Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-02-11
"wTcHINe" FOR WATER.
An Operation That May Occasionally 10
Seen in Newly Settled Parts

An Operation fhat way
seen in Newly Settled Parts
Those fellows who 20 about telling peo
,le where to dig wells are quite na'ner
ans out west, and are always called water
witches. I've seen lots OF them
"How do they doitg' asked the reporter,
81 ct me tell yon about one of them and
chen you'll know I'll pick out one who'n
| saw about ten years ago when ! was out
! in the territory of Dakota. ia gone Ihere
- grow up with the country.
u settled in paper town. that u 70 s'ty
/ in a town that had been laid out on mar
I into streets. squares and sites for churches.
public schools, opera houses ana hundred
| thousand dollar hotels. Two hundred doi
lars would have put up all the buildings
in the place. There wasn't "A drop of water
to be had in all the town. The nearest well
was at least half mile away
4Tbere were lots Of big holes about the
place that had been dug by thirsty people.
but they were all waterless.
"'We'ye got 10 do suthin right away
said the oldest inhabitant (he'd been there
six monthsl I'm ia favor Of hoidin mass
meetin.
II acouiesced, and the others who were
spoken to were willing and 80 the mass
meeting was called About twenty came
all there were. and was made chairman
Of the meeting. There were remarks from
several persons, and then up got the oldest
inhabitant and moved that we hire water
witch The motion was seconded. aud he
fore knew it ! had declared il carried.
Then somebody passed round the hat for
money Being the chairman Of the meet
ing. felt that must chipin literally, aud
Ibid. | didn't know nor care what water
witch was. | proposed TO show my new
friends that they had nude no mistake IN
sizing me pfts iii man TO preside nj one
of their important meetings Besides,
hadn't had bath for a week. and felt
desperate
1.-The second day after the meeting the
water witch caae TO t0Wn--a grizzly beard
ed fellow, mullled up in what looked like u
fur lined buster. blue wooden comforter
tied about his neck. with the ends fiapping
in the wind
"He had Tshappd piece Of willow with
him, the arms six inches long. the other
part, say. eighteen inches long
"'Well, Mr. l.oriug. said the oldest in
habitant, ADDRESSING me, what kind Of
trade shall we nakeg The water witch OF
fers to witch for M and not guarantee for
ten dollars He'll guarantee for i've dol
lars extra.
'Guamnteef exclaimed
"'Yes. guarantee us water
by all means, let him guarantee. | an
swered decsiveIy. We need water 10
badly that five dollars isn't worth looking
at.
"The'witch took his fifteen dollars and
set himself to work. He grs,sped the
T-shaped willow by the arms, An arm IN
piece stuck straight ont in front OF him
Then in the solemnest manner Imaginable
he began making tracks across the prairie
Wherever he went the crowd followed
close at his heels.
Suddenly he stopped, and. turning TO
the oldest inhabitant, said mournfnlly
'Fraid shan't find no water here.
Keep on. old man.. | shouted Don't
give it up.
"He rested awhile and then started out
again. suddenly his stick turned ia his
hand and pointed TO the ground
" Dig here he said, An I'll guarantee |
you'll find all the water you want.
What'd tell yef' exclaimed the old |
est inhabitant exultingly.
THE next day the digging began"
And what came of itg" asked the re-
porter
"A hole eight feet in diameter and "A
hundred feet deep, ~ dry as dust from top /
to bottom"
And what about the guanntorf"
He'd sloped when we sent man TO call /
him to account. New York Times