Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-03-12
MATER WITCHES.
How They find Water with a Peach Tree
switch.
From ne Birning1am Ags.

fNf" tte AHffttNgfAft n 20
"Uucle Jack, | believe we witched
right that time for this we'll, because my
LEFT arm itches near the elbow, and that
sign never fails me-"
The speaker was Tom Henry, we'll
known well digger, who spake TO anoth-
er companion who stood near watching
him dig.
The scene was a Characteristic one and
was located Ia what was known a. "Na
bers' Grove" on south side. Tom had
marked on on the ground circular spot
four and a half feet in diameter, aud had
dug until he was almost hidden under the
ground. lie was smoking and digging
and talking 10 Uncle Jack. who sat on
stump Of one Of the famous old oaks In the
grove. He was smoking an old pipe that
wa presented to him during his days OF
slavery. he sat watching ms younger
companion, and theY were talking OF the
probabilities OF striking vein OF water.
A reporter overheard the word switch
ed" and asked the two well-dlgRers what
it meant.
Uncle Jack, who seemed to be best post
ed, said, with didsctic solemnity:
young Marster, hits dis or way. De
word witched is er old thing wild US well
diggers, and hab nebber failed us Wit.
HIT means
WITCHIN TO WATER
an am done wild err peach switch bout
two feet IOng, hilt in both hands in a GER
tain manner 80 dat we can discriminate
by its movements jis' whar de vein OF
water circumnaVigates, an, mOreober,
ncbbedeless, how deep 1t is under the
surface; also whether hit am strong or
weak
The wateT-Witch then secured q peach
switch and, taking each end in his hands,
held them With knuckles down, with the
fingers folded over the palm. He brought
his hands TO within foot Of each other
and bent the switch into the shape Of a
bow. The muscles Of the wrist caused
the switch 10 move as if held by a ner-
vous person.
"Dis," he said, ''are de way we begins:
We tn' out wbar de owner wants bis
we'll, and we walks ober de grOun' wild
de witch hiltlike dis. When we gifts ODER
de vein OBJ water de witch goes down by
bendin' to'wrds our feet. SIGH is witchln'
fur water, and il never fails. When de
water is fOun' is dis manner we locate
which way de vein is TuRRIn' by de way
de switch pulls, we then cross it aud
walk backwards and forwards to find out
how deep de well is got ter be dugged be-
fore de water is reached. Dis is found
out by de number OF times de switch mods
TO our feet, which, eff hit nod tWenty-eight
times, de well must be p feet. III hit
nod 20 times, den de well must be % feet
and 80 she goes. De way de flow OBJ de
vein am told is by de strenk BY which de
mods am 'cOmpanied. Dis well will be Is
feet deep, and Will have a strong flow of
water If our switch come true, which
VIII, for il never falls"
Tom was asked what he meant by his
left arm itching near the elbow. He re-
piled:
'$Boss, you may not believe me, but l
kin tell il gulne ter strike water by my
arm itchin'. Hit Amt never fail me yit,
an bin gone down in de ground for
many a we'll"
"Did you ever get in a well and your
arm failed 10 itch your
s'Yas, sir, boss, and Away comes out
en- ZEN. One time 1 was diggin' a we'll
and de boss man laughed at me when |
said my arm didn't have de water sign
on 1T. He told me 10 keep on diggin' and
l told him 1 would git no water. / dug
dat well 80 feet and never got water. We
switched about ten feet from it and when
l got down 10 diggin' about four feet my
leP arm 'gun fer ter itch, an / told 'em
so. We got water at 70 feet down."
JUDGE MoRRow's WILL.
Uncle Jack was asked 10 speak OF other
signs used by well-diggers to find water
locations.
cant beds is good signs. When Judge
horrOW's well was dug by me, ne WAS
undecided as to whar he wanted his well
dug, 80 picked out de spot by er ants
bed. When John, my pardner in de bust
ness, witched he would walk bout wild
de switch an cherry time he would stop it
would be Ober de ants bed. | tOle MIN
he was right, an when edug we fOun'
er splendid flow OBJ water at de depth de
witch said hit would Gomez
WOMEN's STORIES AND DILKEs
CASE