The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-11
MUSGROVE GIVES
A POSTUM DINNER
Entertained Southern Railway
officials Friday Night
GAVE A DEMONSTRATION
Dinner Was Served at corona-Menu
Consisted Principally Of Baked
'Possum and 'Taters-cen.
shelleys Toast.
GAVE A DEMONSTRATION

The 'possum dinner given by L. B.
Musgrove at Corona Friday night In
honor of officials of the Southern rail-
way, was one of the most delightful
affairs Of its kind ever served In Ala
bama.
In the beginning Mr.. Arusgrove in
sisted that 1t should be called pos
sum" dinner and that the word "opos-
sum" should be entirely eliminated from
the deliberations Of the assembled guests.
Out of respect to Mr. Musgrove's wishes,
and so as not to mar or detract from
the technique of the cooking, the %
was left off of the possum and no sur
plus letters were added to the baked
sweet potatoes.
In arranging this unique repast Mr..
Musgrove maintained his reputation for
originality. The long dining table in the
new hotel was adorned with large boiled
hams and baked possums on huge piles
of potatoes. There were no salads or
other frivolous articles of food, with
the possible exception Of pickles and
4
possum dinner and possum dinner 1t
was, nothing more and nothing less.
Mussrove's Spare Time.
Since the LIST of September Mr.. Mus
grove had spent his spare time, which
is alleged to be extensive, In catching
possums for this dinner. Consequently
the woods around Corona have rung with
the sound of the hunters horn and Mr..
Musgrove's well known whoop at "Old
Ring" the leader of the possum pack
of dogs.
AS a result of these midnight raids on
the forest and streams the guests which
numbered upward of thirty were treated
| to the sight of possums both dead and
alive In addition to this they were treat
ed to Mr.. Musgrove's enjoyable narrative
of his experiences In catching certain
| 'possums all of which he seemed to know
by sight. While he was telling how he
caught one of the 'possums one of his
friends called his attention to the fact
that he was in New York at that time
but Mr.. Musgrove made the story good
by switching the dates.
Eating 'possum is an art and after a
few minutes attack on the well baked
meat those who were uEaccustomed tc
such feasts fully realized that 1t wal
an art. Mr.. Musgrove gave demonstra-
ton for the benefit of the uniearned b,
deity removing the superfluous Eat from
nicely Drowned hind leg or possun
ham. When this was accomplished h,
drew forth a sueculent piece of lear
meat and with the skill of long year.
experience added a small cut of baked
potato to the fork full and a resoundlng
smack of the lip was evidence of the fact
that the cook had hit the spot.
Many ladies' who had previously said
that 'possum should never be tasted by
them, thought the meat was that of a
young pig and had enjoyed n considerable
portion of 1t before they discovered their
mistake. The disappointment was agree
able and everything went we'll There
were no more complaints or prejudice
against 'possum.
Following the 'possum and potato course
Mr. Musgrove introduced quail fried In
genuine country style with squirrel In
the same plate. From one course tc
another the dinner proceeded with Mr.
nality at every step.
The Speach Making.
Finally the speechmaking began, but
1t had a hard road, on account of the In
cessant conversation between the guests
Wilson Brown was repeatedly called upor
to sing Annie Laurie or any other sons
he saw fit, but there was nothing doing
Mr. Brown succeeded In raising the tun'
one time but never got further thar
the first line
General Shelley made a fictitious Httl'
talk In which he expressed the sentimen
of the entire crowd In appreciation 0
Mr. Musgrove's bountiful dinner. Tit
other speakers could scarcely be heard
Owing to a wreck between Birming
ham and Corona some OF the Southern
railway officials. including Mr.. Culp an
Mr.. Richey, were unable to hear MI
: Musgrove's stories. but they telegraphe
regrets.
: A large party went from Birmingham
and when the thirty-odd men and wome
: representing well known families {
Alabama assembled around the possun
laden table 1t was a merry scene. N
one was allowed to mako a long speec
and some Of them were trimmed rigf
: down to the limit by the guests. VIII
did not care to hear oft-repeated anec
dotes strung out any longer than tn
law allowed.
The guests were seated with Mr.. Mus
. grove at the head Of the table. and J. S
B. Thompson, general agent OF tn
Southern railway, and c. H. Ackert, gen
| eral manager OF the Southern, on eithe
side of him. At the other end OF TIL
table sat General Charles M. Shelley
and he and Mr.. Musgrove acted as toast
master alternately-Just as the notion
struck them,
After the dinner the party was ten
dered the use of the private cars o
Mr.. Ackert and Mr.. Thompson and afte
amending the greater part Of the nigh
on a siding at Corona arrived In Blrming
ham at $50 o'clock yesterday morning.
Mr.. Musgrove had as his guests. In ad
dltion to those already mentioned, DIR
r. D. Cunningham, e. ]. Maxwell. pres
dent of the Indian Head mills at Cor
dova; James Randall, Mr. Dooley, secre
tary to Mr.. Ackert; Mr.. Bass. secretar
to Mr. Thompson; Mr., and Mrs. II. I
Gibson, Mr.. and Mrs. A. Mcintyre, Dr.
and Mrs. Andrew Woodson Miss Am
| McArdle, Miss Edith Robb Mr.. and Mrs