I 



RESULTS OF BEAVERS' WORK 173 



enjoyed. He was never in a hurry to be taken off, 

 and at moving time he was always waiting eagerly 

 to be lifted on. As soon as he noticed me arrang- 

 ing the pack, he came close, and before I was quite 

 ready for him he rose up, extending his hands in 

 rapid succession beggingly, and with a whining 

 sort of muttering pleaded to be lifted at once to 

 his seat on the pack." There are many instances 

 of Indians having tame beavers, some of which 

 grew up in the family having been taken as kittens 

 and nursed by the squaws. From this and all 

 other accounts the beaver is shown to be a delight- 

 ful pet, cleanly in habit, good-tempered, quiet 

 and gentle. The only objection to them is their 

 predilection for mistaking chair and table legs for 

 growing trees and cutting them down. The fact 

 that they cut down trees is rather a serious argument 

 against having them at large in private parks. The 

 only way to keep them and not suffer from their 

 peculiar habits is to set aside a portion of a stream 

 for their use, and have a vigorous growth of aspens 

 or some equally quick-growing tree partitioned off 

 into small lots. A low iron fence is sufficient to 

 keep the beaver out and they could be allowed 

 access to one part until they had fairly well cleared 

 it of timber. A certain number of trees could 

 always be safeguarded by means of wire netting. 

 The animals, having to do the work of cutting, 

 would keep in good condition, far healthier and 

 more vigorous than if fed with cut up food. In 



