The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1907-10-01
WORK DONE sy rHs BEAVER.
Ability to Cut Thinker and Handle II
Busiest on Moonlight NIuhte.


Busiest on Moonlight Nights.
II is wonderful what large piece
OF wood a beaver will move, says a
writer In outdoor Life. have FIRE.
quently seen cuttings of cottonwood
large enough for fence posts that had
been moved over level ground and
through underbrush to water several
hundred feet away.
IL timber Is cut on q bank where a
down grade can be had all the way
TO the streams much larger pieces
will be moved Beavers are very
skilful wood choppers and seldom fail
TO fell tree in the right direction;
that, Is, with the butts all pointing
toward the trail to the stream, and
never falling the top of one tree in.
10 the top of another
Smooth trails are always made
from the scene of operations on~land
to the water and all OF the material
is carried over them. II the cutting
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
stun is mainly done In the fall and
winter; willows. small poplars and
cottonwoods being used In the spring
and summer. After getting down the
larger trees the branches are all cut
Off and made into lengths suitable
for transporting and taken TO the
water, after which the trunk is cut up
and as much of II removed as pos.
slble.
The bark OF these pieces, which
with the twlgs form the pricipal item
OF food, Is all gnawed of in the
water or at the houses. The barked
sticks are then used In repairing or
strengthening the dams or stacked on
top OF the house.
Beavers generally work on moon.
light nights only, and scarcely ever
In the daytime, though they may
sometimes he seen making repairs on
a dam when II needs immediate atten.
tIon.
Contrary to the general opinion
the beaver does not always build a
house for himself. being content very
often with a burrow In the bank OF
the stream. As Is the case with the
houses the entrance TO q burrow is
under water, though sometimes there
Is an opening from the surface
through which brush and sticks are
carried for their food supply.
These burrows are sometimes very
and offer comfortable |
quarters for large colony. They
seem TO be generally dug In the banks
u stream which Is too swift 10
make the building OF dams easy and
which has a deep channel. A lone
'eaver who has been driven out by
lis fellows for some cause or othc,
5 very likely to make such a home in
he bank of a stream.
When a colony OF beaver ia harassed
" Its enemies or. when internal dis.
ensions arise a part or the whole ot
no colony will establish a new home
ono distance away. They lose no
ime In choosing a weak portion OF
he river, where the banks are well
'ooded, and fall at once to work.
Where the river is rapid ono OF the
low reaches between the rapids IA
hosen for a dam. The wood ia cut
hove the damsite. sometimes NJ
ute a distance, and transported 10
he water, where II can be easily
cross the stream.
The sticks are placed more or less
arallel with each other. so as 20
lake a compact structure. and the
lie thus resulting extends directly
nds directly across the stream.
Mud is continually uFcd 70 All the
terstloes as the dam grows In
eight. AZ some distance up stream
10 house Is now built. slso OF sticks
I'd mud, in as seeluded and mac
'ssible a place as possible. |.
In the dayo OF our grsat.grund-
theirs the beaver was a resident Of !,
any streams and small iahss all the :
ny from Maine to Oregon. He IL
wv numbered among our rare AMI.
'ls, and few years ago seemed
omed TO total extinction.
Recently some OF the Northwest i
atcs have given him a certain y
lount Of protection. and in favorable :,
calities of this region he is now - y