Evening journal., 1917-01-06
IT'S ALL HERE
now Is TINE TO
SEEK THE POSSUN
All Species Of Dogs Used
by Gunners- The More
the Merrier
GREAT WINTER
MIG It PASTIME

MIG It PASTIME !
This is The time when the possum
Is cons,0ered by Negroes and some OF
theis whiie brethren 10 be IN the pink
% edible condition. bat for the latter
The sporl OF hunting them is more en-
ioyed than the eating. although every
one does not see the Sport in going
after the possum or coon. and as
'1aileT OF TACT Il may be said 60 be
~ acquired taFte.
1iost persons are familiar with the
1cssum by name. However, let as
take short survey OF it's habits and
irais Tbs possum's body Is stout,
clumsy about sixteen inches long and
weighs about twelve pounds.
It's mouth IS wide and hbed with
formidabe looking teeth,
It's eyes are high up in its forehead,
and as there are no eyelids worth mem
toning ihey have the appearance Of
two black beads stuck on the face.
these are nottYery powerful in day
ght and even bright moonlight nights
seem too much for them
The EUR Is Of two hnds-a soft,
NO0ly hair next the skin and an outer
oatlng OF longer hairs. concealing the
under conting 20 some extent The
lair on the upper portion Of the body
8 white az The base and black at the
tips with q line OF dark brown run
ning IRON the forehead to the shoul-
ders.
Young carried In Pouch.
TO the male and female the tail is
as useful as 10 the monkey. being used
n much the same manner With its
tai and with feet resembling human
hands Il Is no difficult matter for H. TO
secure its food.
The greatest peculiarity Of this ami
mai Is It's pouch. situated under the
belly and Ia which the young are car
ried before they are completely de-
veloped and afterward retreatlng to It
when danger threatens This pocket
contains ten, twelve or thirteen teats
Ia the interior to which the young are
attached after their seeming prema-
ture birth, and to these they hang for
about iifty days.
Another pecularity is its cunning aud
its ability TO feign death after very
slight blow. In this condition IL may be
beaten. its flesh cut and half skinned
and not u muscle will move, but leave u
quiet a few moments IL viii draw a thin
flm from its eyes and. if not mteriered
with. will quickly disappear.
Negroes and whites have many ways
OF taking the possum. but there is ar
easy way and hard way. The easy
way would not be tolerated at the pres
emit time. as ii entails danger from fire
A dark night Is chosen. aud after the
dogs have treed the game a fire is built
near the foot Of the tree.
As the fire begins TO throw cut suiii
cient light TO make the outline OF h'
tree visible q place is chosen in the dark,
ness and the trunk and branches Of tn,
tree are closely scanned for MIR. Possum
After discovery the shotgun or rifle does
the rest
Some years ago the writer was invite,
to 20 after possilm, and the hard wai
was chosen As it was necessary e
wait for the moon TO come up the meet
ing place was set at the home OF q
farmer who Nas going TO move, and thI
possum hunt would take the added form
If paying him a last friendly visit.
The house was reached first by thl
writer and his friend. Soon followe'
Others. accompanied by all kinds o
dogs hounds, black, yellow an'
spotted; farm dogs, sheep dogs. genera
utility dogs and then some more dogs.
"Hustlirgs for Chickens.
The farmers wife was away an
would not return until after churcl
which would be about the right time I
90 after possum. So men aud dogs a
came into the large general room an
The FIRST number Oh the program wa
log aghts-all seemed fighting at once.
The table w0s overturned. dishs
broker and the room generally wrecke'
After sundry beatings. kiclings an
muzzlings quiet was restored The
hard cider was passed, and when 10 ha
looscned their ideas some Of the
sought some form of amusement 10 pai
The time until the moon came up. 4
said before. the farmer was going
move. Hc had fifty chickens which 81
ailowed he didn't want 10 take wit
him. BE was willing 70 "hustle" the
of. each "hustleis' 70 contribute
cents. Vow. "hustlmg' must have bee
"a local term, anyway, il consisted
putting a certain number OF peuni
into q hat and shaking them up. d
Wnilfi NftN- AA4N tAN utNAA4 ltAN NtN
"heads' or "tails' up, as the ease mig
BE.
The game opened with about six q
seven playing but this number wa
added to from time to time by LAT
arrivals, and every time the door Wa
opened more dogs slipped in and MOI
fights interrupted the disposal Of Il
chickens.
The game continued for some tin
and was az its hilarious height whs
the door opened and the mistress
he house took a few steps into d
room. The writer. being near q
door. after hasty glance at n
face and seeing amazement, horr
and anger depicted there. quiet
made his escape into the darkness.
He heard q few high pitched wor
10 a feminine voice and then the
was an exodus OF men and dogs In
the chilly air followed by more
fights beatings, curses and callin
for Jack. Rover and others OF I
canine tribe.
Quiet being. restored in a measur'
council OF war was held, the plan
acton decided on being that tn,
that had won chickens should go a
catch them. This was agreed
and II the dogs had made an upro
the commotion IL the chicken ho'
was ten times worse. hens cackl
ROSTERS gave warning. dogs barl
and men cursed, and the souaWk'