The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1900-06-30
OWNING RODS.
Electricity Is Now SuppIantinS the
OlI-YimS Witchbazel Rran


The most notable patent for. divining rod
or metal finder issued in March last to
e. H. Brown. Several patents had previous
~ been granted for mechanical and electrical
contrivances designed to locate gold silver
and other ores, and a great many application
have been rejected for various reasons
The commissioner of patents would not, for
example, issue patent for n wtchhazel di-
Vln1ng rod, because that has been in common
use for centuries, and comparatively few of
the devices that have been offered in this line
involve original or meritorous features. To
secure patent the usefulness and practical
blllty, as we'll as the novelty Of an invention
must be demonstrated, and the dfvining rod
IN various forms has been IN use ever aimee
the time OF Jacob. Few people realize the ex-
tent to which the divning rod and its sub
stitutss are used at the present day to locate
minerals, springs of water. subterranean riv-
ers, hidden treasure, etc. There are people in
New England who still earn living that way,
and that is supposed to be the seat of our
highest civilization and greatest intellectual
attachments, although, as I have frequently
stated, the statistics show higher degree of
education in Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska.
Large numbers of successful oil wells in Penn
sylVania, Ohio and Indiana have been and
still are bored at points designated by 'oil
smelers." they call Them prosepctors in
the mining regions use magnets and all sorts
of electrical appliances, and in almost every
county of the United States in the agricultural
districts you VIII find farmers who still believe
in the efficacy of a spit rod of witchhaze
AS late as 1876 Mr. Charles I.attimer OF
cleveland, a We'll Known engineer, wrote a
book to demonstrate its usefulness in deter
mining subterranean water passages. the
dowsing rod,'' for the same purpose, is made
of two prongs of whaiebone, with end of
each fastened firmly in an empty cartridge
shell. Similar divining rods were used in the
times of Moses and Aaron Marco Polo found
them in China. Philip Melancthon the res
lieious reformer and friend Of Martin Luther,
testified to their efficacy and defended them
from the inquisitioa, by which they were de-
nounced and prohibited Divinng rods have
commanded the faith and confidence of all
races in all countries in all times, and there
has been little Improvement in the design.
Electricity is now used, however, for such
matters more than the ordinary rod of witch
hazel and, as in the recent patent granted
to Mr.. F. H. Brown. the operator usually con-
meet with ordinary battery two wires which
are attached to two stakes. When he reaches
a place where he suspects minerals may be
found, he drives the stakes in the earth, turns
on the current, and, If the circuit is COM
pIeted by BODY of ore in the earth bell or.
some other annuncator connected with the
battery will announce the discovery. Springs
of water and subterranean streams be
located in the same way.
"A simple device consists of a rod with an
electrical battery and a wire on the top and
a wire running down the center. This rcd
IS driven in the ground. and L the end comes
In contact with ore minerals Of any kind
the result Is felt by the opera tor chicago
Record. 3,s 5sss sy