The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-05-31
BEAVERS AND THEIR DAMS.
How the Little Animals Construct
Reservoirs to Live In.
From the Chicago Chroniell

From the Chicago Chronicle.
The beaver is a synonym of indus
try all over the world-an architect of
rare talent and builder who under
stands the minutiae of his craft. He
has in the past given many lessons of
value to man, and If the human build
er of houses will pay more attention
TO the methods of his fur-bearing con-
temporary he will learn still more, and
his blunders, now frequently conspic-
uous. will no longer obtrude them
selves. There is little difference be-
tween the European and the American
beaver. They each measure about two
feet in length, exclusive OF the tail,
which is about ten inches in length.
The body Of the beaver is covered with
fur. which gives to the animal its
chief commercial value. The fur is OF
two kinds, the one close set, silky and
of a grayish color; the other much
coarser and longer and of a reddish
brown.
Because of the enormous quantity of
skins used both in this country and in
Europe the American beaver was until
a few years ago rapidly becoming eX-
tinct. AS many as 200 900 annually were
at one time being exported TO Europe.
Recently. however, many OF the
American states have provided for
their protection by statute, and, as in
Colorado, trapping or killing is not per
mitted at any season. For its habitat
the beaver, although it sometimes ac-
cepts lakes and ponds, prefers streams
of clear running water.
Their Dams Are Artistic.
The beaver prefers deepish water, no
doubt because 1t affords better protec-
ton from frost When they build IN
small creeks or rivers, the water OF
which are liable to dry or be drained
off. instinct leads them to form dams.
They are many of them in the noun
tain regions of Colorado and some OF
great length and size. These were either
constructed when there were many OF
the animals still remaining in the
state. or they were a long time IN
building
Throughout the northern portions OF
the United States there are still TO be
seen in various localities these beaver
dams which were constructed many
years ago. One of these, to be found
on the north fork of the South Platte,
is at least a quarter of a mile in
length The materials used in the COLI
struction of these dams are driftwood,
willows, birch and poplars. These are
mixed with mud and stones TO con-
tribute TO the strength of the dam.
These dams frequently become so
strong by reason of frequent repal ing
and the growth into trees of the will
lows and poplars of which they are
composed, as to be capable of resisting
a great force of ice and water.
Beaver houses are made of the same
materials as the dams. In the con-
struction of the dams and houses fire.
quently trees several inches in diame-
ter are gnawed off by the beaver in
as smooth a manner as they would be
by means of an ak in the hands of an
ordinary laborer. When entering a
new home they fell the wood early in
the summer, but seldom begin the
of the house until toward
the end of August.
4 Beaver Romance
There is a story of the Beavers of
Beaver Creek" which is located just
below the foothills of the Rockies. The
story makes Full Moon, an Indian boy,
observe the building OF a beaver dam
by the beavers. And this is the way
liz which the process is described.
He had seen the stranger at last 1t
was the beaver. He strained his eyes
to get a better view while the animal
unconsciously swan up stream and was
Joined by a companion. They were so
Oea riV Of a size and IOolxad en- much