White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1872-04-11
BLETONIyM.

query in q recent number of the Cincinnati
Times induces us to reproduce the following, which
was published under no less authority than that
of the United States Senate, as "Senate Document
lie, !" in the Patent Office Report for 1851. 1t is
contained in a letter to the Commissioner of Pat
Wisconsin, january /, 1857
"Bletonism is defined by Webster to be the
faculty of perceiving and indicating snbterrane-
GUS springs and currents by sensation; SO called
from one Bleton, of France, who possessed this
faculty. Some call it divining, or raising the
divining rod; some water philosophy, and others
water witchery.'
1.-THE most ordinary instrument used is a fork,
of peach, hazel, OF willow, Of the last year,
growth, to be small, slim, and full of sap.
The tip ends placed horizontally in the hands,
the palms Of which are upward; this brings the
fork upward in the shape of an inverted V-thus,
A-and in the hands of those with whom it will
wOrk-for it does not work with every One-this
forkend is attracted by the WATER if living spring
water, under ground, but not by dead standing
stagnant water: nor what is called seep water.
1t is also attracted by silver, iron, other metals
which attract the electric fluid; for electricity is
the secret of the matter, after all. But to the
facts:
"In 1912 settled on a sprngless farm in Ohio,
expecting to obtain water by digging a well. A
neighbor Of mine, who had ON adjoining farm
obtained good water only fourteen feet from the
surface of the ground by means of this Betonsm,
urged me to try the same MEANS But being of
the class who could not, rather would not, be-
leve in what could not comprehend, declined
resortng to what to me, as to Others, appeared to
he consummate nonsense, and spent my leisure
time the dry time for three years in digging, but
found no WATERS At length, desparing of finding
water in this way. and having a curiosity to test
this new science, invited a water philosopher
to try his skill for me. 1t is proper to observe,
that this man an independent farmer man
of intelligence and of high moral worth; and as
he performed in this matter without fee or re-
ward, had no possible ground for suspecting any
design of hunbuggery ON his part. And further,
he told me that he knew more of the reason,
the why OF wherefore, it worked in his hands,
while it would not in those of others, than did.
BY mere accident he ascertaned that he was 'One
of 'em;' and, on discovering this he experimental
until he discovered this fact-that the rod would
he attracted ut an angle of As degrees and that
from the point ut which the attraction commenced
to where the attraction was perpendicular, would
Indicate the depth to dig to reach the water.
All this, however-his high character and his
explanations-did not remove my donbts. He
prepared his Peach-twig fork, and placed him
over well which had dug, and was ut this time
full Of surface seep-water; wishing, if possible
not to lose the labor thus expended. But this
seep-water had no effect whatever the rod.
The operator then Travelled slowly, keeping INV
eye upon the rod and his hands, see if the turn
ing of the rod was not from the motion of his own
hands, At length the butt OF fork lend of the rod
went down, the operator holding his hands upon
the rod SO tightly to prevent it's slipping that they
turned purple, and could plainly see that the
twigends of the rod did not slip or turn round i'm
his hand, but that the twigs actually twisted so
that the bark broke and gave way. When saw
this, gave it mp. What saw with my own eyes,
api that, too. against strong Preiudices could
not doubt. He selected the point where the din
Of the rod was the strongest and measured the |
epth by the As degree rule, and stuck the stake
to dig by; and in the ensuing autumn, when all |
was dry, dug and fcnnd the depth, quantity, and |