The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-09-17


& *. & poachers and the cutting
g. W off of the forests in many
MGXNSkXN sections the Maine beaver
continues to thrive, and of late years
he has been remarkably busy in the
construction of dam and snug winter
quarters, the work in some places be-
ing of such magnitude and so cleverly
done that people have Travelled miles to
see and admire it. AT Caribou colony
of beavers built fine large dam, and
Were just completing their houses
when some miscreant destroyed the en-
tire works and killed many of the ami
mails by the explosion of heavy
charge of dynamite in the stream. The
beavers that survived were neither
alarmed nor discouraged, however, but
set Immediately to work rebuilding the
dam and the little houses, so that in
few weeks the colony was better pre-
pared than before for the long siege Of
winter.
The townspeopie were enraged at the
fered rewards for the detection Of the
men who exploded the dynamite, while
several citizens have gone so far as to
threaten to shoot the first man caught
inJuring or interfering in any way with
the furry home-builders, which are re-
garded with affection by all the people
there.
PECULIAR TO NORTH AMERICA.
An Aroostook County man, who has
spent his life il the woods and knows
all about beavers. speaks thus interest
1ngly of the little animals: THE beaver
is native of North America. In some
other countries there are animals that
resemble them, but their numbers are
limited and their works are insignifi-
cant compared with those of the Amer
lean beaver. All over this country,
from the great lakes to the Gulf of
Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the
Pacific, the works of the beaver are
found, the little animals still existing
in many States. They are very pro-
lific and if undistlrbed by their natural
enemy-man-their numbers increase
very rapidly.
The red man was, and is yet the
greatest enemy Of the beaver. The In
dams believe that the flesh of the beav-
er, when cooked and eaten, will prolong
life, and they will so long distances to
hunt the animals. The white hunter
comes next, and kills vast numbers
every year for the fur. When undis-
turbed in wooded country the ami
mails multiply rapidly and build SO
many dams that the timber on large
tracts Of land is killed by the overflow
of water thus caused.
y Il
''Thirty years ago the United States
Government removed the Bad Water
Indians, who then resided in the north |
ern part Of Michigan, to reservation
in the Far West. Seven years after
ward [ travelled over their old hunting
grounds with surveying party and
was surprised to see the destruction |
that had been caused by beavers in |
the big timber all through that section. |
( ENEMY OF THE LUMBERMAN
1.-THE lumbermen hate beavers, and I |
am told that a movement is now being |
made by the land owners in Maine to |
have them destroyed. They not only |
kill the growing timber, but their dams |
obstruct the streams and brooks down |
which the logs are driven. | have |
helped to cut away the dams and clear |
away the houses that obstructed some |
streams, and, returning three weeks |
later, found the dams and houses re-
built. and the streams again full OF |
brush.
1.-THE dams and houses are built of |
mud, sticks, stones and the green
branches of trees The beavers do not |
use their tails for trowels, as some
would have us believe; the mud is car
ried between the chin and paws. They
cannot make a stick lie at the bottom
of a pond unless they load it with
stones and mud, and then it often gets
away from them, and comes to the
surface again. They cannot make
trees fall in any direction they choose,
but, as most of the trees along the
bank lean toward the stream they will
naturally fall into the water when
gnawed off.
DESTROY DAMS BEFORE MOVING
Neither do the beavers live in one
place always. When the white birch,
willow and other trees on which they
feed begin to get scarce the colony,
after tearing a hole in the dam, will
disband. This always happens in the
spring time. One visiting the deserted
works will see the bottom of the empty
pond covered with short peeled sticks,
and the round hole in each house, near
the bottom Of the stream, that was
used for door. Go along up stream
and you will see several holes in the
bank in which the beaver hides when
his village is attacked and the houses
destroyed. The entrance to this hole
is always under water, if the dam is
intact; but if you take the pains to
follow ii I'M Won will find that If for