The Lamar register., 1891-05-30
WORKED LIKE A BEAVER
a COMMON REMARK THAT 10
WELL FOUNDED.
Ihe Busy Beaver ID . Worker from ,x.x
sack and He Always Keep, HIS
Home In order-A Rabbit
Eating Possum.

ocoue lne animal, and
everybody is acquainted with the fact
mat u builds dams and houses to dwell
H. Iheir dams are exceedingly strong
and Durable, and they are prompt in
repairing any injury TO them. A
Gam cut during the day will usually be
repaired the same night, and in the
morning will be as good as new. I
remember an instance of this sor,
which occurred on San juan Island
An old Englishfnan named JoSn
Ncotton, who was new 10 the country
wished to get rid OF colony OF beay-
ers that lived on his place and ono
day cut their dam. The next morning
ne found il repaired and cut il arain
and this time to frighten away tbe
animals when they should come to re-
oahd II he set up a green cottonwood
pore on the dam and hung his over
coat on it. The following daT on
visiting the place he not only found
me Cam in is usual good condition,
out NE cottonwood pole and his over
coat had gone 70 help stop tho gap he
mad made and were now in the dam.
Inc houses differ a good deal in size.
location and Shape some nr,. a.
large, though Of course less high. than
small hBystack; others are hardly
inore than six feet through at the base.
They may stand either wholly on land
or parity in the water and partly on
the bank, or wholly In the water.
! hose in the water are more irregular.
sometimes only rounded. others long
and rather lat on top. Within each
house, and connected with the wuter
oy concealed passage through which
the beavers pass 10 and fro. Is the
chamber which IS the animals dwell
ing place II Is large enough to con-
tain seven or eight OF them. and high
eaough to permit beaver to coayen-
iently ST up on It's haunchcs. II Is
warn. dry and clean. for the beaver
IS extremely neat in all It's habits.
The food OF the beaver consists
chiefly OF the green bark OF twigs and
young limbs OF various trccS 1 have
known them TO eat pine and white
cedar. The beavers often cut down
trees OF very considerable size to get
at tho smaller limbs. which they eat.
ANU rAasIaA NAAHAl ANiAE ~ INCHES III
diameter so cut This wori; Of cutting
down n largo tree Is done by single
animal. have seen the beaver en-
gagged in the operation, which ls per
formed % follows: The beaver sits up
on Is hauuekcs facing the tire and
wiih it. forcpzvs resting against IL.
With his kcad turned TO one side he
cuts groove above and then one be-
low and bites out tho chip. taking Il
Eoaid. He thus saves himself the
trouble Of gHawine all the wood into
hno cuttings. When the tree Is felled
the whole community attack aud cut
up the tender limbs. carrying them
away 20 tho cache.
Unlike many OF our gnawing anil
mas, tho beaver does not sleep through
the winter. He remains active. often
venturing abroad during the whole OF
tho cold weather. He must therefore !
having food. and large part OF the
summer and autumn is devoted to Sc
curing this food and depositing it in
caches. This food consists OF the limbs /
and twigs OF the tress most preferred I
by the beaver. They are cut from ! /
to 3 feet long. stripped OF their leaves I
and smaller twigs. carried TO the water !
and Goaied TO the cache, where they ]
are sunk. And here comes a very Gu ]
-ious point These sticks are foated I
10 the cache and are sunk by the beaver !
10 the bottom OF the water, where they !
remain without any apparent anchor
lge. They are not stuck in the mud I
lf the bottom. nor held down by /.
If you lift one to the surface Z
Il will float. but you may move ii about /
IN the bottom without its rising.
Some winters ago | arose one morn |
ing TO find the SHOW he'd melted all I
night. saws Forest and Stream writer
and the first thing that popped into my !
head was TO go coon-huuting. and after !
M early breakfast accompanied by a !
rolored man with a good axe and two
rood hounds, we started. We had no
.rouble to find plenty OF traces OF dh-
'erent animals. and when about mile
from home We ran across a large coon
rack. We had no trouble to follow
this fellow. for he soon left the woods
aud made for thicket; we followed
through this thicket, about 200 yards
wide. and came to clover field Just
AZ the edge OF the thicket we came up
ON a rabbit about half eaten The i'm
preston in the snow was as plain as
could be. and there was no other track
there except those made by the coon
and rabbit.
The rabbit tracks terminated there
There was no sign of a chase; the coon
was going south and the rabbit came
from the east and seemed to have run
right in the coon's mouth. as the coon
aid not seem to vary any in his course,
nor did he take it to any spring ana
wash it. He simply ate about nall OF
II and left the remainder right there
and went on across the clover held'
We followed him to some open woods
about a Quarter of mile and went TO
large elm tree Failing TO lind any
tracks leading from this tree we pro
peeded 10 cut it down. and as soon as
n fell the dogs told us that our WORK
was not in vain.
He was one of the largest coons l
ever saw. and was surprised to hnd
him so fat, this being in March. Ihat
the coon killed and ate the rabbit !
have never had the slightest doubt
u lot H