New-York tribune., 1903-07-05
DAN BUILT BY BEAVERS.
Work Of animals Transforms
S5cGmp Long Dry Into Lake.

one warm aud lazy mid autumn afternoon in 1901.
Allen storm farmer. who lives about four miles
west Il Stroudsburg, Penn, having time TO spare
and sharing the Incidence of the weather. while
wandering over an inviting piece OF meadowland
not ts- from his home and in search of nothing
in particular came by accident on something SO
entirely rev 70 him thai his dEowsy mental facul-
ties were strongly disturbed and agitated-
Bordering The meadow on the south and running
hush with a much travelled country road was
swamp Of perhaps one hundred yards in length
and breadth. This swamp. which for years had
been. except after long continued rain. compara-
lively dry. was well covered with water So IN
usra! this incident that Mr.. Storm after part
ing the bushes ana peering within, saw what ap-
pesred 70 bA a small dam. such as boys sometimes
erect for psstme and the operation of a miniature
wsterwheel
extended Some distance 10 the right and left. and
convinced him that The structure was not the work
of boys. Making more thorough inspection. he
found that tbs dam began at one end Of the swamp
ard ran, in q zigzag course 10 the other. a com
plete and carefully finished bit Of workmanship
worthy Of mature master builders.
His curiosity now being fully aroused, he con
tiaued his Investigations Il places on the top or
the dam ne found the tracks OF animal with
which he was not familiar although he
quainred with al Of the known animals in The
neighborhood. and had no difficulty in telling an
2 q
their tracks Presently he came on some bits Of
wood Of various lengths which plainly showed the
markings ard the industry Of the teeth OF some
animal He gathered few of the sticks, and IN a
deep study carried them 10 Alexander Harps, who
keeps country store at Snydersville, about a mile
from the dam. Nj. Harps. VINO has some knowl-
edge % woodcraft and natural history looked at the
bits Of wood through pair Of good eyeglasses for
moment and then looking al the eXpectant Mr..
Storm over The lenses exclaimed. pointing at the
ends Of The wood:
That's beaver work"
Mr- Storms was At first incredulous. but beaver
work II proved 10 be.
TIE story that there was a colony Of beavers
within q little more than stones throw Of sny
oersEile became the talk of the neighoorhood, and
soon reached Judge Edinger, at Stroudsburg. on
whose farm the beavers lived. Judge Edinger had
DOUBTS Of the truth Of the story and thought that
ar EsTps had guessed wrong. Speaking of the
beavers the other day. the Judge said:
A. first was not inclined to give the beaver
story any serious credence or attention. To
strengthen stg more any doubt Of its authenticity.
farmer living near Snydersville came to see me,
ana TOD ne that some hunters had built a dam
N ny swamp 10 form a lake TO attract passing
uucKs ana provide the sport of shooting them from
"1Dusn' This seemed probable. and the probability
vas increased by the accompaniment of the
sporting farmers name, which is Frank Fabel.
muse AAlng for gun is equal to his admiration
ioF good crop Of corn.
Nf. Fable was in town few days later. and
--i,e- MN up and asked him. jokingly, what right
--eU 70 Build z dam on my farm TO make
,4As 4of ouck Shooting. He earnestly denied that
-Ie haa Gone So and said that the dam was the
u beavers. ard seemed surprised that I had
'I Oeen out 70 the farm 10 see the handiwork of
-isthous builders. ! then thought that it was
W. LLhe 70 visit the locality, and did SO when
-olNa that the story Of beaver dam was fully
l0''''Ineo' and I at once began measures TO pro-
ltct The little animals
nil7t research among local annals and converse
IONS With some OF the natives of Monroe County
''-sht 20 light some interesting but almost for
s'l'en incidents R. J. Snyder who has a well
,'@laeo knoTledge Of native wild animals, and who
III ne pursuit Of pleasure and profit has become
sAio! ualper recalled from tradition that
mere tAe present animals have their homes was
-9'1Eai beaver ground more than a hundred
80 ago. As the history runs, there was beaver
- 80 sSs man quarter OF a mile from the one
u" J0Hge Ednger's farm. Parts Of the
"a 1eIn still remain. and not far away is the
-'s1'er school House. which long ago took the
dam I'm '''e ''4 e'
-11 s-eHhosnce the return Of beavers 10 the OLD
--S5@d may have in connection with animal
-Nt OF Intelligence no one ia the neighborhood
..'5|os 1o know, but al talk about it TO the
-i'-'n end that 1T is natural beaver ground
instruction Of the present dam is 20 the
&c remarkably ingenious and thorough piece
-laaHship 1t is built. as has been said. com
- around the outer or northern edge Of the
1aIP and runs IN zigzag course. evidently 10
- contact with obstructive ard unstable objects
I straight ilae but possibly 20 increase its
- -'-Da aHc strength The materials used are
man stems. limbs I'D twlss OF trees carefully
- .'''' inside and our ana on the too with
- coating u mud The largest Of the stioks
-, - .'oia one io rwo feet IN length and from
70 eisat inches sa diameter
q, 50 a'e general PLACED q, CT near :he bottom
-''i-Hs y the daE- -, rop % the dam is
- t-rfe inches aorve the " t1r W-hica Is from
40 10 four feet dep
s,S 'iy 10 the general gepo~; eideiy circulated
be- 80 'inas fully bele". n re locality. the
ihe. - &c not acoat Two years ago. abandon
ra-o-, ~ can and 5csin 10 hu!ld q new ore This
-. sIe~ on' Of The fact that there were found
barl. 20 run4Fec Yards from the old cam on TIC
our - - -lc3-i -Aael nrooS which winds il and
E INC hills on Ole sias and the meadow