Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1877-10-10
limiting the Beaver.

"Have you ever hunted them your.
self 7" asked Willie.
81 once, when quite young man,
joined in hunting expedition with !
number of others, some OF whom were
Indians and experienced trappers,"
answered his uncle.
"Tell us all about it, Uncle, said
both boys in the same breath. 'It
must have been famous sport
"For us it certainly was" said
Uncle George, laughing; "but, wheth-
er the beavers enjoyed it as well, /
leave you to imagine. We starred
out armed with spears and other nee
essary instruments, and having arrIy
ed at a collection of eheir houses, We
proceeded first 10 stake the river ali
the way across, to prevent them from
passing. This done, the more eX
perienced of the number walked along
the edge of the banks, knocking re
peatedly against the ice with a chisel
attached to the end of q staff ioul OF
five feet long, with which each was
provided. Those accustomed to ii
can tell at once by the sonnd when
thselX MslXcs stEGe Eai% opposite sny of the hole
an opening was made in the ice, large
enough to admit al old beaver In
this way they proceeded until all, o.
at least, AS many rs possible of tha
holes had been discovered. While
this was being done by the principal
men, the others, including myself,
were busy breaking open the houses
and / assure you we found it no easy.
work, for some were five or six teet
thick, and one no less than elgb: tee
thick on the crown. We could easily
tell when the beavers retreatcd t(
their holes in the bank tor shelter, b,
attending to the motion of the water
This being seen, the entrance wa
blocked up with stakes Of wood, after
which the animal was despatched witt
a spear, and drawn up by the hand, i
he could be reached if not, by means
of hook fastened to the end OF ;
stick intended tor that purpose. -
Sometimes, however, they are caugh
in nets. and in summer very frequent
ly in traps"
Fred, who was very found Of ami
mails, and possessed pets Of all kinds
now wished to know if they We're eve
tanned
eyes said Uncle George, 81 ha(
one given to me, which had been trap
ped, when I was youth. AT first
confined it IN wire cage, but after
wards it became so tame that it woull
answer to its name and follow M
around like dog. If | were absen
it evidently missed me, and, upon m.
return, always showed unmistakabl
signs Of pleasure. We were ofte'
amused by the fellows antics, and
one day, on returning, found that h
had woven the branches given him t,
nibble upon, through the bars OF hi
cage, forming dam ;having filed u
the holes by pieces OF carrots ant
other vegetables, given as food, bitte'
} iuto the required size and shape -
Before this he sat with satisfied all
} as though he had performed as neces
sary task as the same would hav
been had it been erected in lake o
river. This feat was afterwards r(
peated several times in our sitting
room, where 1 kept him during tn
winter the dam being made up c
t such articles as he could contriVe t
} lay hold of, thus showing that tn
: beaver, ingenious and clever as b
t most assuredly is, must be guide
, entirely by instinct, and not by rel
: SON" From ga Visit to the Bea,
ers," in New Dominion Monthly fo
J October