The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-11-12
NO POSSUM FAMINE


rNTT. the Chatham Record EMrUw
THE fat lato the rrSF - g. a.stf
that ara coaatra4uct g - w1r
rtcd hecAEwr - a -1em0S "a
Ar W = Havs~r : Hzar rrrek
township headed th0 meas s~raa
poNun hunt -Aat saturday asns ts+at
vac hAss heard ~ thta @a@as cateh3uE
"a r tnc poNr4fu tgtt~ before @4ustAe
gof course and fh~a SEA Id vAs :
good nlsht Ter poAsuD auaarE etta
tr
Not only = Chatham. bai Al as
the posauua section. reports Ss fMat
Tire year 8. oH~ which las tFs3asea S
b0uat!rut crop Tie rr~vsm4s tsvrs
aro heavy laden the froao taat have
come not too ate and tuss vFht have
made thon Tat. everywhere 1~hFuasHs
out the country the duEs ar tAslnF
through tGc noon&t Goods. lbs 2
and girls are painting 81 their tFA4
and the luclcus ppa@an gives a Whct
u Appetit" a. ne peers down }utn tNe
rout OF pursucra With his Jolly susa4t
bright eNea
Even Frank stanton. down In A.
lantA. where there II no hope - md
"a 'possum and where the germ 81 me
tropolitauism = - active that "tatcrH
are near forgotten. has drawn a draft
upon his memory to sins
Oars cotton here fer all creation.
Postum pie fer de whole plantation.
Look away.
Away
Hts postum time In Dixie
De Good wave come. and Dc possum
shiver.
But / shine his eye 10 he crawl ter
kiVcr.
Look away.
Hits 'possum time in Dixie
abbits may be a sort 81 circulating
medium but who has ever tasted
'poSsum knows tha there ne has POUNDS
the standard OF value IN food produc-
ton. There Is a fairness about 4 pos
sum,-a richness certain l~arg~es- OF
juices and magnincence OF aroma that
no other dish possesses in even half
way measure. He is more than roast
pig In quality OF essence, more game
full than rabbit. more delicate than
squirrel. more juiceful than Nenieon
The postum is a. bird AZ well as "A pix.
game as Well AS poultry, comfortable
center OF a meal as well as the extreme
or d~elicacy. The land IN which four
teen 'possurns may be captured IN a
single night Is n rich land No money
famine can stint its tables. no market
disturbance affect the happiness OF It's
citizens, the JOY OF It's children or the
blissful state or It's logs
We could dilate at length upon tho
in sop and rangef Ode by side with
taters that are not and fresh from
the hin. We could speculate upon tho
fact that here is a dish which II wouli
tantalize a Rockefeller To whtn-and
XIII him to eat. We might. expattate
upon the fact that-an exquisite
morsel-the 'possum yields himself
perfectly only to those who have been
raised upon him. No mere gourTnand
or the city may with impuniy invade
his rustic philosophy. There is no
palate hat he Will not tickle. but there
are few. II any. unaccustomed
stomachs upon which he VIII not be
revenged. In the great company Of
those who would eat 'possum and cant
is found one OF the grandest Of the
Conversations of nature and environ
ment. A dish for a king, tho possum
is the food of the poor mana food
that he can engage u~nstintedly ana
with lasting joy and profit.
In Chatham county, when the pos
sum comes steaming upon the board,
the grace that is said is that OF Bobby
Rurns. who votCed the gratitude OF a
contented stomach and struck the key
note of the vanity Of riches all in Il
breath:
Some ha' meat an ann eat.
AN some wad eat that lax It:
but We ha' meat. an we can eat.
AN 50 the Lord be thankit'
But-with all his redolence and
richnes when he has left the hands
Of the cook,-the possum combines the
poetry OF appetite in the circumstance
Of his capture He max es a hohda}
of the night. He is the game Of crisp
all evenings, with the meadows filled
with mists and the woods cut to the
heart with chilling puffs OF wind He
moves silently and crafty under the
light o. the moon, a spfite OF the
woods. a fitting form OF fairness hid
in the morass Of nature. After him
go the boys and the girls, men from
~ ,r- ID,,Ea tho ahft1rGn "a pXluy
on behind. the flop cared dogs-and
the Niger with an axe. There -
a mystery about the proceeding that
is like red wine to Interest There II
a rough1ess about the exercise that
sets the blood to rushing and a health
fulness about IL that brings a tlngle or
pleasure and anticipation out in the
woods the silence Expresses. EARS
strain for word Of the dogs, and then
"yelp'. 'yelp ~ and
then-"aooh, a-ooo-h.' as tho old
dog opens-and "auhi auht auhi" as
yah dar' Yah. yah. yam from
the Niger with the axe.
There is a scramble from the party.
a chorus OF excited shouts. the torches
flicker as thew are carried on a run
through the wC'1s. the puppy that has
tailed the hunters goes yelping oIt
into the darkness. Where the woods
had been silent they revtrberate
Down in the branch. across the open
field. back into the woods goes the
chase. Finally the dogs commence -
bay. The party find them at the foot
of a tall and spreading tree. The
puppies lump franticaIly up and down
~claWing the bark. the old dog goes
off and lies down as one who has done
his work. The torches are fiared ~
wards in circles. like a search light
throug the branches. Finally a
quick ey. gets the CLINT Of q flash In
the yellow light or the lightwood knot.
There sits Mr.. Postum, looking down
His manner is not that OF fright, 50
much as annoyance. He senses the
hullabalIoo below him iTrttably. Ala
Mr. PossIm. If YOU only knew
The party falls back. holding the
more inn atient dogs. while Mr.. Mig
ger spits on his hands and YIELDS MS
axe. The blows resound through the
woods and the dogs 20 Wild with i'm
patience. still Mr.. Possurn sits and
watches The tree cracks and trem-
bles. Mir Possum gets A tighter
hold. The tree groans. Down comes
the axe again: there is an ear splitting