The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-05-15
THE OWNING ROD.

From the Newcastle Csng) Chronicle.
The divining rod. often called the
''Wand of Mercury" and the Rod OF
Aaron" is forked branch, usually of
hazel, and sometimes of iron, or even
brass and copper. by means of which,
IL is alleged, minerals and water may
be discovered beneath the surface of
the earth The ancient use of a rod or
wand as an instrument of magic Is
known to readers of romance The use
of the rod for mystic purposes is not,
however, confined 20 fairy tales; for in
the sacred book of the jews frequent
mention is made Of the rod or staff. In
some passages the rod is represented at
the same time as an instrument Of
miracles in the hands of the Lord and
of magic in the hands of the devil
Jacob agrees with Laban to keep his
hocSs. and procured brood OF striped
younglings by the mystic means OF
peeled twigs of poplar, hazel and chest
nut The two most memorable events
in the escape of the children of Israel
from the land of Egypt were the pass
age through the midst of the sea and
the striking of the solid rock in Horeb.
when water sprang forth; both these
events were accomplished by the use OF
abe rod
In profare antiquity, beside the
Egyptians the Chaldeans were skill ed
in divination by means of rod Divin-
alton was practiced by the Scythisns,
by the Brahmins- OF Persia, by the
Brahmins of India In Greek mythol-
ogy Minerva and Mercury produced
their miracles by the use of q wand
For instance, Minerva, by touching
Ulysses with a rod, restores him %
youth. or transfers him into an old
man covered with rags The art Of
divination was known 20 the Romans,
whose priests carried the augural rod !
But il was only in the fifteenth century /
that We find the diyining rod turned /
systematically 10 the search OF metals |
IL passed successively from Germany 1
to Flanders, thence To England IL 1
has frequently been used for the dis
covery of hidden treasures, stolen prop 1
erty, and the authors Of crime u was 4
not however. until the middle Of the
century that the divining
rod was employed in the discovery 81
water springs The question of j.
efficacy for such a purpose was pro
posed By Robert Boyle. in 1895, % the
Royal society in London. as a subjec:
for inquiry, and from that day 70 this
the opinion OF mankind has been di-
vided on the question The matter
has lately been brought betore
II
gland Yet IL II rather remarkable 20
fnd that the same subject ~2s dis
FUSED IN the same district hundred
years ago. owing 20 the remarkable
powers Of diriEing possessed 81 LADY
q quality 10 the dis:rle. This was
ocne other than Judith Noel, after
ward Lady Silbarke, the mother 81
Lady Byron Miss Noel discovered her
power when quite s girl. yet
lid not publicly divuige IL. sor abe was
AFRAID she would be riaieuIed or get
he name Of . witch. and in either csss
he thought that she sozId cErtainly
,ever get husband The Era. spdies- |.
5on she bad q being sbie % ne the
liv.ning rod was manifested whea- AZ
girl of sixteen. she ~zs with her
ar.ily a. a cAztSss IN Francs. tbs
,wner Of which wanted % t1d = sPrlag c
o supply his horse with water. and for 9
la. purpose s~at fo- p>2szat sho
.oul2 perform the frat with = '1-g.
he En<iisb=zsen rsaseszled the i5ea. =
20, agreed % witness she trial The
7aa soon announced thai Re had ar -
.red az TIE object q bis search TIE 4
- q
II al u van EDil ]. cane 70 ths 4
srs OF MIS- noel when 20 her amaze &
eat and ssssEa sas s2saa &azS e. Z