Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-09

in Verona. last night.
you bet 1t amt" declared Pops
son, Ambrose, as he filled his dish
with a fourth supply. There amt
no better meat grown than 'possum,
especially when Aunt Sally cooks it."
The opossums which formed this
repast had been fattening in Aunt
Sally's cellar for several weeks.
Three of them had been captured by
Charles Valentine and his dog Bounce
in a hunt over the Caldwell Noun
tain. The other three were caught
by Peter Kussmoul in farmers hem
house, in North Caldwell. Beside the
Siglers, father and son. at the feast,
were Billy" Wrensch. William Shears
and a few others.
Talking about 'possum,' spoke up
Billy Wrensch, I'm always willing
and anxious to eat them. or catch
them, either, providing 1t is done
legitimate. ] don't believe, however,
in taking an unfair advantage, even
of q 'poSsum."
What do you mean, Billy" asked
Pop about taking an unfair ad-
vantage? 'Possums was meant to
eat, there is no mistake about that,
is there? Then, what difference does
it make how, when or where they're
caught, so long as we get them? My
policy is, when l sit down to pos
sum dinner. to say nothing about the
catching, but to just stow away as
much 'possum meat under my belt as
ever l can
Ought TO Get Fair Chance.
"Well, ! think" Billy says, "a pos
sum ought to be given a chance for
its life. Now, when a crowd of fell
lows and one or two good possum
dogs go out on the mountain at night
and the dogs strike a 'possum trail
and follow 1t for miles and miles,
maybe, and finally come up with the
beast, why, that is legitimate sport.
That 'possum had lots of chances be-
fore the dogs caught him to hide in
hole where nobody could dig him
out. He took chances in keeping on
going out last.
"Then, again, if possum raids
chicken coop and gets taken right
in the act, of course, it has TO suffer
the penalty of death. In such case
it would be q double sin to throw
the meat away just because the beast
wasn't taken in fair hunt,
Surprising, however, a fellow Is
cut hunting and he runs across
'possum that hasn't been trying to
rob anyone. In those circumstances
true sport would let that particular
'possum go every time. 1t would be
no better than murder to take
'possum or any other wild creature
that way"
"Oh, come off, Billy. You are get
ting too darned sentimental for all
git out, now that you have stuffed
your hide so full of 'poSSum meat that
you couldn't tuck away another ounce
without bursting off your vest but
ton" spoke up Ambrose. TN bet
that if you hadn't tasted 'possum
meat this winter and you was good
possum hungry, you would never ask
caught, so long as you could get your
tooth into it.
what Is more" continued Am
brose, "I'll bet there amt man in
this crowd that would grab 'possum
if he run across one than Billy
Wrensch; Billy would never ask
whether that 'possum had a legiti-
mate show or not. He would grab
it and scoot for some one to cook 1t
for him.
This Is How 1t Happened.
would II" yells Billy. Well that
shows you don't know what you are
never heard OF the experience me
and Pete Kussmaul had about two
weeks ago up at Pine Brook Wait
until l tell you the story and you'll
alter your tune.
"Wen Pete and me left Caldwell
to walk to Pine Brook ! bought two
big pies. Finally We come to a log
down near the PasSaic River bank
and we sat down to eat them. Pete
allowed that pie tasted mighty good,
but that a roasted 'possum dog and
a hot sweet potato would taste bet
ter. I told Pete to shut up. because
we had no 'possum and that we
wasn't going to have none.
After eating the pie we give Pete's
yellow dog, Tige, some of the crust,
then we got up and started to walk
on. Just then ! glanced over toward
the river and what / saw made my
eyes fairly burst out. There, right
where the solid ice ended and thin
skin of ice over the river current
began stood one of the biggest and
latest possums | ever saw.
"'Talking about 'possums. just look
over there, will you, Pete? says |,
at the same time pointing to the
beast.
Good graoious! shouted Pete
we must have that 'possum, sure
He'll weigh fifteen pounds if he
weighs an ounce. Here, Tige"
Escapes on Pie Plate.
"'Hold on, Pete" says l, we amt
out hunting possums and it wouldn't
be fair If we captured that one with
out giving him show
1.-The deuce it amt fair Pete
yells. Anything is fair when it
comes to catching possum. Sick
'em, Tige"
"By that time Tige saw the beast,
too. 1t was through the fence and
half way to the 'possum in an instant.
If / was going to do anything to save
that poor creatures life, it had to be
done quickly. I picked up one of the
pie plates and skinned it at the ami
NAL, but it missed him by about two
feet.
"Tige was humping himself for all
he was worth, and he wasn't ten feet
away when l scaled the second plate.
Well, that plate went right over Tiges
head and struck the ice about two
feet from the 'possum. 1t passed un-
der the 'possum and kept on going,
with the animal on it landing him
safe and sound on the other side of
the thin ice.
when Tige reached this thin ice
there was Mr.. Postum sailing along
ahead of him. The dog was going
so fast that he couldn't stop himself,
and he went right into the river.
Pete and me had to pull him out
Dog Too Full of Pie.
you see that 'possum had a nest
in the log, which was hollow. He
Tige didn't smell the possum because
his nose was too full of pie to smell
anything else. Tige would have got
IT,, of course If I hadn't interfered