BEAVERS—THEIR WAYS. 61 
pers from the main stream who were located ata ranch 
with trapping for a winter profession. The animals 
had became so tame and confiding to man’s better na- 
ture that they fell easy victims to another class of the 
human kind whose hearts were callous by greedy 
desires, and in whose breasts the emotion of pity found 
mer vent.” 
The account of ‘‘Beavers as Fish Wardens’’ taken 
from the same journal, under date of September 18, 
1897, tells of the trials of the last family of beavers on 
Big or Lower Knife River, and known as the Hazen 
colony. It is the ‘‘same old story” as far as beavers 
are concerned, but a pathetic one in the attempts the 
poor animals made to hold their own. 
The Leader article read as follows: 
“On the Leader scribe’s recent visit to lonely Stanton, 
Editor Walker of the Pilot related the following as a 
recent event that happened on Knife River, and that its 
authenticity is well vouched for—and our previous know- 
ledge of beaver habits, have found many cases where 
beavers have put their “wits to work” under similar 
provocation. 
Somewhere near the Hazen neighborhood two or three 
beavers had escaped the general destruction of their kind 
in this beautiful stream—in fact of the very few left in 
the State—proceeded about a month ago to build adam 
and prepare for winter quarters. Some of the settlers 
with no fear of the fish laws to deter them—tore a hole 
in the beavers’ dam and put the unlawful set net therein. 
In the evening when the beavers went out to look at the 
mischief done their hard work, they fell upon the net and 
