The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-12-30
'POSSUM TASTE
LOST BY MANY
Some Modern ColOred Folks
Show Preference for Turkey.
DINNER GIVEN BY CHURCH
OLD PEOPLE STILL CLING TO
SUCCULENT DISH.

The corcensus of opinion Of the col
ored people of salt Lake is that the
'possum as an edible is not what it has
been cracked ~ to be, even when
roasted in its own fat and served with
sweet potatoes in the manner that has
come as tradition from the OLD plan
tation days This fact was demon-
strated yesterday at the all-day lunch
served by the women of the Calvary
Baptist church. when an elaborate
spread of baked 'possum, roast sweet
potatoes. turkey and the trimmings was
served from IL a. IN. until as late III
the night. at 151 East Third South. The
affair was designed as a means where
by the floating Indebtedness of the
church might be discharged. and as
financial success il undoubtedly ac-
COmplished its purpose. The feast as
whole Was also a gastrOnomic success,
for the edibles were splendidly cooked
and tastefully served. but there was
notable lack of enthusiasm for the
'possum, the dish that the cOlored peo-
pie are supposed to associate with sucn
fond memories of plantation life and
good feeding.
Strange as the assertion may seem,
there were few of those who Dartook
yesterday of the 'possum dinner who
had ever tasted the flesh of the animal
before. There were many white visitors
at the tables and it is a safe assertion
that more of these We're heard TO de-
| liver encomiums on the sweetness of
the meat than there were among the
cOlOred men or women.
Colored People Not Enthusiastic.
One Of the colored race remarked as
he took a mouthful:
This amt no better than pig; give
me chickun every time. bevy OF
cOlOred matrons wanted to taste the
| possum, cause we know it must be
good" After trying 70 eat it they
called for turkey and cranberry sauce,
and refrained from further criticisms
/ Of the favored dish until after the
meal, when such expressions as pos
sum amt what all thought il was" 1t
amt in it with chicken" and the like,
! testified that regardless Of the old as
! sOciatiOns there are other meats that
! tickle the cOlored palate more readily
/ than the famed 'possum.
True, some of the older generations
of cOlored people were there and TO
! these the feast was all that could be
/ desired. Dat touches the spot" 1T
reminds me of befo de wah, and
other numerous expressions of the like.
| To these il was like a return OF
1 youthful days. but to the modern col
ored palate the turkey and the celery
and the cranberry sauce, not to men
/ ton pumpkin pies and other delicacies
which we're served in prOfusiOn, were
more to the taste.
Dinner to Raise Church Debt.
/ As stated, the occasion was for the
purpose of discharging the floating in
! debtedness against the Calvary Baptist
! church. the ediice of which stands at
/ the corner of Second South and Fifth
/ East streets.
The dinner was under the immediate
! direction OF Mrs. Emma Jackson, who
was assisted by a committee composed
of Mrs. Susan GLADDEN., Miss Mamie
! Thomas. Mrs. E NJ Johnson and Mrs.
| Lee Johnson. This committee did all
/ the work OF cooking and serving the
! lunch and taking in the money, and
/ the members feel that their efforts
were highly successful. even if a ma
! jority Of the colOred people did not
! take as kindly TO the 'pOssum as they
| had anticipated.
The heaviest crush in the rooms was
from p. m. Until II p. m. when most
! of the COloTed men and women of the
| city We're at leisure. Some speeches
were made and the coloTed quaTtette
sang to leave a happy feeling after the
| days feasting