The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-08

Ike a host Of workmen engaged upon a
public building. When they congregated
at certain point TO .ix their abode their
irst work was 20 build a dam across the
stream for the purpose of giving them still
water above and below. They would first
set to work with their teeth, and, by their
combined efforts, in a short time would
gnaw down large tree growing on the
bank, so that 1t would fall across the
stream. This formed kind of base for
the dam. around which they began to
build. In carrying on the work, they dis
played almost human ingenuity. After
they had felled the large tree, with their
sharp teeth they cut down other smaller
trees and with their united force carried
them 20 the bank, where the log was plung-
cd into the water and then steered to the
point where il was needed on the dam.
These smaller trees they used for stakes,
cutting off the branches and sharpening
one end with their teeth, so that they
could fasten them down at intervals across
the creek. These stakes served a double
purpose-irst, to make the dam strong
and afterwards to divide off one house
from another when they began to build
their homes. The vacant spaces between
the stakes was filled up with plant
branches of trees, and then with drift
wood, rocks, and clay which latter they
made into kind of mortar, the dam was
rapidly built up until 1t rose several feet
they left one or two openings to act as
hoodgates which they would contract or
enlarge as the creek would fan or rise.
This building Of the dam was kind of
public work, In which all shared alike
after which they formed themselves into
little companies to construct their private
habhations. These were built with a
great deal of skill, and were neatly plas-
tered over with mortar, both within and
without 1t is said that they put the
mortar on with their fiat, fish-like tails,
using 1t as a brick mason would his
trowel. Their houses were usually round
in shape and three or four feet In dame
ter. Sometimes they were two-stories
high, and were built with such care that
they were impenetrable to the heaviest
rains AS a rule, there were not more
than dozen houses in each colony. Every
house had two passages, one leading into
the water and the other to the land. The
colony Of beavers got along very happily
together, and when any danger threaten
ed they would give the alarm by striking
the water with their fiat tails, making a.
noise that could be heard a long distance.
The intelligence that they displayed in
the construction of their dams and houses
was something wonderful. They showed
unerring accuracy of judgment in the Sc
lection of the large tree with which they
always began their dam, and when they
all got around it and cut it down with
their sharp molars, the tree invariably
fell in the right place. After this they
would always cut their logs and branches
above the site of the dam, so that they
could float the material down on the
water The fioodgates to the DAM for let
ting off the water when it got too high,
in order to save the embankment, looked
as if they had been made by human
hands and at the suggestion of an intelli-
gent mind.
All these things seemed to almost entitle
the beaver to be classed as a creature
with reasoning powers, but it was, of
course, only instinct This was clearly
demonstrated when an old fisherman of
this county caught one and tanned it some
years ago The animal was kept shut up
in a room part of the time, and it would
gather up sticks of wood books, papers,
and anything else that it could find and
industriously construct a dam across one
corner of the room, and when it had fin
ished, would sit in the center of the in
closure, apparently satisfied that it had
made a dam across a creek.
When the county became more thickly
settled, the beavers were hunted and kill
ed for their fine fur, the hides being very
valuable and always bringing good price
Year after year the little villages across
the creek were demolished, until now all
that is left to recall the once busy tribe
is the name which they gave to the stream
thy inhabited and an occasional dam COW
cred over with bushes and moss.