New-York tribune., 1908-06-28

The dam was most cunningly constructed No
man could have built better one ,i,, ~
-,ade of the branches of trees and logs. MANY %
+be 1ooe were six inches in diameter. ne prdICieS
and logs we're knitted together most adrolIiH an,
were covered with leaves, grass and fnud % con-.
r,etelv did the dam ObStruCt the creek 'i''I '' ~
P,d was created extending nearly half mile up
stream. ~, ,. La,,1 W..
f-,d all our traps full We killed the beavers mat
~ bee ca,,qht in the traps by striking them on the
head with heavy club. After we had einptled ou
+raos Raiser walked out the dam and found thdt
the warm weather had melted the ice III places
tb zoos and tree branches He tried TO loosen them
and soon found several that yielded to MS elio'IS.
He drew out three four loose logs and then thru'
long pole down into the dam ms OF course
CONSERVATION among the poor little betNefS ali',
they began to run through the tunnel that served
them as a doorway and opened above the water me
on the bank | stood at the opening CLUB III ha1ld' @
and killed the beavers they came out. mat
morning | think We got twenty-five beavers
1t seemed cruel to kill the beautiful httle AM
mails and | sore of conscience but theIe WEI ,
two good reasons for killing them one was III.
we wanted their pelts That reason alone 1nl9ht not
have justified us; but the second one did. IL was
this no orchard could live IN the nel8hDoTho0d 81
a beaver dam The little pests gnaWed the Dark
from the Young fruit trees and killed them as iSt as
the farmers could plant them. But they ana even
greater damage than this. Their dams block3de9 I
the streams backing the water over the bottom l1
and running it for agricultural purposes
Il have heard great deal of sympathy eNpreSsed
for the thousands of wild animals that were saugh-
tered by the settlers III cary IdNS, ~ IL ''t'
to the death between man and the beasts OF tne tnei
forest The settlers greatest enemy was tleSe Nliu
animals The fox, the mink, the weasel the coon
the 111skrat would often depOpulate large poultry
l-ard IN one night TURKEYS chickens, ducks, and
Geese could be raised only by keeping them con
Stantlv in sight or by contnng them in substantial
buildings, and the farmers were too poor to con
struCt these
Two or three bears and herd Of deer once
destroyed large field OF young corn Tor my
father In one night he lost an entire season
| .l,,,- TaT1F
winter Baser's father lost SIX fine tat shoatS
that he was saving for his winter meat Bears
killed them all in one night BIZ Master o9I
nineteen sheep between sunset and sunrise
tell YOU the settlers had to kill the game or
move out of the country But l was always -
soft hearted about it, and now that the poor s,
animals and birds conquered, would not
shoot one in cold blood
Il have hunted the beasts and the birds Of
the forest as much, | suppose as any man OF
nv wears: but stopped when the foe was con
0,iered and now the poor wild things should be
allowed TO live. There not many left and
the rich farmer of to-day IS able to protect
himself against them But when was boy
we had to kill them IN self defense
pUT | must get bach, to the story Of the flood
ID The weather remained cold and Balser and
| were so busy taking pcIts that we had for
gotten what we said about the thaW. during
the warm days the ice had broken, and 1t was
banked up in huge piles at the drifts and bends
in the creek. The drifted ice 50 completely
damned the stream in many places that a
warm dav and a heavy rain might flood
few hours but clung to the cabin.
One morning awakened to find the sun
as bright and almost 5 fair May
day Two such days would spoil the snow
After feeding Solomon, Balser came back to
the cabin where getting breakfast, and
said Wen go home tomorrow, sure. Tom
ANDY Bill or we shall be flooded.
By noon the weather warmer, the sky
was overcast with clouds, and the rain began
to fall IN torrents. We knew then that the flood
would soon come; we prepared for instant flight
But we had waited too long By four O'CLOCK, the
food was coming down the creek like a tidal wave.