Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-12-02
This and That
BIZ Charles E. TracewelI oss
"a ssrracrr AvyrnJrYu

Dear Sir:
1--WE have been so interested in reading
about Blossom the possum, and now we're
wondering if she or some Of her kin haven't
wondered over hereabouts.
Last winter we had spossum who favored
us. We discovered him or her in corner
of the back yard where our fox terrier had
the poor creature covered.
1.-THE possum won our admiration at once
because it refused to give ground to our
dog (who is all bluff but we think we are
the only ones who know that for fact).
"Possy was curled in q corner OF the yard
and there Possy stayed.
when the dog got too close, Possy would
show long white teeth and give with good
hiss. Fox terrier would likewise give. but
with foot or two of the ground.
Last week we took down the awnings ana
To- and behold, in the gutter Of the sunporch
roof there curled beautiful silver opossum.
tail hanging over.
This was about o'clock in the afternoon,
with the sun shining brightly on the animal
(Which upset many ideas because we al
ways thought poSSum came out only at
night and craved darkness at all times.
But this one was very tame; when we
tried to catch its attention by whistling
or calling, it would raise its head and look
us straight in the eyes.
$50 we are putting out extra bread every
night and bit of suet on payday when we
can afford steak, and we hope thereby
we may be able to keep this creature with US
all winter.
do possums have special fondness for
sunporch roofs?
I'VE have an old mulberry tree close to
the porch and that is evidently, how Possy
climbs to the roof And the bird feeding tray
is on pole directly under the tree.
"All left-overs are apparently taken care OF
by Possy each evening for the tray is clean
by morning.
1--WE don't like to think of our particular
possum having craving for birds, so please
can't you tell us what good the beastie will
do besides satisfying our own selfish interest,"
VERY truly yours, K. S. g."
The opossum likes high perch.
That is why he is interested in porch roofs.
Up there he is completely free from dogs
and reasonably so from cats.
We recall old Malty, the maltese. which
came up the evergreen (since cut DOWN and
had to pass directly by Blossom.
She paid no attention to the cat-and
Malty paid no attention to her.
Nothing alive can more completely ignore
one, when it wants to, than q house cat.
does not wish to see. And this was one such
occasion Old Malt walked by the big pos
sum without paying the slightest attention
to it, He came to the window and meowed
to be allowed in. Whether he would have
gone back the same way he came, we never
knew, because we opened the screen and
took him IN.
Our possums are not too bad on song birds
and their nests. At this time of year they
offer little trouble that way.
All in all, he does not do much damage
to song birds, simply because he does not
have to; he is omniverous, and finds too
much else to eat.
The possum will eat corn and other garden
vegetables, young chickens and eggs, when he
can find them, and such delicacies as mice,
moles and young rabbits. also suet and
bread.
II beauty is It's own excuse for being. as
some one has said, the American opossum
needs no apology. It is beautiful creature,
but at first glance one may not think So.
Like some other beauties, this one must grow
upon the beholder. But even more than
beauty as its Justification, its uniqueness
speaks for it. The possum is the only true
marsupial found in North America, and as
such, and especially for its place in Amer
lean folklore, it deserves our protection.