Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1873-04-04

sary to cause him to abandon it. His
house, like the Englishman's, without any
constitutional provision to that effect, Is
at once his house and his castle.
The beaver has long been celebrated as
o builder, but many of his lesser neigh
bors are almost equally skillful. Any day
when II begins to rain one may see the
prairie dog at work repairing his resi-
dence. His principal object seems to be
to make the mould higher, and this is the
way he does 1t. One goes down inside
after dirt. You can see II flying out at
the top In little spurts. The other re-
moves 1t from the mouth of the opening
as fast as 1t comes. When sufficient
quantity has been thrown out they begin
to shape the mound. One goes to the
base and pushes the new earth upward
with the forepaws, not backward, but as
one throws upward an armful of anything.
The other takes this earth as IL comes;
spreads 1t very nicely and takes great
deal OF pains. But 1t seems that this
earth must be hardened-made compact
and smooth, The beaver accomplishes a
task of this kind by striking it with his
heavy and hairless tail. Our friend has
no tail to speak of-though what there Is
is the most vigorously wagged of all or
namental appendages-and for this work
| he must needs use his head. This is the
most amusing part Of the process. Curl
Ing himself into proper shape, he ducks
his good.looking frontspiece between his
forelegs, and administers quick success
sion OF thumps upon his work, at the
vigor and effectiveness of which you
would be astonished. Then the top of
his head is encrusted with coating OF
earth, and in this predicament he has the
luolcrous appearance Of having on CAP
OF dark material and curious pattern.
But the marked characteristic of ouI
friend is that voice of his, which has Civ
en- him his reputation. The moment s
stranger approaches, the whole settlement
set up a clamor which does not subsidC
as long as they can see him, climbing
upon the tops of their houses, and stretch
ing their short bodies to the utmost ex
tent upward. If he comes too near, ther,
Is most precipitate departure for home
a hundred feet twinkle in the air at ono,
as they disappear But he has the facul
ty OF reversing himself with the celeritl
of politician, and almost at the sam
instant his head appears above the surface
again; and as the intruder passes on, h
raises his voice in that sharp, querulous
i'll natured squeak, fully satisfied, n
doubt, that he has given his enemy ter
rible fright.
In truth, he himself is not easily fright
ened. The broad highway passes some
times through the midst of his village
and he remains there for years afterward
His castle, before mentioned, is almost
complete security from harm. He is q
ways ready to make that sudden an
: complete reversal of himself If killed
he falls into his hole, and an individual
seldom caught away from his village
: Water is not one of his necessities. Vigi
ance Is his great characteristic. Know
ing that his foodeconsisted of the sol
: bulbs near the roots of almost all grasses
and seeing that the immediate neigl
, borhood of his village was always brow
and almost bare, have often wondere
when he made his cautious excursions
. search of food. Afterward, on mooI
light nights, have seen dozens Of thel
hurrying home, alarmed at my distar
4 approach, and never uttering squea
: until they were at their own thresholds.
In captivity, the prairie dog become
tame even to familiarity. He is hant
, some, vivacious, and mischievous, Br
e he is ever ready for sly nip at carelei
! finger. He is astonishingly capable {
j self-defense, considering his size, an
| NhCh III a dS uc sclllOul 1
i however, will make defense not by an
0 means to be despised. The truth is thu
g the desperate bravery ofsome of the sma
n beasts far exceeds the vaunted courage
e men. / have known pointer dog to r.
tire ingloriously, and with lacerated nos
e from contest with prairie dog. QuiC
r as thought, he puts his teeth through q
9 incautious finger, and hangs on in spit
e of vigorous shaking; and when he has h
victim sufficiently frightened and hur
Q he drops and is gone like fash.
= Finally, it may be remarked that OF
g friend is creature of character and r
i spectability. He chooses his mate, an
!, they keep house together for years in tn
!, most exemplary manner. He is no vsg
y bond, no roysterer, no Mormon. Wht
o one sees the misery of life, the restles
a ness and wickedness of men, he is temp
D. ed to believe that the Master of all pa,
y the price of his power in greater degr,
d of unhappiness. Kansas Magazine.