Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-05-11
About the Beaver.

In the winter Of 1869 party Of Ave went
moose hunting. After following the track
Of the moose for few miles we came to
track, SO we left it and started for camp at
foot Of Winnebago lake. We followed the
main inlet most Of the way to the lake
While on the brook we came 10 hole in
the edge Of the bank, made by what is
called bank beaver; there had been q
light Snow which showed the track Of 40
otter which had gone into the hole,
and % we could see nothing Of
beaver tracks, we concluded the otter
had killed the beaver and eaten is.
About one mile below we came to another
hole, and found the beaver was out after
fo,d; he was but short distance away.
We killed him and carried him to camp
Thst was the only beaver seen that winter,
yet there were then old works such Is dams
and houses, made years before, but for
some cause or other the beaver left this
part Of the country years before, and did
not put in an appearance until about 1862.
Since then they have become quite
plenty. IL Was supposed by some that
bank beaver belonged to q species different
from the house beaver, but / am satisfied
they are one, ard the only difference il
when one gets s.rayed from his family he
fiads good location on some brook where
there is . spring (and the water does not
prove very hard and digs hole in the
bank (under water, mskss his nest in the
sround above high wafer mark, aad when
ever he wants food eoss out after il,
instead of laying 10 3 supply as the house
beaver docs. Every mark about bank
beaver is the same - house beaver: q
solitary or bank beaver never builds dam
or house; whenever you fud house or
dam, you will fad family Of two or
more.
Beavers are first class engineers, they
know the exact spot to build their dam add
the height they must be built, 90 % 10 hsve
about one-hAk Of the floor Of their house
uuder water. They eat and sleep en- the
| same floor, which is on the ground. They
(sometimes) build their house on the bank
Of stream where the water is Ave or sig
feet deep and having hole run from the
stream to their house. Their dams aIe
built In three different forms, sometimes
the lover side IL concave, some are convex
and rome straight across the brock or
stream. They keep them In good
ASfeh - Ath8 - toCy neNe 8Hy
use for them, they rever lesve houses (in
wintsr) except to 20 into their p1nd to yet
their food which 10 sunk near the house, un-
less there is An open place not far distant and
there 10 warm spell. A person not
acquainted With their habits and houses
might psss them for days (after STOW had
covered them) and thir / the house boulder
or pile Of hfush, nearly the shape and siz ,
Of an ordinary hsycock; they never Come
outside their house in winter, to show sny
sigh Of their being in that vicinity.
have read Z statement that whenever q
beaver cuts the it invariably falls to the
ground; such is not the fact. asI have
seen several that vYe lodged 10 other trees,
ard one In particular, Wits birch, which
Q bank beaver bad cut in the winter, that
it could not fall. When the besvef had
cut IL Of il slipped from the stump and
stood a. straight in the snov a il did before
| il vas cut; the beaver cua Il four times and
the four sicks stood ~ straight side by
side - any maa could plsce thsn.-Foeeft
and Stream.