The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1904-01-01
WAYS OF TIE M
Traits That Help the e.,
ture to Exist Among =
Enemiea.

~
Enemies.
There are few country b.
south of a line running thron.ss
Eey and westward to ohio s.
know the mild fun of a ncs.s
sum hunt, few who have ~
singerly into some Old hon.
and pulled out the smiljn, =
marsupial. Unless my exu.,.'
very uncommon one, writes -.
Sharp, in St. Nicholas, then
boys within that district vha
taken their prize home, put h
barrel to await the mornipg -.
next morning, to their char, !
would not stay in the barrel. ~
greater attractions outside -
took occasion in the moouH,,,
back to his home stump.
Somehow it was always m
when the possum did that tn,
more fun to go out the nextpi,s,,
the cornfields looking for him 4
ing and eating him would h,r
Possums are good to eat. but =
not the whole of life-eyen a !.
boy-and killing is hard vot
A frosty night, a full mon
WORKOUT rabbit hound, and -;
panion-and We are OF for tbe
mon-trees that grow here and ~
tered around the ponds aloux ~
and about the margins Of the l.,;
1t is the first of November =
simmons hang on their leafs
like big beads, silvered with
plata wash of frost and 1 ~
moonlight No wonder the pearu
them! What boy does mot m
too? Here is a tree, a great q
that bears only small puckesy 8
mons, no matter how the fros{shtr1
just beyond is a little tree-you i
with large deep garnet fruit, 81
that they cannot spoil. and On
stop-if the possums have nd II
stopped before you.
l have seen boys whom / haSet1u
my favorite trees get so greedy n
first taste that they could not tn
to pick out the seeds. but suallovl|
persimmons whole, until Tier r.
had to quit.
The possums also know thseU
trees; their tooth is as sweet d
Here. nosing about on the gFouj
hanging by hind feet and tails Il
laden limbs, the boy will find IL
start them. if on the ground, Nv
OF toward home.
A fat possum can run fAssd &
dog that is dead and buried, bak 4
very little faster. He does nct =
on his legs for safety; they aFetoo1
nor yet on his wits: for fthey u
slower. He trusts very largely TIM
holes, to luck, and to his di5tisf1
slowness.
No one is ever In q hurry viikn|
sum. He is such a slow, simple -
no dispatch, no precautions, ar
with him. He seems to have -
this. and takes advantage Il t.
may mean that his wits are notnl
after all. He will escape, Il tn
way; and if there is no way, hevIEI
sweetly until one comes.
Besides these traits. there szsuI
other habits that contribute to &
sums remarkably successful ~
life and liberty among its hosts .
mics. First there is usually Z In!
lily.
Again, the poesum win ct -
that can be eaten-.fish. nesh, = !
Persimmons first. but they DO =
the year round. so. between par
times, chicken, corn: fish, ffuu =
anything will do. Then. too. theQQ
people. as a rule. are the peoy9
enough to eat possum; and - ~
particularly destructive, and g.
wear q hide worth curing. he hra
ously hunted.
All this. in large part, explei
the possum thrives about the eel
large towns and thickly populaa1
regions, where the coon. the n
mink and the fox are rarely seeA
And he does thrive. How nm
they are may be seen from the nc
one Christmas / received s. frua
woods about Bridgeton. n j.. ana
them back to the New England U
sity for biological study. OF coan
neighbors helped me. But all
do was to take a days tramp amo'
wood-choppers and farmer aea'
ances. making my possum-wants =
and the possums came In, In ons
twos and threes, costing a. nos'
25 cents apiece.
Long may he survived Iwiii De'
eat turkey this Thanksgiving inst'
possum. and after dinner. Snen
my woods-walk. / will be glad eng
Br'er Postum will let me see In
l will promise to do 70 more tnAn
him on the nose with a stick 70 :
"die"-for he will come oach y
again to meet me once mere IN tne