Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-01-02
A FAMOUS OIL WIZARD.
JACOB LONGS UNERRlNC FoRKED
STICK POINTS STOTHEFLUlD,

Recent Discoveries Made His Reputation
Nahonal-For Long Time Before the
OIL Fever Became Epidemic He Was
"eherahy Known as the Water Wizard.
At Jefferson, Ind, lives man who
has been famous because of his uner-
ring prediction as to the location of
oil streams in the bowels of the earth.
His name, says the st. Louis Post
Dispatch, is Jacob Long. He does
the trick with forked stick.
Twenty years ago, when yet in his
prime, Long was sought after far and
near. He was known as water witch
and whenever saw-mill or place of
residence was selected it was then
that Long was called upon to see if
nature had made provision for water.
By means of forked stick, one prong
OF which he held in each hand, and the
single prong pointing upward, Long
would begin his search for the vein OF
water. AS he passed over the vein
the forked stick would turn in his
hands and point downward.
So unerringly did Long perform his
work that no one thought of putting
down a we'll in his vicinity unless the
water witch was consulted.
Once, about twenty years ago, while
Long was searching for water his
forked peach limb performed such an
tics that even the diviner was amazed
When seeking to locate water the stick
always turned outward from him and
pointed down, but only when stand
ing directly over the vein of water,
and losing the strange power when it
was crossed. But on this occasion
the peach limb turned both inward and
outward and on any place within a
several-acre tract.
This phenomenon was more than
Long could comprehend. He studied
about it several weeks and finally
went to j. H. Dowell, man of learn
ing, and inquired what else could be
found in the earth. Dowell, after
enumerating many natural products,
stated that in some parts of the coun-
try oil and gas were also found. Long
then announced to his rural neigh
bors that under their farms lay vast
reservoirs of gas and oil. So absurd
did this seem that he was laughed at
and suspicious cast upon his sanity.
He tried to induce some of his ac-
quaintances to aid in proving his as
sertions, but without success. By
hard work he had secured little
farm, and when confronted by fnan-
cial difficulties he decided it to q
brother, who subsequently refused to
deed it back.
Long naturally resented this injus-
tice, and after q stormy interview with
his brother he decided to try his for
tunes in another State. He went to
Crawford County, Ohio.
During his stay there the county
experienced an oil boom, in which
Long and his forked stick cut quite
figure. Finding few who would
believe in his strange power and hay
ing no money of his own. he gave his
services for little or nothing. He
worked hard to accumulate money to
put down well for himself, but for
tune was reluctant to smile upon him.
He claims now to possess the secret of
/ pun VI Oli tuIco ullleS Wltl6 anu
little over a mile long in the Ohio
field, which he hopes sometime to test
and of which he has told no one the
location.
While in Ohio he learned that his
prediction made to neighbor in this
county twenty years ago had been
verified, and he returned here. His
predictions since then have been ac-
curate and precise, and he is now be-
ginning to enjoy the local fame he has
SO long sought.
Long is sixty years old and bach
elor. Although he was born in In.
diana, he can speak English only
brokenly and prefers German. He
admits that aside from being able to
locate oil wells he is the most ignor-
ant man in the country, being unable
to read or write, and knowing little of
4 the outside world.