their pur-
pose was to get possession of Tunstall and
lynch him. Judge Aston was a passenger
on the same train, and became very indig-
nant when informed of the talk about the
lynching of "a prisoner who was under in
dictment and about to be tried in his court
The judge is reported to have at once in
formed the prisoners guards that if they
would supply him with a Winchester rifle
he would assist them in defending the pris-
oner against any mob. No violence, how
ever was attempted at any point; but as
precautionary measure the prisoner was
conveyed to Cullman. The remark at
tributed to Judge Aston is very character
istic. No mob could assemble powerful
enough or sufficiently violent to cause
sensation of fear in that stout hearth
Captain George Reyer, of Nashville, sue
ceeds A. NJ. Lynn as superintendent of the
Birmingham water works, and he will be
cordially welcomed to this city. Mr.. Lynn
returns to Pittsburg to take an important
position in the general offices of the COM
pany which owns the water works, and his
departure will cause genuine regret on the
part of business men and the people of Bir-
mingham generally, for during his stay
here he has won very high place in the
to