The Elbert County tribune., 1899-10-12
A HARD WINTER.
A COLD WINTER,
But Only Three-Fourthsa as Long as last Winter.
CBy OLIVER p. wioolss.,

ps OLIVER woolsss
From Denver Post
1t will be remembered that last year predicted of the
hardest winters in the history of the The o.
the day of the that the
months of ice and that tied the time
and swept of abore to their death hung
stair and warmer
had predicted Denver and the state would
be visited by snowstorm of severity
Whyl
had dogs playing almost feveshy together rolling
over each and barking when home the night Ask
Indian what that Where white dies pans
victim to the elements Indian roasting
campfire Their knowledge of woodcraf
they learn something of the wind the Forest Skies the wild life
of which they form part
have lived among them and these
years. l realize that their saying is
''Whie man knows heap. All - Beaver knows
five ahead what's going for
moon"
l believe am justified in the made Give an
old gray and colt dogs and will
be accurate weather predictions than the srcd official
who relies his metal instruments with the Greek Tho old
settler regards him curiosity.
The beaver has spoken again this year.
1t will be hard winter cold winter but only three fourths
long winter 1t will break March In the cottonwood
where live Haman, the first big falling
November lasted until April 1t nearly May last when the frost
came out of the ground.
have some who with me regularly and to day
heard from Garfield Mesa Colorado and from Mon
They the have laid their feed cottonwood
willow and poplar buryng tho winters supply at the bottom of
the and that quantity what last
year the eighteen inches high This
they eight inches From the feed of the dams In
dian would tell you that the winter will be hard but il will be
long the terrible months Of last year.
ls4O41 that the winter the hardest this country
The beaver dams twenty to twenty inches
height by little animals know They
make mistake trappers found this out
half a century ago.
you build his dsml If you haven't you
the intelligence cunning and hrewd judgement that
are their most prominent characteristics
the first place they cut willow poles the edge of the
pond cutting them in such that they fall into the
water poles feet according the depth
tho ditch cleared out the -Four
of the pole and place upright in the ditch
poles put together and heavy pushed each
side of them form the braces supports.
Two or three this another ditch of the
length is made poles bent in the form of the
letter logs placed hem that the tips
are caught securely All open spaces filed in
with sticks gravel mud the dam waterght On top
of the poles it is snugy paeed The home is complete
Thus this year they built second dam eight inches above
the pioneer report the height Of the dams made
my prediction last now in the mountains Watching inc pe
ers and will make shortly detailed report
Summed up conditions for before the
,e are entirely bare of green gold autumna coors
Next month will begin Our will be heavy and especial
in the periods of cold be and sustained
the story of March last will not be repeated There
will be spowds trouble with the and the streams
will he frozen but the damage will not make the winter
usually remarkable