The Worthington advance., 1879-04-24
"WdTER WITCHING"

EDITOR ADVANCE: Some time
since in looking over some articles on
various matters claiming the atten-
ton Of scientists and others, I found
one from the pen of DR.. Beard, of New
York, and others, OH the subject of
''witching for water' as it is called.
will just copy sufficient of the
articles to show what reason is given
by them. 1t is from the Review Of
Medicine and Pharmacy for the month
of Sept, 1875:
Again since not one individual in
forty in the localities in which the vir.
tues of the divining rod are st i'll held AS
al article of faith, is found to obtain any
results from its use, it becomes obvious
that its movements must be due not; to
any physical agency directly affecting
the rod, but to some influence excited
through its holder. And that this in-
fluence il his expectation of the result,
may. l think, be pretty confidently af-
tirmed. For it has been clearly shown
by careful and repeated experiments,
that while the rod dips eChe,s the dipin-
er kno,cs o. 6etieres he is orer q ,cater
spring o. metallic rein, the results are
uncertain, contradictory or simply 9eg-
atire, 'chen he is blind; folded, so as not
10 be aeoure precisely ,cherc he IS. Tie
following is i striking case of this that
has been lately brought to my knowl-
edge"
IA friend Of mine," says DR.. Beard,
IAN aged Clergyman, Of thorough integ-
rity and fairness. has for many years
the larger part Of his natural life, be-
lieve, enjoyed the reputation of being
especially skilled in finding places to
dig wells by means Of Il diving rod of
witch hazel, or the fresh branches of
apple or other trees. His fame has
spread far, ard the accounts that are
given by him and of him are to those
scho think human testimony ,corth any
hinq, Overwhelmingly convincing. lie
consented to allow me to experiment
with him. found that only a few mo-
,nents were required tO prove that his
fancied gif. was i tlelusion, and could
ho explained wholly by unconscious
muscular motion, the result Of expect
ancy and Incidence. In lis own
yard there was known to be Il stream
of water running through Il small pipe
Il few feet below the surface. March,
ing over and near this, the rod contin-
ually pointed strongly downward, and
several times turned clear over. These
places l marked, blind-folded him,
marched him about, until he knew not
where lie was, and took him over the
same ground over and over again; and,
although the rod went down Il number
Of times; 1t did not once point to or near
the places DreUiOuStu in(liCQtelD
Lust Wednesday happened to be up
town and noticed that Mr.. Skoog had
been called upon to locate we'll by the
means above mentioned. l was iMme.
diately interested to find out how it
was done if possible. / watched Mr..
s. and became fully satisfied that he
was honest in his belief aad that he did
not of himself turn the stick. I then
thought | would get him to allow me to
experiment little. Accord dinghy after
dinner in company with others who had
become interested we blind-folded Mr..
public square, leading him by circuit
the stick tarned clear down and every
time it did so marked the place, un.
known to Mr.. s. and finally brought
him out OF the square and led? him up
past the spot where he had been indi-
eating water in the morning and there,
over the same spot tho stick turned T.
gain. Here he was tried number of
times and always indicating the same
spot and once when he past 1t was ask
ed "wliere is the water now?" and he
answered behind me.'', The hanlker-
chief was then removed and led him