Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-07-03

(which was agreed to) calling on the secre-
tary of the Interior for information as to
Spanish and Mexican private land claims
pending In that department and in the
United States.
H0use.-When the house met at IL
O'Clock this morning, Mr.. Enloe, of Ten
nessee. moved to correct the journal so as
tn strike therefrom the titles of a number
of private pension bills passed by the house
last night. He claimed that the bills
passed before the house went into commit
tee of the whole, and were not properly
before the house. The house, however. re
fused to agree to his motion, SO the bill
committee of the whole (Mr. Peters, of
Kansas, in the chair on the Federal
Election bill. Mr.. McAdoo, of New Jersey,
took the floor and made vigorous speech
in opposition to the bill
Habits of the Beaver.
Beavers live in families like human be-
ings. The male has one wife, and the
children stay at home until they are three
years old, when they go abroad seeking
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 buil6
a 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 long series of years
and are admirably adapted to convenience
and safety Each lodge On the bank of {
stream has three openings, and sometimes
more. The first entrance slopes up gradu
ally 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 of wood covered
with bark cut short enough to be turned o.
handled any way inside of the living room
Another entrance, or way of egress rather
goes straight down from the chamber to {
level with the bottom of the river, when i
turns squarely and comes out at the bottom
of the stream. Down this hole they drol
the sticks when they have eaten off tn,
bark and then drag the white, naked
pieces of wood out to the bottom to foa
away. The third entrance is from beneath
also, and is slnuous, turning in many way
and serves a good purpose when beseigeC
by an enemy All of these entrance way
are arched over with sticks and plasteret
with mud and grass. The bottoms O
these entrance ways are also laid witt
short sticks like corduroy. The lodge O
chamber itself is house from to s fee
square, laid up against the wall witt
sticks like log cabin. When a stick IL
the wall of this cabin rots it is CAREFUL
removed and another put in its place.
The beaver exercises great dlligenc
and wisdom in procuring and storing it
food. The thick bark on the trunks o
large trees is not suitable for him and hi
family, and so they cut down the tree fo
the smaller limbs, on which the bark i
more tender and nutritious. Two nights
work is sufficient to fell large tree, eacl
family being left to enjoy the fruits of it
own labor It is said they promptly XII
all socialists, trouble breeders and thos
who are too lazy to work.
When a Tree on which they are cuttin
begins to crackle they desist from cuttin
till it begins to fall, when they plunge int
the water one after another, "plunk,
they wait with the greatest caution, les
the noise Of the falling tree might attrac
some enemy to the place, maybe some foe
with gun. Nor is this all. They know
how to regulate the cutting of tree so a
to make it fail always in the water. Thi
is done so as to cradle them to transpor
their short sticks by water to the lodge
Master Beaver places it under his throa
and pushes it before him to the place wher
it is to be sunk. at the mouth Of the en-
trance way to the lodge.
A book might be written on the beaver
dam. This is, without doubt, the mos
ingenious and scientific structure built b.
any creature save man. The object o
this dam is to raise and hold the water s
as to cover the entrance way to his cham
Der. This makes the beaver both com
Portable and safe The dam is constructe
of sticks, mud and stones gathered togeth
er with great skill and labor. The breadtl
of the base and top of the beavers dam
always in exact proportion to its heigh
and length, and the volume of water to b
held