CHAPTER VI. 
Tae Dovuaiass River CoLontes. 
S far back as 1867 when the military authorities 
gn took possession of the country about the mouth 
of the Douglass River, in the territory now known as 
northern McLean county, there were two widely diverse 
beaver colonies on that river. The larger of the two 
was located about the mouth of the stream and running 
back about three miles where the river enters the 
bluffs. These being -‘brush’’ beaver, they had fine 
dams and had every appearance of a thrifty colony as 
we view them through human eyes. They were also 
a happy community judging from their numerous play- 
grounds and industrious as their numerous works testi- 
fied, 
The military accupied the reservation about the mouth 
of Douglass River for a period of seventeen years— 
1867 to 1884. During all that time the beaver there 
clung to their homes. True mighty gorges of ice oc- 
casionally came down with the spring break-up on the 
big Missouri, driving them from their homes and de- 
stroying their dams. They would have to begin making 
homes anew when the desolating work of the elements 
were over. While an occasional poaching trapper lay 
around beyond the military environs and killed a few of 
them they colony were in a flourishing condition when 
