Beyond the West: containing an account of two years' travel in the other half of our great continent far beyond the old West, on the plains, in the Rocky mountains, and picturesque parks of Colorado. Also, characteristic features of New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho ... Oregon, Utah, Nevada, and ... California, the end of the West ... the great continental railroad, together with the ... most wonderful natural scenery in the world .../ by George W. Pine.

TRAPPING BEAVER.
w:"shed up-unusual for the coluntry! The sticks
that have been stri )ped ari carefully packea up and
carried out, either to repair their damn, or be thrown
into the stream.
During the summer months the beavers leave their
winter home and travel about the streams, occasionally making quite long journeys. Should any remain at home they are the mothers of little families.
About the first of September the community return
home and begin their preparations for the responsible duties of the long winter months. This habit,
like that of the crowning work of creation, has exceptions. There are a certain few individuals, who
have no families, make no damrn, do no work, and never live in family lodges, but live by themselves, oyster-like, in a shell in subterranean recesses-idlers,
and the trappers call them "bachelors!"
Several of them are sometimes found in one abode,
which the trappers denominlate "bachelor's hall."
They are more easily taken, and the trapper is always glad to come upon their habitations.
The season for trapping beaver is spring and fall.
Should the business be continued in winter, they are
captured by sounding on the ice until an opening is
discovered, when the ice is removed and the opening closed up. Returning to the bank, search is
made to find the subterranean passage and trace it
I
t
I
i
I
II
II
I
i
I
I
I
I
i
I
t
I
iI
I
I
i
i
i
173
I
i
i
i
I
I
I
t
I
I
I
t
II
I
II