The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-07-21

! VIM VI tAC l't pointing OuIWdIu. Ou
gentleman of this city, who possesses tn
/ faculty of using the rod, makes use o
| two pieces of rattan united at one end b.
a brass cap. He takes the free ends il
his hands and spreads them apart, throw
ing the angle formed by the junction o
the two pieces outward, so that his bod,
forms the base of triangle, of which
the brass cap is the point. tits this pro
jecting angle which by its dips and mo
tons affords the indications upon which
the diviner relies. Another gentleman
of this city makes use of two pieces Of
whalebone similarly connected.
About seven years ago a camp-meetin2
| association purchased large tract O
wooded ground about seventeen mile!
from the city, on the Western Maryland
Railroad, for the use of the Methods
churches of the city. The Emory Grove
Camp is the largest held near this city
and is participated in by all the congre
cations of the Methodist Church North OF
this city. Gen. John S. Berry, a promi
nent layman of the church, was one of
the directors, and, as he is gentleman OF
means, leisure, and large executive
capacity, the work of preparing the
grounds for use fell chiefly to him. The
natural springs of water on the ground
were altogether inadequate for the supply
of large camp, and he made arrange
ments for digging number of wells
He knew that Mr.. Joseph Cushings had
the reputation of being able to find water
by means of the divining rod, and so he
asked him to come out to try his power
on the camp-ground. Mr.. Cushings went
out upon the grounds with Gen. Berry,
produced his rod, and, as he walked over
the grounds, it would every now and then
dip, indicating points at which water
would be found. Not only did he locate
the spots, but he also gave the depths at
which the water would be found his
statements being afterward verified by
the excavations made. In this manner
every one of the pumps now in use on
Emory Grove Camp-ground was located.
Gen. Berry, en- making a trial of the rod,
found that it moved in his hands also,
and experiments showed that he was en-
dOwed with the faculty.
In order TO show that the theory of I'M
conscious direction of the rod by the per-
son holding it will not fit the case, the
following narrative of the manner in
which the most abundant water supply
on the grounds was struck will be of in
terest. In using the rod the practice is
to walk around in a large circle, so that
If the diviner chance to pass over sub
terranean stream two points upon it will
be located, thus showing its direction.
In doing 50, one day, Gen. Berry was sur
prised to find that the rod dipped at
three points of the circle, almost equi-
distant. He was puzzled to account for
it, and kept making narrower circuits
with the same result until he reached a
spot at which the downward force of the
rod was usually great. He had well
dug there, and the fact was discovered
that two subterranean streams made a
junction at that point, thus showing that
in his circuits the rod had pointed out
the stream and both tributaries.
l was once on the grounds during the
progress of camp meeting, and Gen.
Berry consented to show me the process.
We walked together in the woods, and
the end of the rod dipped downward
several times, but l had no means of
whether there was, in
deed, subterranean waters at the spots
indicated. Finally we approached a
bridge across a stream, and ! had an
of closely examining the
motions of the rod. As Gen. Berry APP
preached the spring the projecting angle
reared up until, when directly
over the stream, it dipped rapidly
downward, finally pointing directly down
ward to the water. In order to show that
The action of the rod was not due to any
impaired by his hands, Gen.
Berry proposed that should hold one of
the free ends in my hand, while he would
allow the other TO rest on his open palm.
We did so. took a firm hold of the
end of the piece of rattan which formed
one side of the angle, and, holding it
stitf1y and rigidly upright, did my best to
prevent the brass-capped point of the
angle from bending downward. But
nevertheless it did so, pointing directly
down to the water, the elastic material
Of the rod being bent into a sharp curve.
[ could distinctly feel the traction of
force like weight at the angle of the
rod, and meantime Gen. Berry's hand
was open and supine.
Now, if the motion of the rod was
to it from our hands, how
was it that force operated in a direction
directly opposite to that in which | APP
piled my manual strength?
Besides Gen. Berry and Mr. Joseph
Cushings, Mr.. G. Sydney Norris, prom
nent hardware merchant of this city,
now deceased, possessed the power. MIR.
Cushings has experimental with the rod,
and has a rule, which he acknowledges
to be entirely empirical, by which he cal
culates the depth of the water from the
motions of the rod. He is more sensi-
tive diviner than Gen. Barry, and can
follow the course of water-pIpes in the
flooring of house or water-mains in a
street. The use of the rod produces in
him great acceleration of the pulse, and,
if prolonged, feelings of nervous ex-
haustion, Gen. Berry, who is very tall,
robust man, is in no wise affected Bal
tinaOre Cor. Chicago Tribune.
go