Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-02-13
"wlrcHINe. FOR wArrn
An Operation Tn At May be seen out W.
Once in "A While

] =" 81 may NC seen Out west
Once in a While.
u see that you had something in v,,.
/ paper the other day about water Wiz
es, SAID gentleman to a New YorL
Times Reporter. O'A
Yes, " said the reporter. Il baIisr,
that we did
We'll do you know that was entiraJ,
mlsled by the heading TO the storv ~
you printed? Until | read that storg
had never seen the tenn water wits6' y,
piled to the undertow of a moprts.
stream. | got the idea when | saw 49,
headline that what followed had SOM
thing to do with one of those fellows NJ
90 about telliog people where to dig we'll.
'lhey are quite numerous out ives and
are called water witches I've seen Iots
of them
How do they do it?" asked the ra-
porter.
"Let me tell you about one of them. and
then you Ii know III pick out one whom
! saw about ten years ago when was ont
In the territory Of Dakota. I'd gons
there to grow up with the country.
u settled IN paper town; that ia 10
say, IN town that had been laid out on /,
map into streets, squares, and sites for
churches, public schools, opera houses
and 100000 hotels. Two hundred All.
lars would have put up all the buildinos
IN the place There WASN'T a drop of
water to be had in all the town
The nearest well was at least half a mile
away.
There were lots of big holes about taa
place that had been dug by the thirsty
people, but they were all waterless. "
We've got to do suthin' right away.
said the oldest inhabitant (he'd been
there SIX months . IA in favor of hold.
IN, mass meetin'.
Il acquiesced, and the others who were
spoken to were willing, and so the mass
meeting was called About twenty came
AL there were-an9 | was made chair
man OF the meeting There were remarks
from several persons, and then up got the
Oldest lnbabltant and moved that we hirs
water witch. The motion was seconded
and before | knew it | had declared il
carried. Then some body passed round
the hat for money Being the chairman
of the meeting, | felt that | must chin
literally, and | did. | didn't know nor
care what water witch was. proposed
to show my new friends that they had
made no mistake in sizing me up as a at
meetings. Besides | hadn't had a
bath for week, and | felt scratchy aud
desperate
The second day after the meeting the
water witch came to town d grizzly
bearded fellow, muficd up in what looked
ike turlined duster, blue wooden com
forter tied about his neck, with the ends
tapping In the wind.
He had a T-shaped piece of willow
with him, the arms six inches long, the
other part, say, eighteen inches long.
"Well, Mr., LOring, said the oldest
addressing me, what kind
If trade shall we make2 The water
witch offers to witch for us, and not
for 80. He'll guarantee for
s5 extra.
Guaranteed / exclaimed.
" Yes, guarantee US water.
BY all means let him guarantee, /
decisively We need water 20
BADLY that IS isn't worth looking at.
THE witch took his SIS and set himself
% work. He graspod the T-shaped will
ow by the arms, an arm in each hand,
md held it so that the long piece stuck
straight out in front of him. Then in the
'olemnest manner imaginable he began
making tracks across the prairie. Where
ever he went the crowd followed close at
lis heels.
Suddenly he stopped, and, turning to
he oldest inhabitant, said mournfully;
Fraid sha'nt find no water here.
Keep on, old man, shosted, Don't
give 1t up
He rested awhile and then started out
lgain. Suddenly his stick turned in his
land and pointed to the ground.
dig here, he said, and I'll guarantee
'ou'l find all the water you want
'What'd tell YEP exclaimed the old
st inhabitant, exultingly.
the next day the digging began.
And what came of it?' asked a re-
,orter
"A hole, eight feet in diameter and
hundred feet deep. as dry as dust FROM
op to bottom
And what abou the guarantor2"
He'd sIoped when wo sent a man To
all him to account