450 



FOKEST AND STREAM, 



[July 7, 1881. 



the discharge of this duty with all possible misgiving as to 

 my ability to decide, and with all necessary preparation, and 

 I found every lime, in discussing the various points involved 

 in this wonderful accomplishment, that the last julep always 

 tasted Die best to me; and I was not able to determine till I 

 would take one from the other man ; and the trial went on 

 from one to another julep for some time— till I had taken 

 some — well, 1 can't tell now how many: and from some un- 

 accountable reason, I never made up my mind, and no decis- 

 ion wns ever rendered, but I performed much work on that 

 occasion. 



But in ' ' the ease at bar," I would say about this : after the 

 animal is cooked as above indicated, 1 would eat freely of 

 him at dinner, hot; aud if any of him should bo left, I 

 would take that at, supper, cold. But if this should be sup- 

 posed to be overdoing the thing rather freely, and 1 was 

 "forced to an election," I would take him hot for dinner 

 and '• rest my case here," hoping to have pleasant dreams of 

 him during the night's slumbers as a substitute, to some ex- 

 tent, for not having him eo)d at supper. 



I do not know that 1 have given you any light on this deli- 

 cate question, but you have my views as succinctly as I can 

 render them, as it 'is difficult for me to restrain my thoughts 

 and words on a subject so suggestive. 



Very truly yours, A. H. Garland. 



FROM THE COMMITTEE ON EOKE1UN AFFALBfl. 



Washington, D. C, June, 1881, 

 Editor Forest and Stream : 



Your letter to Hon. S. S. Cox is received. The party ad- 

 dressed is now in the Netherlands, far from the laud of 

 Bourbon and opossum. Were he here, no doubt you would 

 -,'eceive a satisfactory answer to your letter. 



Iu an interview with a South Carolina (family) cook, I 

 learn that the 'possum is considered most edible when served 

 cold, though it is a matter of taste greatly. It is a very fat 

 quadruped, and the meat consequently delicate and rich. It 

 is usually cooked in what is called a "kitchen," over a 

 wooden Are. The writer knows nothing from experience, 

 but in a striol,, cross-examination of ten colored persons ac- 

 quainted with Uie habits of the 'possum seven incline to the 

 belief that '"possum is de best hot," while three hold to the 

 opinion "it am de.most eatable when cold." 



The fluids to go with this lively bird can best be determined 

 by the epicurean, tl,|\ugh in the States of Kentucky and 

 South Carolina Bourbon is doubtless the only concomitant, 

 i. e. , for Democratic 'possums. For 'possums of the opposite 

 political complexion "apple sass" is considered inseparable 



In view of this discussion I would suggest that ynu address 

 either Hon. Z. B. Vance, of K nth Carolina (U. S. Senate) 

 or Hon. Alex. H. Stevens, of G u-gia, at his home, (Oraw- 

 fordville, Ga.). 



Trusting that you may find a proper solution to this ques- 

 tion of "mixed fa(c)t and lard," believe me, 



Respectfully yours, It. W. Sfokford. 



GREEK-LETTER SOCIETY MYSTM?"C6. 



Savannah, Tenu." 1 , June, 1881. 

 Kditw Forest and Stream: 



Cook an opossum on a cast-iron stove and -it him cold ! 

 well, I should smile. Just hint such a thing "to the sable 

 chefde cuisine in any Southern kitchen and see how the idea 

 will be received. Among the many escapades of my college 

 days— or rather nights— the te are few that have a stronger hold 

 upon my memory than the 'possum suppers partaken of in 

 some musty dormitory at an hour when all studious and well 

 conducted young men are supposed to have ceased to con- 

 sume the midnight oil, and to be slumbering soundly, ready 

 to awaken at the first stroke of the morning bell. 



There are few among those who have attended Southern 

 colleges that have not attended these mysterious suppers, 

 held usually under the auspices of some Greek-letter society, 

 where the initiated, dodging the prying eyes of over-inquisi- 

 tive tutors, assembled to pay their respects to the spread, in 

 which the dish of hot 'possum and potatoes, cooked and 

 served by some sable hanger-on of the college, occupied the 

 chief place. 



The manner of cooking the opossum generally practiced is: 

 After having kept the "varmint " in close captivity, and hav- 

 ing it properly fed for a fortnight or more, to kill it, aud 

 after carefully dressing it expose it for several nights to the 

 frosty air ; then it is customary to parboil it in water con- 

 taining a little sage, aud then roast in an old-fashioned oven 

 surrounded with sweet potatoes. The opossum needs little 

 seasoning save salt and pepper, with a dash of lemon. Of 

 fat he has enough, and to spare. Another way is to suspend 

 the animal on a string in front of the fire, the twisting and 

 untwisting of the string giving it a rotary motion, and while 

 roasting to baste with vinegar, pepper and butter. 



