Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-07-01

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be extended in the South, giving the
farm more homemade manure. Sell
neat, wool and colts; buy cotton-seed
cake to feed and fatten the soil.
/ THE WONDERS OF WATERMELON
ERYs
To the Agricultural Editor Of the Union and
American
FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn, June %, 1875.
The season for well-digging is upon
us, and with it the annual debates upon
the theory of rhsbdomancy, or divining
the presence ofwater with wand.
After hearing one Of these discus
sions yesterday, I discovered that the
issue was not so much whether there is
an unknown force or influence, bat
whether the force or influence is to be
attributed to the presence of streams of
water, under the surface of the earth.
Those who have noticed the discus
sions In the Rural Sun and other pa
| pers on this subject, viii remember that
the unbelievers have always combatted
the theory that water was the in
huence or force, which acted on the
aVand.
1 have therefore attempted in theen-
closed article to state what seems to
disinterested observer and listener, to
be the only question which need now
to be examined. When I had compile.
ted it and read to an intelligent and
trusted friend, he inquired if business
was not very dull, when I had time to
devote an evening to such folly and
nonsense, but it was done and I send
it 70 you; you can, if you see proper,
publish both this letter and the enclos-
ed article. Respectfully, $50
Does not the testimony of thousands
of intelligent and honest men to the ex-
lstence of a particular phenomenon-of /
men not swayed by the influences of |
gain, orreligious prejudice-deserve the |
! respectful consideration of scientific !
men? Many men belieUe that thepresence |
Of water under the surface of the earth |
can be indicated by the turning and !
twisting Of a switch o. wand in the |
hands Of certain persons, and this /
power or belief has been called rhab- |
dOmancy. We see men, intelligent /
farmers, every summer and fall digging
for water under the directions of some
water-witch.
The seeming absurdity has been
demonstrated time and time again.
Thsquestion to be first determined,
is not whether water and its depth can
be determined by the use Of a switch,
but whether the wand in the hands of
certain persons held in a certain way
does move, turn from side to side, up
and down, without aid from the opera
tor and against his efforts TO prevent
It.. Let the investigation commence
with this and no more, let it be deter
mined whether there is an effect, before
the cause is looked after.
Gallileo's first proposition was that
the earth mOved-sO far as the fact
was concerned the cause of the motion
had nothing to do with it. 1t is not
yet known why the magnetic needle !
points toward the North Pole, yet the
fact exists and is known to every one.
1t is true It is no criterion of the
truth of a proposition, nor is the unbe-
lief Of the multitude proof of its false
hood. Scientific men, 1t seems to me
however, prefer to investigate those
alleged phenomena which have few
witnesses rather than those which have |
a cloud, and to this extent rhabdo- |
NANCY is able to offer an inducement
to science, for the number who believe
in the working of the wand" are COM
paratively few.
Let it be borne in mind, then, that the
question is not whether water and it's
depth can be Indicated, but whether !
the switch is Influenced by any cause.
What then Is the character of the
testimony in favor of the alleged facts
mo stranger than the movement of the !
needle?)
First, many men of intelhgence-law-
yers, doctors, farmers, mechanics, re.
hgious and irreligioUs, orthodox and |
heterOdoX, believers and unbelievers-
tell US and are willing to swear that
under certain conditions a forked
switch held In both hands exhibits mo-
tons right and loft, up and down,
along and at certain places, which are
entirely beyond their control and inca
pable Of explanation. These witnesses
are impartial, disinterested, Indifferent,
free from prejudice, seeking neither
gain nor nOtOriety.
But, says the scientific man, they are
honest, 1 cOncede, but they must be |
mistaken.
He fails, however, to resort to the
usual method of experiment. When |
some other obscure and unscientifc
man, no matter how honest and dis
eliminating, tells what he has seen,
everyone says he is either mistaken or
is lying.
About the following experiments, it
would seem there could be no mistake,
yet few Will believe them true, except |
those who witnessed them.
Mr. G. is a medium I'VE will call |
him that IN whose hands the switch !
works. He does net know the cause,
and does not care whether 1t is one
thing or another.
He expressed a willingness to take
the switch and trace a line fifty or one
hundred IeeG long, ana Iucu dlJeI Lt- |
ing made as blind rs Justice" and !
turned and led from place TO place, to {
indicate the line he had marked, every
time he was led across 1t. The expert
ment was made and the observers, not
given to readily believe In the mira
cles, testify that the line previously
traced was indicated with unerring GER
tainty.
IlAgain, three of these mediums"
without concert or collision, and at
different times, have marked the same
line, along and across which the same
influence, whatever 1t is, produced the
same effect upon the switch.
If these things are true, the exist
ence of the phenomenon is proved, the
cause Of 1t may then be Investigated.
If any one should be anxious enough
to investigate this alleged fact, the
operator should be honest and intelli-
gent, the line should be of his own
choosing and isolated from other lines
Of a like alleged influence.
There are already hundreds Of honest
-, Il, ~. o,rseko,,o, & L. h ]