Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1902-11-06
COLONY oF BEAVER.

II. G. Perkins, United States Sur
veyor, assisted by a corps of engi-
neers, have returned to this city,
having completed the work of sur
veying the old military road of the
Oregon & Central Land Grant through
the Cascade forest reserve for the
Booth-Kelly Company. The party
has been engaged in the survey since
the first Of August.
Mr.. Perkins tells of an interesting
discovery he made in the Cascade
Mountains, near the head waters of
the Willamette and Des Chutes rivers.
Far out in this remote wilderess the
surveyors found a colony of beavers,
100 or more in number, The colony
is situated near the middle fork of the
Willamette and not far from the base
of Mount Scott. The many little in
dustrious workers that comprise the
colony have damned mp the river at
the point Of this habita ion, causing
it to overflow in many places and
causing lakes several hundred acres
in extent to be found.
The discovery of this colony of
beavers is interesting and important.
These sagacious little creatures,
whose elegant coats Of fur have caused
them to be greatly coveted by greedy
man for ages past, have become
nearly extinct except in a few remote
localities unfrequented by trappers and
hunters. This colony is perhaps the
only one Of any size or number on the
Pacific Coast, and for this reason, as
well as the fact that it is a part of the
Cascade forest reserve, the Govern.
ment should take prompt action to
protect them.
Game Warden Quimby, who proba-
bly, knows nothing of the existence Of
the colony, can no doubt find in the
protection of these beavers an ad-
ditional and happy duty. The sur
veyors report that they saw a trapper
in the vicinity Of the beaver colony,
and feel confident that the much
priced, furry creatures are be-
ing caught A wagon filled with
traps was also encountered in the
mountain woods, and its destination
could easily be guessed As the colo
ny is situated near Crater. Lake Ma.
tional Park, It's protection viii mean
a valuable addition to the natural
wonders Of the park.
Dir. Perkins, who Is naturalist as
we'll as am engineer spent several days
near the colony, making a study Of its
inhabitants. lie said Il
was something wonderful TO note the
intelligence and skill, as well as rea-
son, with which those little animals
their dam and reservoirs.
While they do not reason out by math-
ematical formula the effect that water
has upon structures Of this kind, they
build them with all the
skill and ingenuity Of a hydraulic en-
gineer One Of the most remarkable
manifestations Of. their unerring skill
and certainty by which they construct
their hydraulic enterprise that Mr..
Perkins noticed during his visit with
the upper Willamette beaver colony
was the manner ia which the indus.
.rious little workers felled trees.
They use the bark for their food and
the limbs in the building Of their
dams and houses. Mr.. Perkins said
he saw stumps two feet In diameter,
from which tho beavers have cut trees
for their dams and reservoirs, always
rejecting trcos that lean from the
water, for while the beavers are good
loggers, they are better raitsmen than
they are timbermcn, their aquatic
nature preventing them from being
able 20 transport heavy logs very far
on land. However, Mr. Perkins said
he saw them transport brush aud light
limbs several hundred feet from tho
woods 10 the water, and knew some
Of them to travel several miles from
the river or any stream. Telegram
Correguondeuce.