If opossums grew to be several times larger than they do 

 now, probably there might be enough left to put away and 

 eat cold, but until some marked improvement is produced in 

 this respect of size it will hardly be convenient to make the 

 experiment. So far as I know, the opossum has always been 

 eaten hot, indeed the call to the table given by our sable 

 purveyor used to be, "Here's your 'possum and taters all 

 hot." 



As to the beverage with which to wash down the repast I 

 cannot say, not being learned in such things. However, all 

 lovers of 'possums are coirespondingly haters of snakes, and 

 I helieve thet ad are also agreed that for snake bites old 

 Bourbon whisky is the " sovereignist thing on earth." — 

 Wirx. 



THE EXTREME PENALTY IN MISSISSIPPI. 



CoWN-rn, Miss., June, 1881. 

 Editm- Forest and Stream : 



Deab Sir — In reply to your letter asking for information 

 in regard to the proper way in which the rat tailed marsupial, 

 yclept the 'possum, should be cooked, I beg leave to state 

 that it has always been considered a "hanging offence" 

 down South to cook the 'possum any other way than to bake 

 him, with no other accompaniment except yam potatoes, and 

 to eat him red hot. 



A little "Mountain Dew," or "Old Bourbon," is consid- 

 ered an admirable corrective after a too free indulgence in 

 " 'possum and taters," 



Yours truly, Guyon. 



EMINENT NASHVILLE AtrrHOBTTlES. 



.Nashville, June, 1881. 

 Editor Forest and Stream : 



As the flesh of this animal is exceedingly strong in flavor, 

 it is all the better for being allowed to freeze two or three 

 days before preparing it for he table — even then to remove 

 the remaining rankness, it should be parboiled in water, 

 properly seasoned with red pepper pods and salt. There 

 are persons who eat the diBli while hot, though connoisseurs 



agree that it is better cold. The following receipts for pre- 

 paring the, opossum are from colored persons, who are ad- 

 mitted to be the most expert in the business. William Hobbs 

 says : 



"First boil the opossum in water with an abundance of 

 red pepper pods and salt, until the meat is lender. While 

 this process is going on steam a number of sweet potatoes 

 and slice them : cover the opossum with them and then bake 



Jinks Mullin's receipt is, to parboil the opossum after it 

 has been frozen thoroughly in water containing red pepper 

 pods and salt, then bake him with sweet potatoes and red 

 pepper, thickening the gravy which melts from tl>e opossum 

 with a little flour. Jinks also favors barbacuing them. This 

 process is the same as followed with pigs or mutton, only 

 the opossum requires to be cooked longer and constantly 

 basted with a sauce made of red pepper, salt and vinegar, 



Jennie .Moore says that in Giles County the colored people 

 soak the opossum in strong salt and water for two days, 

 then parboil it for a halt-hour in one water, changing this 

 for another water in which red pepper and salt are in 

 quantities ,• when tender, sprinkle with black pepper and 

 flour, place a number of steam potatoes in the pan and bake 

 until brown aud crisp. 



To clean the hair off the opossum the negroes roll it in hot 

 hickory ashes, claiming that this mode destroys a portion of 

 the wiid flavor, though scalding as iu the cleaning of pigs is 

 most of ten resorted to, Many are prejudiced asainst eating 

 the meat, though those who are not claim it is a great 

 delicacy. Thousands of them are brought to the market and 

 eagerly taken principally by the colored people who would 

 rather have it than ten times its weight in quail, wild turkey 

 or venison. J. D. H. 



THE ANTE-BELLUM STYLE. 



Marietta, Georgia, June, 1881. 

 Editor Forest and Stream : 



I have taken the opinion of two old and experienced men 

 on the question of cooking the opossum. They were both 

 large planters before the war, owning many slaves ; one a 

 rice planter on the coast, the other a cotton planter in this 

 region. Both are familiar with negroes and their ways. 

 They both say the 'possum should be roasted, preferably in 

 the open air, and should be eaten hot. 



I also asked the question of an exprienced colored cook. 

 His way is to parboil the animal, so as to remove the strong- 

 flavor ; then either bake or roast it. In either case, it should 

 be eaten hot. 



It is too rich a dish for most white stomachs, but suits the 

 nesiro like fat bacon and pork. His liver is seldom disordered. 



Very truly yours, S. C. Clarke. 



TBXANS ARK OMNIVOROUS. 



CoRPUa CiiHiBTr, Texas, June, 1881. 

 Editor Fores/, and Stream : 



If the weather be cold enough the '"possum," after being 

 cleaned, is hung out of doors for two or three days. He is 

 cleaned like the pig, only different. This difference lies in 

 the manner of scalding the hair off, which is done with cold 

 instead of boiling water. Soak the 'possum in cold water 

 and cover him for about a minute with hot ashes and coals. 

