Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-02-04
"WITCHING" FOR WATER.
In operation That May Occasionally Re
Sac, I'm Newly Settled Parts.

An operat,op That May Occasionally Re
Seen in Newly settled Parts.
mTbose fellows who 40 about telling peo-
nle where to dig wells are quite numer-
Gus out west. and are always called water
witches I've seen lots Of them"
GLOW do they do it" asked the reporter.
"I at me tell you about one Of them and
tbep you'll know. I'll pick out one whom
I saw about ten years ago when ! WAS out
In the territory Of Dakota. I'd gone there
TO grow up with the country.
II settled In q paper town, that ia to say
m a town that had been laid out on a map
Into streets, squares and sites for churches,
public schools, opera houses and hundred
thousand dollar hotels. Two hundred dol
lara would have put up all the buildings
IN the place. There wasn't drop of water
to be had In all the town. The nearest well
was at least half mile away.
"There were lots Of big holes about the
place that had been dug by thirsty people.
but they were all waterleas.
We've got to do suthin right away
said the oldest inhabitant (he'd been there
six months). I'm in favor Of holdin a mass
mcetin'
II acouiesced, and the others who were
spoken to were willing and so 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, and be-
fore knew it | had declared it carried
Then somebody passed round the hat for
money. Being the chairman Of the meet
ing. felt that must chip in literally, and
.I,.f+ l. bat
witch was. | proposed to show my new
friends that they had made no mistake in
sizing me up as fit man to preside at one
Of their important meetings. Besides |
hadn't had "a bath for week. and felt
desperate,
THE second day after the meeting the
water witch came to town-a grizzly, beard
ed fellow, muffled up in what looked like IA
fur lined buster, blue wooden comforter
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 In
| habitant ADDRESSING me. what kind Of n
| trade shall we make? The water witch of
| fers to witch for us and not guarantee for
| ten dollars. He'll guarantee for five dol
| lars extra
Guaranteed ! exclaimed.
"'Yes; guarantee us water
by all means let him guarantee, an
swered decisively We need water so
badly that five dollars isn't worth looking
at
THE witch took his fifteen dollars and
set himself to work. He crasped the
| Tshaped willow by the arms an arm in
each hand and held it SO that the long
piece stuck straight out 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 t.
the oldest inhabitant, said mourufully
| 'Fraid l 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 in hi.
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 ye" exclaimed the old
est inhabitant oXultin2ly.
| The next day the digging began"
And what came of it," asked the re
porter.
"a hole eight feet in diameter and O
hundred feet deep, us dry as dust from tor
to bottom"
"And what about the guarnntorW
He'd sloped when we sent IL man to call
him to account. New York Times.