Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-01-13
A HUMAN STORAGE BATTERY.
Peculjarities of Resident Of Joplin-Hs
He Locates Mineral.

Peculjarities of Resident Of Joplin-How
He Locates Mineral.
st. Louis Globe-Democrat.l
The Hon. Fred W. Mott and Colonel o.
A.. Haines who have just returned from a
visit to Joplin and theiSoutheast, relate a
peculiar story of human phenomenon, a
Mr.. McKinstry, who is astonishing the ma
tives there. McKinstry is six feet two in
ches tall, of somewhat angular and awkward
build, though 1.-THE and muscular. His pc
culiaritv is the wonderful affinity he has for
the earth and the vast amount of electricity
j hnis system-he being, in short, sort of
an immense human Leyden jar. They say
that when he walks over the ground few
hours he becomes thoroughly exhausted and
so limp and helpless that he has to be as
sisted home. But he has to keep walking.
for when he stands firmly on one spot of
ground for few seconds he becomes as if
rooted, and has TO have one foot assisted
loose, when the other can be moved, and
then, by treading up and down for min
ute, the electric current becomes broken, in
the course of which, however, the peculiar
sparkling incident, for instance, to brushing
But what is causing sensation there is
his claim of being able to locate mineral.
Most every one is familiar with part of the
process-walking over the ground with
forked peach switch, held horizontally in
front of the waist, either extremity grasped
in the hand, and the stem from which the
two branches issue pointing frontward.
McKinstry has adopted this plan, and i'm
m II IN TO he
ago he fitted up his simple machine and as
serted his ability, not only to tell where
mineral was, but Just what depth it could
be struck and the value of it. To search
for water he simply takes the peach switch.
In quest of lead he caps the knob by fer
rule of imposition, in which aluminium is
o large factor.
To discover zinc depositAhis gives place
to large one, in which plantinum predom-
mates. 1t is stated that whenever man
has delved in the earth at point marked
by him mineral has been found at about the
depth the witch" had promised. Superin-
tendent j. D. Vincil, of the Viroqud mine,
SO Mr.. Mott says, offered the human battery
s25 to point" out pocket for him. On
the other hand Vincil warned the witch that
in the event of failure he (VinciD would
kill him. So confident was McKiastry in
the virtue Of his charm that he accepted,
and going over the ground stated that zinc
would be found 26 feet below the surface at
a given point. Work was begun and the
shaft is now IS feet, and McKinstry still
hangs nonchalantly around. He has not
ordered coffin to date.
Mr.. Mott and the Colonel were so imbued
with faith in the potency of the trick that
they invested on the strength of what the
miners believe necromancy, but which
they, somewhat familiar with science,
account for by the popular philosophers
stone-electricity. Mr.. Mott states that
each one of them grasped an end of the
magic stick as it turned, thus supplement
ing the hold of the operator, but that the
attraction was 50 strong that it turned,
despite their combined efforts to prevent it,
even twisting the bark off the branch.
Everyone is watching for the development
of Vincil's test. If it succeeds they will be
elated by the confidence that at last they
have an open sesame to the treasures hidden
away in the subterranean recesses of the
earth.