The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-06
THE OWNING ROD.
An Incident of Both Ancient and Mod
ern Oocultism.

From the PittsburP Dispatch
The diyning rod, often called the
Wand of Mercury and the Rod of
Aaron, - is a forked branch, usually of
bazel, and sometimes of iron, or even
brass and copper, by means of which, it
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, con-
| fined to 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 hand of the Lord and of magic in
| the hands of the devil. Jacob agrees
with Laban to keep his focks, and pro-
cured brood of striped younglings by the
mystic means ofNDeeled twigs of poplar,
hazel and chestnut. The two most
memorable events in the escape of the
children of Israel from the land of Egypt
were the passage 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 the rod.
In profane antiquity, beside the Egypt
ians, the Cnaldeans were skilled in
divination by means of a rod. Divination
was practiced by the ScYthians, by the
Brahmins of Persia. by the Brahmins of
India. in Greek mythology Minerva and
Mercury produced their miracles by the
use of a wand, writes John Robinson in
the Newcastle, England, Chronicle. For
instance, Minerva. by touching Ulysses
with a rod, restores him to youth or
transfers him to an old man covered with
rags. The art of divination was known
to the Romans, whose priests car
ried the augural rod. But it was
only in the fifteenth century that we find
the divining rod turned Systematically to
the search of metals. 1t passed success
sively from Germany to Flanders. thence
to England. II has frequently been used
for the discovery Of hidden treasures,
stolen property. and the authors of crime
1t was not, however, until the middle of
the seventeenth century that the divining
rod was employed in the discovery of
water springs. The question of it's efficacy
for such purpose was proposed by Rob
ert Boyle, in 1855. to the royal society in
London as a subject for inquiry and from
that day to this the opinion of mankind
has been divided on the question.
LADY BYRoN's MOTHER HAD THE POWER.
During the last few weeks the matter
has been brought before the public of the
L
markable to find that the same subject
was discussed in the same district 100
years ago, owing to the remarkable pow
ers of diviuing possessed by lady of
quality in the district This was no
other than Judith Noel, afterward Lady
Mllbanke, the mother of Lady Byron
Miss Noel discovered her marvellous
power when quite girl, yet did not pub
liCly divulge it, for she was afraid she
ne ~ ~ crat &c
witch, and in either case she thought
that she would certainly never get hus-
band. The first indication she had of
being able to use the divining rod was
manifested when, as a girl of l6, she was
with her family at chateau in France,
the owner of which wanted to find a
spring to supply his house with water.
and for that purpose sent for a peasant
who would perform the feat with twig.
The Englishmen ridiculed the idea, but
agreed to witness the trial. The man
soon announced that he had arrived at
the object of his search The English
party now tried for themselves, but all
in vain, until it came to the turn of Miss
Foel, when, to her amazement and alarm,
she found that she possessed the same
faculty Of the peasant.
The possession of her mysterious power
was kept secret for many years. 1t was
not until DR.. Hutton, the well-known
Newcastle mathematician, published in
1903 Ozanam's researches, where the di-
vining rod was treated as absurd that
Miss Noel (then Lady Milbanke) wrote
letter to him signed x. Y. H., stating the
facts which she knew The doctor
answered the letter begging further in
formation. Lady Milbanke wrote again:
ana he, in a second letter requested the
name of his correspondent. which was i'm
mediately given Lady Milbanke, one
morning, showed the experiment to a Sc
lect company. She took a thin forked
hazel twig, about IL inches long. and held
it by the ends, the joint pointing down
ward. When she came TO a place where
water was supposed to be under ground, the
twig Immediately bent, and the motion
was moro or less rapid, as she approached
or withdrew from the supposed spring