Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-02-11
"wlTCHING, FOR WATER.
An Operation TIL 1T May be Seen Out West
Once in a While.

L see CnaG you naQ SOuet nlng In your
paper the other day about water witch
es, SAID gentleman to a New York
Times Reporter.
Yes, - said the reporter, II believe
that we did.
"Well do you know that I was entirely
misled by the heading to the story that
you printed? Until | read that story
had never seen the term water witch APP
piled to the undertow of a mountain
stream. | got the idea when | saw the
headline that what followed had some
thing to do with one of those fellows who
go about teliiag people where to dig wells
They are quite numerous out west, and
are called water witches. I've seen lots
of them.
How do they do it?" asked the re-
porter.
''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 paper town; that is to
say, in town that had been laid out on a
map into streets, squares, and sites for
churches, public schools, opera houses,
and 100000 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 the thirsty
people, but they were all waterless."
We've got to do suthin' right away, -
said the oldest inhabitant (hed been
there six months. 81 m in favor of hold
10, mass meetin'."
Il acquiesced, and the others who were
spoken to were willing. and 50 the mas
meeting was called. About twenty came
all there were-and | was made chair
man of the meeting. There were remarks
from several persons, and then up got tee
oldest inhabitant and moved that we hire
a water witch. The motion was seconded
and before | knew it | had declared II
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 a water witch was. proposed
to show my new friends that they had
made no mistake in sizing me up as a fit
man to preside at one CT their important
meetings. Besides | hadn't had a
bath for week, and | felt scra rchv and
desperate.
1.-The second day after the meeting the
water witch came to town d grizzly
bearded fellow. muffi cd up in what looked
like furlined buster, blue wooden COM
fOrter 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.
"WelI, Mr.. L ,ring, said the oldest
lnhabitant, addressing me, what kind
of a trade shalt we make? The water
witch offers to witch for us, and not
guarantee, for $40. He'll guarantee for
SIS extra
Guarantee! | exclaimed.
Yes, guarantee us water
BY all means let him guarantee, I
answered, decisiveiy. We need water so
badly that S. isn't worth looking at
The witch took his SIS and set himself
to work. He graspod the T-shaped vii
low by Che arms, an arm IN each hand,
and held it so that the long Iiace stuck
straight out in front of him. Then in the
soIemnest manner imaginable he began
making tracks across the prairie. Where
ever ne WenG the CrOWO followed close at
his heels
Suddenly he stopped, and, turning to
the oldest inhabitant, said mournfully;
'Fraid sha Mt find no water here
Keep on, old man, shoated. Don t
give 1t up
He rest awhile and then started out
again. Suddenly his stick turned in his
hand and pointed TO the ground.
.ts0ir, hove bo coil I'll
you ii find al! the water you want
"'What'd tell YEP exclaimed the old
est inhabitant. exultingly.
Tine next day the digging began"
"And what came OF it?" asked a re-
porter.
"A hole, eight feet in diameter and a
hundred feet deep, as dry as dust from
top to bottom. y
And what abouf the guarautor?
He'd sloped when wo sent man tC
call him to account.
Know the Cost of Your Crops.
If you have never done so before, make
| up y our mind that you will know the cost
| this year of every crop that you produce
| Upon almost all farms some crops are
grown at profit, while Others are grown
right along at a loss; yet, because no sepa
rate account as kept of the cost of produc-
| log each. we can not determine just what
| to cut off or 10 change in order to increase
our total profit. In estimating the cost OF
| a crop one must begin with the rental valu:
of the land Your fam is not all of equal
quality, and some fields would have a high
rental value because of their special fitness
for producing certain especially valuable