 After this he will shed as easily as an old last year's cockle- 

 bun- bush. Dress him just as you would a roaster and lay 

 him out until morning. 



If i he weather is warm ("for the opossum is in season all times 

 of the year), he should be cooked the day after being caught. 

 To do "this properly lake a big Dutch oven, curl the animal 

 in it, fill all the chinks with peeled yams, then cover the 

 whole with a layer of yams. Dig a hole in the ground deep 

 enough so that the top of the oven, when set in it, will be 

 about, four inches below the surrounding earth. Fill thi-s hole 

 with live coals. Let the coals stay in the hole about an hour, 

 replenishing from the fire when necessary; then clean out 

 the bole and set in the Dutch oven " wid de 'pofsum and de 

 taturs ;" pour in the oven about half a pint of water ; put on 

 the lid and see that it fits well ; put some ashes on top of the 

 oven and heap on the coals; over the hole lay some sticks 

 close together, over these some leaves or grass and cover the 

 whole with the loose earth winch came out when the oven 

 went in. Cover well, so that there will be no blaze; and— 

 then sit down and talk about " 'possum and 'coon " hunts for 

 the next two hours at least. 



Don't, season this game with anything but salt, If you 

 know what is good eat "de 'possum" when he is hot; but 

 if you happen to be offered some cold don't say no. Any 

 man who eats all the steaming hot '"possum and tatur" he 

 wants and does not suffer from a large attack of dyspepsia 

 need never fear to trust his stomach. 



There never was a bad 'possum. Some are fa'ter than 

 others and more tender and juicy; but they are all good. 



I have seen the opossum baked in a ftove and roasted on a 

 spit, aud have tried him broded, boiled and fried, and have 

 found him always good, except when he was better or best. 

 The trouble is that ho is very rich and he tastes very good 

 and one always eats too much, but never learns by experi- 

 ence to eat less next time. Some people make fools of them- 

 selves over a 'possum, but I don't ; I get sick and am sorry I 

 ate so much— until next time. Bex ah. 



"And last of all the woman came also!" BlesB her dear, 

 motherly old sou! ! we listened to her words of wisdom long 

 years and years ago ; and we have a great deal of respect for 

 her yet. Mother Goose is sound on the 'possum question. 

 Take off your hHts while we read to you what she writes. 

 The letter came down the other night with the stick of a 

 Sky-rocket : 



The Moon, July 4, 1881. 

 My Dear Forest and Stream : 



There is no sense iu your trying to enter any formal decis- 

 ion on that 'possum case. It is purely a question of taste ; 

 and tastes differ. 



Some like It, Hot, 



some like it cold, 

 Some like it In tne pot 

 Nine days old. 



Jack Spratt could not eat it at all ; hiB wife passed her 

 plate for more every time. The Man in the Moon went down 

 too soon for his and burnt his tongue eating it cold. 



Have you seen the comet ? Yours as ever, 



Mother Goosu. 



From a careful and unbiased co moderation of the testi- 

 mony thus far adduced, taking into account the eminence of 

 the gastronomic authorities who have so kindly contributed 

 to the discussion, and having an eye also to the mercury— 

 this is July 6th — we are inclined to the opinion that between 

 'possum hot and 'possum cold the preference is most de- 

 cidedly for 



( mnzi Wonrist 



THK .SHOOTING OF THE WOODCOCK. 



/ IRYSTAt, and Still was the air of file bright autumn noontide. 

 ^ All round the pool were .suspended the pencils of rushes, 

 Witting no more with the breeze, on the blue scroll above than 

 Poising as still as the pen of a pondering Poet I 

 Drooped the tired Hues, and sighed lu the tace of the sun- god, 

 Yielded, like languorous mauls, I o the kiss ol their lover, 

 Laughing and strong, with his rank, ruddy beard streaming o'er theui ' 

 Yielded and sighed, till the forest was bat tied in t heir fragi auee, 

 And the trail dowers of the glen In the sweetness were swooning. 



Hark ! in you copse is the breeze from Its slumber awaking, 

 Stirring the leaves, as It binds up Its beautiful tresses, 

 Rising to run throngs the woods like, a loose-gtrdled maiden j 



From me thick copse peered the glorious head of a pointer. 

 Silent his step, and unearthllncss floated about him. 

 Straightway he parted the leaves and came forth in his beauty, 

 Wizard of woodlands, foreknowing their deep-hidden secrets ! 

 Scarce was he free from the edge of the thicket, ere followed, 

 Slowly, a sportsman With picturesque trappings upon him. 

 Neat were his garments of russet, and fringed and romantic. 

 Woodcock and snipe from the. net of his game-bag protruded. 

 Even as flew the last twig irom the band of the sportsman, 

 Lilted the qulverlug pointer bis forefoot, and sank low, 

 Bent like a rod ! Then arose, at Lis master's quick bidding, 

 And 10 1 a bird whistled up, like a shaft, from a bow-string ! 

