Pike-Lamar County GaArchives News.....One Hundred Possums December 25 1890
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.

http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm
************************************************


File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Lynn Cunningham lcunnin1@bellsouth.net December 5, 2002, 3:20 pm

The Barnesville Gazette, Barnesville, Ga.

One Hundred Possums
Two Barnesville Parties

"In the little house for the purpose of keeping them." That was the answer given

the Gazette man in reply to a question to Mr. Milt Smith asking where could his 
lot of possums be seen. And this opens up a subject mighty interesting to quite 
a number of gentlemen in Barnesville, for the possum hunting business is one of 
immense magnitude in the county. You will conclude so, too, when I tell you that

nearly a hundred possums have been caught this season by two squads of 
Barnesville hunters. Mr. Milt Smith is at the head of one party and Mr. John 
Hamil is at the head of the other.

Sure enough in the little house referred to above there are now seven fat 
possums, ready to be killed at a moments notice for as many possum dinners. Mr. 
Smith's party consists of only two persons, himself and Mr. Henry Hudson. They 
have only two dogs. About once a week, with their dogs, and horns, and lanterns,

they have been to the woods, and rarely do they fail to bring in a number of the

little animals. [Note; the next few lines are missing due to the deterioration 
of the newsprint.]

[Continuing] You might mention Mr. John Hamil's name in any crowd in Barnesville

and we venture to allow that every man in the crowd would at one think of 
possums. Why? Because, Mr. Hamil is one of the biggest and most successful 
hunters in this section, we might say in the whole state. Likewise when we began

to think and write of possums we of course thought of Mr. Hamil. So we 
determined to see him about the possum business.

"Mr. Hamil, how many possums have you in your possum house?" "Really, I can't 
tell you how many. You will have to go and count them." That was the 
conversation I had with him, and the next thing I knew I was punching possums to

make them separate so I could count them. And I counted five of the biggest, 
fattest possums I ever saw. We were told then that this was a small number 
compared to that usually kept in the possum house, the number usually being 
about ten or a dozen.

"We have not been hunting in about three weeks, but we have caught this season 
just about fifty two, and we run much higher than that before the season is 
over," said Mr. Hamil in answer to a question. This party consists of three men,

Mr. Hamil and Messrs. Jeff Hightower and R.S. Jackson. Sometimes other boys go 
with them, but this is the regular crowd. They have three dogs, and they always 
bring the possums in, when they hunt. They have fun, "world without end," so 
they say and we do not doubt it. Don't you want to go hunting with one of those 
parties, some of these nights, when the possum traveleth, and the dew falleth to

the earth and turneth to frost! It would be fun.

(Transcribed 12/4/02 Lynn Cunningham)
File size: 3.2 Kb