Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-02-25
"MTcHlEe" FOR WATER.
An Operation That May Occasionally BE
Seen In Newly Settled Parts.

An Operation That May Occasionally BE
Seen In Newly Settled Parts.
"Those fellows who 20 about telling peo
pie where to dig wells are quite numer
Gus out west, and are always called water
witches I've seen lots of them"
"How do they doiti" asked the reporter
"Let me tell you about one of them and
then you'll know. I'll pick out one whom
saw about ten years ago when was out
in the territory of Dakota. I'd gone there
to grow up with the country.
81 settled in a paper town, that is to say
in a town that had been laid out on Il map
into streets, squares and sites for churches.
public schools, opera houses and hundred
Thousand dollar hotels. Two hundred dol
lars 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 waterless.
"'We've got to do suthin right sway,
said the oldest inhabitant (be'd been there
six nIonths). Pm in favor of holdin a mass
meetin.'
81 acquiesced; and the others who were
spoken to were willing, and so the mass
meeting was called. About twenty came
ali there were, and was made chairman
of the meeting. There were remarks from
several persons, and then up got the oldest
inbabitant and moved that VIC hirs 3 wate:
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, l felt that must chip in 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 rs a 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 Il
fur lined duster, "a blue woolen comforter
| tied about his neck, with the ends Tapping
In the wind,
"He had 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 a
trade shall we maker The water witch of
fers to witch for us and not guarantee for
ten dollars. He'll guarantee for Eve dol
lars extra
"'GuaranteeP exclaimed.
"'Yes; guarantee US water
"'By all means, let him guarantee, an
swered decisively. We need water SC
badly that five dollars isn't worth looking
| at
"The witch took his fifteen dollars anG
set himself to work. He grasped the
T-shaped willow by the arms, an arm il
each hand, and held it SO that the lont
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 mournfully
'Fraid shan't find no water here'
| "'Keep on, old man. shouted. Dom
| give it up
"He rested awhile and then started ou
| again. Suddenly his stick turned in hi
hand and pointed to the ground.
dig here he said, an Pll guarante
you'll find all the water you want
'What'd l tell YEP exclaimed the old
est inhabitant exultingly.
'The next day the digging began"
"And what came of it?" asked the re
porter.
"a hole eight feet in diameter and
hundred feet deep, as dry rs dust from to-
to bottom"
"And what about the guarantorP"
He'd sloped when we sent man to cal
him to account. New York Times,