The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-11-07
THE CHAMPION BRIDGE
BUILDER
W hat the Beavers DO and the Intelll-
gence With Which They Accomplish
Their Feat>.

h.avar If afai,,,. 1..e. 90, ,b..,ogoI,,,..
into trop,lo .brongh bsiso too hpsy
saws Lawrence r snitB i'm an article
in the youth,s comDanjog vim thair
sharn snade-like tooth they have ont
down too many nonlar aud o.bito-tircb
trees and win loqs and hrneb and
,o,,d have b,tlt too many dams IN e,,it
the lumbarmen Tho numerous com.
nlaints resnIt.d in tho one,irg of
various districts IN hunters and hmm
dreds of licenses were issued for the
taking OF these animals which far
many vears had boon nro,ee,.d NV ,au,
all over the STATE
Tbere is ma u.av of aeeertai,i,,,. ,..-
actlv or own annroyinateIv tho
.ouantitv of timber thar tx annually.
DESTROYED nv h.avar in Aisi,e Int vat
eran hnhermen saw that it ie CON
siderable However tho DAMAGE fins
suffered is slight eomnar1d With that
which raeulte from, tho do,,- h,,ildi,,.,
onerations of the Industrious lit,Ia ant
mails The dams often Hood largo
areas and kill tho forest erowtb Tbcv
also obstrnct fhe log drives For these
reasons the mmbernen comnIained 50
loudlv thar tho commissioners of in
land fisheries and game snsnended the
law in many localities whore baavor
abound and issued the licenses TO
hunters
The beaver nonrishes in MANY narts
of the vast timhered area in Maine and
has gained greatly in numbers nnder
the protection of the laws There are
scores of beaver houses and dams in
inner penohscot Washington Aroo-
stock. Somerset Franklin and oxford
counties Some of the dams are sever
al hundred feet in length. and so
strongly and skillfully constructed AS
to challenge the admiration of engi
neers There are three bpayer dams
on Bennett brook in the town Of Chill
ford. Piscataouis County all of re-
cent constructions which have flooded
the swamp lands for half mile on
either hand, and some quite remark
able specimens of furry builders skill
are to be found on Presquc Isle Brook
near Caribou. On tributaries of the
Keunebec the dams are so numerous
that they are a nuisance to lumbermen
There are animals of the beaver
family in some other countries, but
they are neither SO Industrious nor
so clever as the North American
beaver. which may be found in greater
or less number in every part of thc
continent. The farther north the
beaver lives, the thicker and silker is
his fur. Everybody admires the beaver
save the mmbermen and none but fur
hunters and Indians would do him
harm The fur hunters Kill him for
gain and the Indians for his meat.
which they believe is a food that will
prolong human life almost indefinitely.
An ola b,,,,or. Nh. b.. ,,,,,,+ ,,.,,,,.
hours WATCHING hoa,er ~ ,,orl, oivns
thom cradit for ASTONISHING inta1u-
aonco and remarkable onginooripg
skill combined with t;relees industr,-
He says that. unless frightened. they
will pursue their building operations
in the presence of human beings. But
although he gives the beaver credit
for energy and ingenuity. this obser-
yer declares that some writer's at
tribute to them powers what they do
not possess. For example. he says
that the beaver cannot. as many have
been led to think, make a stick or log
lie at the bottom of the pond without
weighing it with mud or stones. and
that even then the stick will sometimes
get away from them and rise to the
surface. They do not use their tails
as troWels. but carry the mud between
their chin and paws, nor can they al
ways make a tree fall in Just the dircc-
ton they desire. However. their con
venience, in this respect is served by
the fact that trees that grow along the
banks of streams or ponds naturally
lean toward the water
Neither do beaver ALWAYS remain
in one Mace. When the white birch.