The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1906-07-25
Feafs OF the Beaver.

f6aI8 or ttl0 Beaver.
1t is wonderful what large pieces Of
wood beaver will move. I have fire..
quently seen cuttings Of cottonwood
large enough for fence posts that had
been moved over the level ground and
through underbrush to water several
hundred feet away.
If timber is cut on bank where o
down grade can be be had all the way
t, the streams much larger pieces will
be moved. Beavers ere very ekillfui
wood choppers and seldom fail to fei!
tree in the right directiou; that is,
With the butts all pointing toward the
trail of the stream, and never Telling
the top of one tree into the top Of an.
other.
Smooth trails are always made from
the scene Of the operations on land to
the water and all Of the material is
carried over them. If the outing
happens to be on side hill above the
stream slide not unlike that some
] times used by lumbermen will be
| made.
The cutting Of the large growth
stuff is smainly done in the fall and
| winter; willows, small poplars and cot
I sonwoods being used in the spring aud
summer. After getting down tho
larger trees the braEches are ala cut Of
| AMI made into lsngths aritsble for
| transporting end taken to tho water,
| after which the eEunk is cut up and 90
| much Of 1t removed Is possible.
The bark OF these pieces, which With
/ the tviga forms che principle item Of
/ food, is all knawed cff 10 the water or
at the houses. The barked sticks are
thea ussd in repairing or strengthen
log tho dams or stacked on top q The
house.
Beavers generally work on moon
light nights only, and scarcely ever in
the daytime, though they may some.
times be seen making repairs on q dam
when it needs immediate sttention.
! Contrary to the general opinion the
beaver does not always build . house
for himself, being content veg ossssssaa ossssssaa
with 9 burroW in the, bank Of the
stream. AS is the case with the houses
the entrance to burrow ia under
water, though sometimes there is an
opening frcm the surface through
which brush and sticks are carried for
| their food supply. ~. 49,. -.
These burrows are sometimes very
ooaaeaious and offfeF oeaaffo7zttabse
quarters for large colony. They seem
to be generally dug from the banks Of
. stream which is to swift to make the
building Of dams easy and which has
a deep channel. A seas beaver aho
has been driven ont by his fellows for
some cause or other is very likely TO
make" such . home in the bank Of q
stre-tn. - = =','' '.,... :. ~. . ~ -. -.
4 - = J . -.sr' re. .
i " aen . colony: OF beavers is hafsssed
BY it's enemies or when internal dis.
sensions arise . part or, the whole of
the colony will establish a new home
some. distance away. They lose NO
time in choosing . weak portion OF
ine river. whore the banks are well
wooded, and yesll at once to work. ::
Where the :river:is rapid one cf the
slow seaehes between the rapids is
choosen for adam. The wood isSout
above the dsmsite, sometimes st quite
q distance, and transported ID the va Ia.
| Iter. where il oan. bs easily moved down
stream. X! X Il its q, /, s:t4 II Il # %g ;isS2 i& i;
J the /. 2 sticks, sre placed more q ies,s
parallel 10 seaoh other, 80 :as "a, make
D compact ss:s s.:s s.:se, sua ;shs ocpnsinaa;;
,ops pile thus rssnlting extends directly
across she estrasm 5$it Z = q sss s5s, 81
3 s IN IIaSd il eohtinaalIy sasd 6 to all .ha
!. ,.'YI HGEFSTI IN
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