The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-06
NO 'POSSUM FOR HIM.
Neither for Sport Nor Eating Did
NOrtherner Find Him Pleasing.

Neither for Sport Nor Eating Did
NOrtherner Find Him Pleasing.
Boston Letter in the New York Tribune.
Don't tell me-" said the man who
had just returned from Dixie land,
anything about 'possums or postum
hunting. Don't mention them in my
presence if you wish for harmony and
tokens of brotherly love. 1 have been
'possum hunting; 1 have eaten pos
sum. Never again, either The man
who asks me to go 'possum hunting
is anxionus to leave this world; he
who would place possum .afore me at
table should engage his undertaken and
make his last will and testament.
Il had heard" he continued, read
and been told of the sport, the zest,
the excitement and pleasure of the pos
sum hunt; of the succulent sweetness,
the flavor, delightful beyond expression,
the tenderness-as of chickens fed on
ambrosial nectar-of roast 'possum.
Therefore, on this last trip South, from
which, as you know, l have just ~
turned, l decided it was about ii W.
l enlightened my ignorance of WHIT
was sport and what was the peeIY of
all roast meats. l mentioned the fact
that 1 had never been on a possum
hunt or eaten 'possum to friend with
whom l did business at Fayetteville.
He told me l might just as well have
been dead up to that time and that
he would see that l began to live and
know what was really worth while in
life by making me his guest on pos
sum hunting trip arranged for that
very night.
"'Oh, it will be great he said, clap
ping me on the shoulder. You so out,
you know, with negroes and dogs and
torches, and go through the sweet
smelling woods, with the moon shining
silvery down through the trees. The
darkeys sing old plantation melodies,
the dogs bark and nearly go mad with
delight, and you go through the woods
feeling as you used to do when you
were a boy, going after squirrels with
buckshot and a bean snapper{ &.
. And when the dogs tree the pos
sum, and one of the negroes climbs
the tree and shakes him down, when
he strikes the ground and curls him
self up into ball, and the dogs pounce
on him-why, then you know there's
something in this world besides SAM
pie cases and expense accounts
" But the next day, when that pos
sum, cooked as only an old negro
nanny can cook a 'possum, is placed
before you on the tablet That's where
you get about as near heaven as you
can on this mundane sphere. I'm not
going to tell you too much about it.
1 want you to enjoy to the full an
experience that will be near to you"
1--WE started off that night about s
o'clock with two dogs and three negro
torchbearers. There We're four of us,
including my friend, in the party.
had belted a big army Colt IA to my
waist, and didn't find out until we had
gone a mile or so that l was the only
one in the party armed. They haw-
hawed at me until l wanted to shoot
them, when l told them / had a re-
volver. All they had was sticks. The
moon somehow or other failed to de-
liver that silvery light. Perhaps II had
been working overtime. and needed a
rest. Anyway, twas as dark as pitch,
and the pine knots carried by the ne
groes, while they spluttered a lot, gave
forth but little light, and was con-