Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-10-10
the MAYNARD W,TcH wANo.

i THE MAYNARD MITCH WAND.
j A Democrat man ons day last wes
strayed up on top Of ths ridGe last nortl
OF TIE house Of George A. Briggs, wher
the veteran stone layer, A. @. Dudley
and hia crew, are at work deepening an
enlarging Z well Of the Hillslde Watts
Co. Now right on the crest Of the ridge
~ many Of oar readers know, IL . de
pressiou which, even In this drought
shows that there Il quite lot Of wate
there when water In TO be found any
where--A condition nearly contrary 4
fact at the present time. In this depres
sion, within a radius Of about the dis
lance one could throw good lusty cat
are four or Ave large roof-covered WE'LL
which supply considerable OF the eprina
water furnished TO customers By tn
local water companies of South Paris.
As this II = part Of the municipality
that the reporter had not yet got fully
mapped In his mental geography, he be.
gan To inQuir. about the surroundings,
and Mr.. Dudley pointed out the wells
he, 1.-THE vein that supplies this well that
we are at work upon comes across right
here In front Of where We stand, and the
vein that supplies Briggs runs shout
parallel With Il, over the other side OF
the sag. "ril show you." and going to
his wagon he pulled out witch hazel
wand.
Tuis called out an involuntary smile
that WAS slmost audible from the report
cr. When his mental m ke-up was
pieced together, the supply OF superstl
ton, venerstion and sentiment was low,
and those qualities unfortunately had to
be left out, so that sll he possesses Of
them IL little veneer around the edge
OF his mentality, put on by education
and liable TO split of 40 any time. As .
consequence he hss sgnostic tendencies,
with an inclination 10 disbelieve In
everything that cart be explained by
known rules OF philosophy, chemistry,
or human nature.
He had seen a witch wand In the
hands Of the honorable justice OF the
Supreme Judicial Court, now held at
Paris, etc., pull down at = certain point
In hotel Office until IL almost reversed
It's position, but was disposed 10 regard
the occurrence as at most Q manifesto
ton of some unexplained force which Ia
governed by no known rules and which
has no relation TO any material portion
OF the earth's surface. In fact, he re-
garded IL as q mysterious thing, but no
more 10 be relied upon for indications
than the babblings Of a crazy man.
However, Mr.. Dudley took the wand
in his hand aud started of across the
pasture. Sure enough, at the point
where he had indicated the first vein Of
water the wand dipped, then rose again
as he walked on, dipped again as he
crossed what he had called the Briggs
vein. then rose again A. he reached the
wall on the farther side.
"Now I never tried It," said the re-
porter. but III bet five dollars that that
won't start bit In my hands,
"well," said Mr.. Dudley, sits cleo
tricity that does that. II you've got any
electricity Ia you it'll work. See here
He pulled out his jickknife and tied IL
TO the end Of string. and wound the
string around the forehnger Of his right
hand, leaving the knife suspended. Then
he held the palm OF his left hand under
the knife, and imm, distely the knife be-
gan TO swing Ia a small circle.
You're swinging that with your fin
GER" suggested the reporter, who
as he sighted by the finger 10
question be could discover little sway.
"No," said Mr.. Dudley, "l'm holding
INV arm pinned down TO my side, and
keeping my hand as still rs possible.
You see there isn't any electricity In the
other hand"
He reversed hands, and the knife hung
as still as the pendulum OF grsndfather's
one that stopped-short.
The reporter took the knife and string,
and placed them In position. The knife
hung like plummet for several seconds.
Finally IL began to swing little, and
the motion increased until quite little
circle was described. He reversed
hands, and the result Was absolute lack
Of motion.
THAT stick will work In your hands"
said Mr.. Dudley, AS he passed 1t over and
showed how TO hold it.
The reporter walked back and forth
over the top OF the hill for some time
without sny sensation other than that Of
holding forked stick firmly In both
hands. Finally, after be had crossed the
water courses several times, he stood
still for while. The influence, what
ever IL Was, had been slow about getting
10 work, but IL got there just the same.
The tip Of the wand began to dip, and
kept pulling, harder and harder, until II
felt as II a five-pound weight were hitch
I'd 10 IL, and the hands got too tired 10
hold it.
The fact was established that the
thing would work, after fashion. The
reporter tried IL over several times, but
always with this peculiar result, that the
location seemed 10 have very little 10 do
with the pull. After II once got 10 pull
ing Il would keep on, harder and hard
er, wherever IL was, until the hands
would have 10 ease up the strain. Only
once did II bend back upwards, and that
was away oat over the brow OF the hill.
Finally the reporter left, after sscer-
tanning that as far as he could make out,
the whole hill, except one little spot,
was full OF water. His hands were red
from holding the twisting wand, and he
felt as II his nerves had undergone 3
strain. So he mounted his wheel and
rode up TO the spring by Swift's Cros-
sing, aud took drink Of the cool, clear
stream which runs from the sand bank
la such abundance. The road down 70
the meadow looked exceedingly pleas
ant In the light Of beautiful October
afternoon, and as he looked at his watch
and decided that the universe could be
run without his personal attention for .
few minutes, he started down the road
on little journey OF exploration.
Over scros the meadow lie woods and
river, and the flaming naples which
stood at the portals Of Goods first
temples" seemed to wave an invitation.
So over he went, and strolled along the
river bank until BY chance he struck in-
TO q thicket OF witch hazel. The spell
was on again at once, and whipping out
his knife he cut a wand and started
through the woods. Across dry "run"
without a particle Of pull, but In the
driest part of the woods the thing began
10 dip hard. By carelessness just then
one end OF the wand was broken of, and
lie went back sitter another. A good
one was secured, but several minutes
travel about the woods failed TO dis
cover any sign.
The woods yielding nothing. the re-
porter started back across the meadow,
heading for the brook which runs from
the spring. Clear TO the stream he
walked, without q movement OF the
wand, and standing directly over the
brook, that stick pointed fixedly and
quietly upward at an angie Of forty-ive
degrees.
In disgust the reporter walked back
across the meadow and stopped In dry
spot. After few minutes the wand be-
gan to dip. Back to the stream he
..,yal aud uhen tina hvook uaa ras oh