Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-07-03

Beavers live in families like human be-
ings. The male has one wife, and the
children stay at home until they are three
years DID, when they 60 abroad seeking
companions Of their own and set up house
keeping for themselves. Ii by any reason
a general breakup of the lodge takes
place. the young beavers go down stream
and the old ones up. as it IS easier TO build
dam up stream where the water is shall
lower, and, generally. bark from small
trees is more easily obtained.
The lodges, if not broken up by man,
remain in use for a long series OF years,
and are admirably adapted to convenience
and safety. Each lodge on the bank of a
stream has three openings, and sometimes
more. The first entrance slopes mp gradu-
alh from the bottom of the stream to the
chamber where the beavers live. BY this
entrance they bring in their food, which
consists of short sticks cf wood covered
with bark cut short enough to be turned or
handled any way inside Of the living room.
Another entrance, or way of egress rather,
goes straight down from the chamber to a
level with the bottom of the river when 1t
turns squarely and comes out at the bottom
Of the stream Down this hole they drop
the sticks when they have eaten off the
bark and then drag the white, naked
pieces OF wood out to the bottom to toat
away. The third entrance rs from beneath,
also. and is sinuous, turning nmany ways
and serves good purpose when beselged
10y an enemy An Of these entrance ways
are arched over with sticks ANA plastered
with mud and grass The bottoms OF
these entrance ways are also laid with
short sticks like corduroy The lodge or
chamber itself is a house from 6 to $ feet
square. laid up against the wall with
sticks like a log cabin. When "a stick In
the wall of this cabin rots it is carefully
removed ana another put in its place
The bt2rar exercises gre diligence
and wisdom in procuring and storing It's
food. The thick bark ON the trunks of
large trees is not suitable for him and his
family, and so they cut down the tree for
the smaller limbs, on which the bark Is
more tender and nutritious. Two nights
work is sufficient to fell a large tree. each
family being left to enjoy the fruits of It's
own labor 1t is said they promptly kill
all socialists trouble-breeders and those
who are too lazy to work.
When a tree on which they are cutting
begins to cracklc they desist from cutting
till it begins to fall, when they plunge into
the water one after another, PUNK, "
PUNK, PUNK till all are in, where
they wait with the greatest caution, lest
the noise of the falling tree might attract
some enemy to the place maybe some fool
with gun. Nor is this all They know
how to regulate the cutting of tree so as
to make it fall always in the water. This
is done so as to cradle them to transport
their short sticks by water TO the lodge.
Master Beaverpaces it under his throat
and pushes it before him to the place where
it is to be sunk, at the mouth OF the en-
trance way to the lodge ..
A book might be written on the beaver s
dam. This is, without doubt, the most
ingenious and scientific structure built by
any creature save man. The object OF
this dam is to raise and hold the water SO
as to cover the entrance way to his cham
Der. This makes the beaver both com.
Portable and safe The dam is constructed
of sticks. mud and stones gathered togeth'
er with great skill and labor. The breadth
of the base and top of the beavers dam Is
always in exact proportion to its height
ana length. and the volume of water to be
hold