The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1853-02-26
Finding Water by the "Divining Rod.

The Boston journal, from which we copy
the following article, vouchcs for the scien-
tific character of its author.
MR SLEErEE: In your paper of Janua-
rv l., read with great interest an article
upon Rhabdomancy or BlctoniSm, and it gave
me the more pleasure to see tlat what has for
wears been regarded as an unmcanng super
stiton by many, has found its way into pub
lie print which will ensure to it fair invcs-
tgation,
From nv carly hoyhood | have often anus
ed myself in travelling through the fields with
my divinin@ rod in hand taken fresh from
peach tree. to satisfy myself whether there
were VEINS of water beneath mv feet, WHOSE
flow was as quick and silent as the blood
within my own veins; and have often found
to my delight, upon grounds where there was
not the least visible appearance of watcr,with
its surface parchcd with drought and grown
over with mo>>-vcin> of water beneath ii.
some to the depth OF more than one hundred
feet, AMI others rising to within few feet OF
the surface.
For the last half a century the art of find
ing water ~ the use of the. divning roI ht,
been understood in the town Of Nort! S;on-
in-ton, in Connecticut. There a gentleman
resides who is consulted lay those about to
build in order to know ii living water can lc
found at or near the site selected. and To
know also the. e.dcIth necessary to he du. in
order To find the water. And strange a> it
may appear, those who have dug for water
where h, has declared it to l,.. have never
failed to find It in single in>tan e.
y t"w years sincr, was wa'kin. through
a field IN Stonington with friend, when he
informed me that he was about to build a
house there, and tearing that he should bc
troubled in tia,iin. water that he hal i few
day h.tor" called upon Mr Crlmh CHE zen
rlrmrn referred ta) t" locate i well inr him.
That Lr had passed li> ..,.'- rr,F over the
f-'i, AMI had selected the mos: t.,o~a' 'e spot
for h;m.ul~-,. h. assured TIN, w..,., ,o,r.i
ty foam! 4; the depth Of ten feet, Bu'. >ai I
ny tr.rnl. 30 many have tli,Iabout here anI
t.,;lc!, thar | am wantin. in fail
Itol him tia; the carrc.rn.>, 1t li> >car.l.
t',~ water ra,,lll. r.., .,lI,+....l. .r,. 80 r,,.,
"a, H.. n..-.a,in,,, ,...,.~ OF, H.. ,o,.,,.., ~.
,r,,,, o.r ...'f.l f., H.. ,r. ... .........;.
,,.,! t,,lox IN ,',. eva. r;... -. ,,,.,... -,
thun-l Il lun!r.l wear. ~bor,I :,,,.,,.,... -, !
,rI l.,r,.l. anal ,.,.,.,.,,..,.,. J., .1.....,
= j., ~I,L1.r,,n..,. ..,r.,..,.,.
o,. ,r..n,,. or r,.,..,,,;,, l.u ...
.l.Jl...I,..,..r
;,,,r,l
I,.,....,,..l .,... lr., u,
-,
~, nav. ...,n.1. ..,..,-,.
..1;
'''''' >'''''''-
;n., 60 a., r:I..
- Wv - IT, '''''' '''''' ;
'' T. >''I' '''''. .''-.-'.' =
''''N y" t'" '"'"'" p"' the place
"'''' '''' "'''' 'tt'"''" nearest [" The sur
'' !''''.'' ""' y III! '''c'i' ana ne III re-
49, W. ~ ~ '''''''' 'o'' NE '''a' I'ad
'''''', = '''' '''' 'N''' Si''' '"'t VII 'rnnI'
'''' = - '' anu ' ''' ''' a'So Traced The
''' "' "'''' "' ''S> ''i' ic'u III Tie same llnt
"''"> ''''' '''l> haH the >ati>iac-
''' ,'7 "''' ''"- upon 'f' >pof d'>I@
'"',' was "' appearance OF water
'''''' NV "''' "'> S''''A to '''' d'Pfh OF nn'
''''' -A'''' P">>'"- through thln soil, f"'
'''' - ''7''' '''' 'l'' 'af'h was composed
''''''' win H''-'h' mixture
'''''' '''''' ,,'"'' VI '''h'h''' 'I''
''''', "l''''' ''-@'''- 'n'o 'i''S anon
Wv ~ =, NV ~" was >'''r'''' anu ;" ral'''
$780,, ,...,.u '''' ,''' N''' '''.' '"'
,..l: ~ { '''' "'''''''
an, .,l :; nm % i',t"' e
,ho ,ro.ont .h,ua 49,, ',' ''',' '''"' ''''''' !
,hnn,,,n.a :, -. ...n c Nt ".'''
;, P'' ,''"' VI
c.. -. ' ' pun '''' >"'
-, : III 'i''"
" '''''' '"' II ''0' "''s''" powers oi III
= '0u'
4 ''",''- an; '"'!''i iroi
t S''P water neither does living VEN conta
f''i''' .''' Vi "'''"''ion l"r