 Straight: to the fowler's brown face the brown barrels ascended ; 

 Loud rang the. stillness, and smoke drifted up through the forest. 

 Checked was the woodcock's swift, flight, and he fell lODg and droop- 

 ing, 

 Till with a splash in tbe rushes— the prize ot the sportsman ! 



TWO WEEKS WITH THE BASS AND PICKEREL. 

 At Intermediate Lakh, Antrim Co., Michigan. 



BY KINGFISHER. 

 CONTINUED. 



ACCORDING to all the best received and well-worn sigus 

 as honored and cherished by the cra.'t, the next morn- 

 ing promised a fine day for sport. The rain had ceased fall- 

 ing, the clouds were drifting iu just the right direction, and 

 everything looked fresh and bright, A light breeze ruffled 

 the like, just enough to make the waters laugh, and we left 

 the island eager to try conclusions with anything that had 

 fins. 



We fished over about the same water 1 had prospected the 

 day before, the Scribe and Jim (the Editor's camp name) iu 

 one boat, and I in the smaller one, alone. The Scribe had 

 brought with him a new hornbeam (ironwood) lloz. rod, 

 and he decided this would be a good day to test its temper 

 and capabilities. During the forenoon he took with it a 

 ; 5^lb. small-mouthed bass, the largest one he had ever taken 

 in" a twenty-five-years' experience as a bass fisher, and, as a 

 consequence, he was the most intensely pleased disciple of 

 the lamented lzaak in all Michigan. He just swelled tip 

 with pride and importance till his clothes wouldn't lit him, 

 and it was positively unsafe for him to turn around in the 

 little boat or try to stand up in it. Of course Jim had to do 

 all the rowing, now and then casting a furtive glauce at that 

 bass, aud pinching himself at intervals to see if thete was 

 any of him left. 



The crucial test of the rod tools place, however, later in 

 the day, on a bass of perhaps a pound less in weight, but a 

 vigorous, powerful fellow and a fish of much suddenness. 

 He had played him till well iu hand with about four yards 

 of line out from the tip of the Tod, when tbe fish took a sud- 

 den fancy to go under the boat. At this critical juncture 

 the Old Nick got into the reel, and it refused to budge an 

 inch, or any part of an inch, either way. Here was a fix. 

 It was all done so quickly that he did not have time to lead 

 the line around the stern of the boat, and as he could not 

 turn around, not having recovered from the effects of the 

 5 L pounder, the situaiion began to grow serious ; and the fish 

 was all this time in plain sight on the opposite side of the 

 boat, tugging the rod into something the shape of the letter 

 U. Then, the breeze setting in my direction, 1 could make 

 out at forty rods away that the Scribe was desperately in 

 earnest and making vehement remarks about that reel. 



At last he shouted, " Swing her 'round to l he left— quick f" 

 Jim yanked her to the left, from his standpoint, which was 

 wrong from the Scribe's, as they sat facing each other, and 

 he yelled, "Great fish-hooks: Jim, to the right— to the 

 right ! or that infernal fish will burst the rod into flinders." 



The boat was finally brought wound to suit him and the 

 fish fought into submission and broaght to the landing net, 

 the reel still firmly locked. 



And theu he ventured to his feet and gave a mighty yell 

 that waktd the echoes for two miles up and down the lake 

 and scared into sudden flight, a sleepy bald eagle that sat 

 perched on the top branch of a dead cedar back in the 

 swamp. 



It is not probable that a rod would be called on twice in 

 five years' fishing to stand the strain that this one did, and 

 barely possible that one in a hundred would come out of the 

 test as well. 



Ironwood as a material for bass rods at once stepped to 

 the front. I took the cap off the reel, but did not discover 

 the difficulty at the time, and it cut up the same shine on 

 two or three other "reefy" trying occasions. Afterward It 

 was found that a little wedge shaped metal click wbb too long 

 and would stick fast between certain cogs of tbe smaller 

 wheel, preventing the spool from turning either way. A few 

 strokes of the file and the trouble ended. 



A smart rain set in late in the afternoon which drove us 

 iDto camp, happy and hungry, with two strings of bass and 

 long-faces' that were just good for the eye to linger on. This 

 catch filled our live box so full that the next morning two- 

 thirds of them were dead from overcrowding. After this 

 we tied the larger ones separately to stakes driven into the 

 lake bottom thirty to forty feet from shore, in «'x or eight 

 ftet of water, but only the more hardy of then .vould live 

 more than four or five days. The mortality among tbem we 

 attributed, whether rightly or not, to the change frou' *'ie 

 cooler depths of the lake to the much warmer surface water 

 and the confinement. However, we kept a bountiful supply 

 of fresh live ones on hand, which were free to such of M 

 neighbors as would take the trouble to come after a back- 



