RESULTS OF BEAVERS’ WORK 149 
down the Arrow Head Lakes and by way of the 
Crow’s Nest Pass east again over the main line.” 
It is fairly safe to presume that the builders of 
the large dam had been killed some time ago, so 
that the structure, no longer in repair, broke under 
the pressure of the water. And yet the railway 
people are bitterly opposed to beavers being allowed 
to exist, because occasionally the animals dam the 
culverts, and so raise the water against the railroad 
embankments. No credit is given to them for the 
thousands of floods which they have prevented. 
The evil and not the good is noticed and the animals 
are condemned without a fair hearing. Their side 
of the case is too often entirely disregarded, and the 
sentence of death is pronounced to the misfortune 
of all concerned. I have frequently heard it argued 
by those interested in the lumber industries of 
Canada that the beaver should be killed off because 
they destroy so much timber. Even to the casual 
observer such an argument must appear little less 
than ridiculous. If the beaver is to be condemned 
on that score what might be said of the lumber- 
man whose reckless waste of timber is apparent to 
all who visit the northern woods. But that is not 
a subject for this book. Our interest is in the 
beaver. Of course they cut down trees, cut them 
down in order that they may have food, just as the 
lumberman does that he and his family may live 
and earn a decent livelihood. The question is what 
sort of trees the beaver cut, and are they responsible 
