Henderson gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1911-19??, 1911-11-09
EXCITING 'POSSUM HUNT.

and Incidentally an Interesting
Renaissance of the Days OF
| 49,"
| A cartoonist could have found
a lot of material few nights
ago at Dabney when Messrs. S.
P. and D. Y. Cooper, Jr., met TO
engage in the most exciting and
interesting 'possum hunt that
ever occurred in Vance county.
The lineup was S. P. Cooper
and dogs Bette, Jess and Rack
ct; D. Y. Cooper, Jr., and dogs
Blackstone, Red Lee and Lee;
Mr.. Sol. Greenway, referee; Mr..
Blackwell secretary or keeper of
points made.
The dogs were turned loose at
800 p. m. and all started for Mr..
Buffers woods full of enthusi-
asm and confidence. Near the
woods Mr.. A. G.. Parrot walked
close to Mr.. S. P. and told him
Mr.. D. Y, Jr., had some bones
for his dogs. This caused a de-
lay until every one was searched
and the referee decided there
were no bones in the crowd-ex-
cept those we had cloth on.
We were off again and in a
few moments Lee dog struck and
one point was scored by d. Y,
Jr. If you could have seen the
expression change on the faces
of those who backed S. P's dogs
you would have thought some
thing serious had happened. D.
Y, Jr. was so elated he laid
down on his back and pointed
his heels toward the North star,
as much as to say, Il told you all
my dogs were best" Soon the
dogs freed and right here was a
wrangle.
It was like Blackstone, but to
avoid any hard feelings the ref
cree, good man that he is, de-
cided it a tie and so it was
scored. S. P. was looking seri-
Gus and was considering the best
thing to do when the happy
thought came to him that Redy
Bowden had not given the ole
, fashioned 'possom whoop that
Bette was so familiar with.
This was given several times anc
resulted in a strike for Bette
, and the first tree and 'possum ir
the bag. S. P. went wild with
his Il told you so's.' And the
referee came to the rescue with
a short story of the old time sc
hunt. He said:
IF we just had some of the
sweet cider [ drank on one hunt
in the past. | have never drank
anything like it. It did have 6
little of the 'fuddle' to it, OF
course. That had nothing to dc
with its sweetness. 1t was as
rich in color as port wine.
learned that this barrel was g
sort of 'fatted calf which haC
been keeping and had only beer
tapped in honor Of our arrival,
and, as this barrel of cider is q
good deal mixed up with. this
'possum hunt, [ may be pardon
ed some gossip concerning it.
I'm the first place, it was
made of grated fruit exclusive
,, ly = Baldwins, Greetings, and
Scotch Sweets. So far as prac-
ticable all wormy apples had
beensthrown out. This circum.
stance was a comforting one; for,
generally speaking, each barre
of merchantable cider made since
the year of grubs 1885, con
tanned the juice of about, at q
moderate estimate, forty thou
sand fat white worms.
THE apples had been careful
ly sorted, and, after pressing
they had put in over half ;
pound of white mustard (whole)
five blood beets (nicely sliced up)
and three pounds of raw beef
steak. The mustard was to keel
it sweet, the beets to give i
color, the beef to give it body
Happy concentration"
D. Y, Jr., could not stand i
any longer and said: Cent?
cask of mellow cider. If | wer'
only .poet | would celebrat'
that barrel of apple-juice |;
Horace, or I'd cave the head o
it in. Fall many a 'possum hun
has it cheered up; full many
happy evening has it made hap
! pier always in moderation. As
ISOLATED. too. with its rich colo
rises in memory a vision-ahem
! All. It's no no sort of use to tr.
the poetical. | can't fetch it. -
In plain prose- said Nh
SOL, 1t was plagued good stuff
: Came as near being old Jove'
i nectar as anything that has bee