The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1900-01-12
'PossUMs IN STATEN ISLAND.
The Postum Hunt, So Popular in the
south, Is Being Introduced
In the East.

Until a few years ago the oposSuh
-colloquially abbreviated TO 'possum
was comparatively unknown on
Staten Island. but after the bridging
of Arthur Kill, thus uniting the is
land with New Jersey, these animals
began to appear numerously, to the
great annoyance of poultrymen, for
the 'possum is great lover of eggs.
The Virginia 'possum, the species here
spoken of, ranges from the central
United States to Brazil. Capt. John
Smith, in his Virginia" the narra-
tive of his sixth voyage, gives this de-
scription of the little animal: AN
opossum hath a head like a Swine,
a tail like Rat, and is of the big
ness of Cat. Under the belly she
hath large bagge." This "bagge"
is a pouch, in which the young are
carried, and into which they scamper
on being surprised, which does not
often occur, for the 'possum is essen
tally a nocturnal prowler and is rare
" seen in daytime. If discovered dur
ing the day, it will quickly coil up
and simulate death; hence the phrase
Ito play 'possum-
The negroes of the south highly
esteem the 'possum as food, and when
properly cooked its meat is exceed
ingly toothsome. The 'possum is
rarely found where the persimmon
does not grow, and the liberal eating
of this fruit imparts to its meat a
peculiar delicacy of flavor. Persim-
mons are not plentiful on Staten Is
land, vet during the present autumn
some localities are literally overrun
with 'possums, particularly West New
Brighton and the adjacent territory.
Where they come from and why they
come are migrative mysteries. Per-
haps they are actuated by an instinct
of self-preservation- desire to escape
from the appetite of the southern
darby. 1t is just within the range
of possibility that the first adventur-
ers of this species to the island, find
ing that the inhabitants were ignor-
ant of the value Of 'possum meat as a
food. communicated that fact to their
relatives, and that they are here seek
ing immunity from torch and hound,
with which they are hunted at night
in the south. A pine torch is used to
light the way of the hunter through
the woods. and the hounds are en-
ployed to tree the game. The 'possum,
on the approach Of dogs, ascends a
tree. usually a small one. The tree is
felled with an AK, and the dogs seize
the quarry.
So rapidly are the animals increas-
ing on the island that something will
surely have to be done to check their
invasion. Since making this country
a habitat, the 'possum has strangely
abandoned its old traits, and, besides
boldly robbing hen-nests, has become
sort of household pest. Commodore
Godfrey, who recently visited his
country place here to spend a few
days in seclusion, was awakened one
night by pressure on his breast.
Supposing that the intruder was a pet
dog, the commodore reached out to
displace it, when his fingers were
seized and bitten viciously. Spring
ing up he discovered on his couch a
huge 'possum, and in the hallway he
found three more. They had entered
through a broken window-pane in the
basement.
Peter Heal, of Jewett avenue, had
an experience more amusing to others
than to himself. Having recently pur-
chased a splendid Angora cat. on the
occasion of an evening house-party he
went to the dining-room to get the cat
for exhibition to guests in the parlor.
Picking up the cat, as he supposed.
and placing it on his shoulder, he re-
entered the parlor, when he was
startled at feeling something like a
snake coiling tightly about his throat.
Frantically Kidding himself of the coil,
he threw to the floor a giant possum,
but not before his right ear had been
badly bitten.-N. Y. Sun.