The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-02
NEw USE OF Il DIvINING ROD.
The Rev. MI. Rredin Raising Money for His
Church By LocatinE alinca.

MINNEAPOLIS. Dec. 31.-The Rev. A. G.
Fredin Of Dayton, Ia, 10 In the Northwest for
the purpose of raising money for the Swedish
Evangelical Lutheran Church by means of the
diyininR rod. The Rev. J. J. Jesperson, business
head of the Lutheran College at Rock Island,
and the Rev. John g. Hultkrants are anon
those who believe In his power to do this. SO
are Q number of miners. His terms for discov-
ering veins of copper. silver, gold. or other val
liable ores, are a bonus. which may be as high
an 81. 900. and q tenth interest. The money so
obtained is to go to the synod of the Swedish
Evangelical Lutheran Church. to be used for
the church itself. for its missionaries. both homo
and foreign, or for its schools.
When O young man In Sweden. Mr.. Fredin
SAYS, he accidentally learned that by holding a
wire in his hand no could trace out on the sur
face the location Of mineral veins that were
then being worked under ground. A mino
owner convinced him that his power came from
heaven and should DO used TO assist the church,
and that 1t would be better for Fredin to have
nothing to do with 1t till he was an older man
and In o country that presented more oppor-
t~unities for prospecting and mining. Frodin
came TO America later and settled in Iowa. Last
May he and his wife, who had persistently dis
oouraged the use of the divining rod. felt that
the time had com for him to make use of his
power.
"The hand Of God was on me-" says Mr..
Fredin. e and / began to make D PREPARATIONS for
what believed was not to be delayed. In juno
| Of last year I went to Cripple Creek and other
mining districts, and there traced out to my
| own satisfaction many veins on the surface at
mines that were icing or, rated. and aftorward
compared my trseings with the actual facts as
they showed under ground. j did not feel any
doubt, but 1t was thought best to test the power
that Tknew well i had. 1t did not fail. then
dedicated my power to the Lord and the Church
OF my faith. / designated the work necessary
to be done to find three mines where there
were no surface indications and all have since
been opened and are doing well. Later, 1
went to the copper country OF Lake Superior,
where thousands Of my faith and country dwell.
mines, whose developments are satisfact ry to
their owners. From there. = few weeks ago. l
went 10 the northwest corner OF Wisconsin,
where some explorations for copper were under
way, and told the explorers where they would
find the veins they were after. They found
them, and ex-Mayor Stark weather Of Superior,
on whose land i worked, has received an offer
OF a large sum for the mine that has been opened
in part by, reason OF the directions l was able to
give him"
After Mr.. Fredin left the copper mines he
went TO central western Wisconsin. Within q
week he found In West Sweden and Trade Lake
townships three or four veins OF copper.
Fredin IL about 80 years of age. His methods
are similar to those Of the seekers OF veins of
water by tho forked willow twiR. erasping In
both hands n rod OF metal similar to the mineral
over the ground. When passing over a vein the
force Of the metal rod is enough TO bend him to
the ground. BY tho bendinRs of the rod he 10
able TO locate the walls OF the vein.