The Savannah morning news., 1901-07-27

ing surface indications of the lay of
the sub-strata and the natural course
of subterranean streams, cisterns, or
| pockets which water would naturally
seek. One such a man is to-day en-
ployed by the largest of the air COM
pressor concerns in this country, and
another is junior partner in a firm
| which makes patent air-lift for rails
ing water from great depths Both of
| them have operated for years in all
parts of this country as well as in the
| West Indies, and both are constantly
employed. OF course they do not tell
| their secrets to Investigators.
| One of them obtained his engage
ment some years ago by submitting to
| severe tests upon the suggestion of his
employers, who had heard of his
| success, and sent for him to
come to New York. He was taken
| down town to one of the sky-scrapers
| in process of erection. and asked to
| find from the sidewalk the location of
| six water pipes running inc the build
| ing underground. He located five and
| stopped. Upon comparing his marks
with the plans, it was found that he
| had skipped one supply pipe. He then
| said: There is no water running
| through that pipe; l cannot locate still
water. 1t must be a stream creating
| friction or 1 cannot detect it. 1 could
| not find an underground ocean If it was
still" An investigation was made.
and, as he said, the water had been
| shut off from the pipe which he had
missed
The man was then taken up the Hud-
| son, where a we'll supply was to be
| established for a town of considerable
| size, and he walked over five or six
miles of land before he chose spot
upon which he said dozen or more
wells could be driven and the required
supply insured. Then he drove stakes
at points which he selected, and the
party returned to the hotel, not entirely
| convinced. One skeptic remarked to
| another that evening: IF this man
| does not work by view of the surface
| features he can do just as well in the
| dark. Let's give him a surprise and
| take him out again tonight"
That night the surprise was sprung
upon him. One of his employers told
| the water finder that another tract of
1 land had been offered to the company,
| and asked him If he thought that he
| could locate water at night The man
| was tired but he answered quickly
IF you have any doubt of that you
| can blindfold me. | should like to
| have you make the test They drove
| to the same tract in a roundabout way,
| blindfoided him, and let him go over
| the ground again, driving stakes as
| they went along. In the morning his
| employers looked over the tract, and
| found that each new stake was driven
| less than six feet from one of those
| first driven. and in several instances
| they were only a few inches apart.
! That settled the matter with the COM
/ pany but many other tests of his
| capacity were afterward made. In
one case he told some people who were
| laying out the site of a real estate
| speculation that the only place he
| could find water was in the middle of
/ one of the finished streets, and they
| refused to bore there. They bored dry
| holes ON both sides of the street first,
and after expanding a lot of money
uselessly they took his tip, and found
a flowing well.
This is only one of score Of i'm
| stances. In one instance a city Sc
| cured a tract for a driven well supply.
| and his employers, who were supply
| ing the well borer, sent him out to
| look over the ground. The visit was
made in secret The we'll finder knew
nothing of the bargain the city had
| made for the land. He was an entire
stranger in the community, and was
| attended by a companion as ignorant
| as himself Of the affair He located a
| series of sites for wells and sent in
| a report. 1t was then found that. aft
| er going all over the city property. he
| had located the stakes upon property
| which the city had not secured. The
| well borer was told TO go on with his
work onAthe city property, and ignore
| the water finder. He did So and failed
| to get water enough to fill his contract.
| Then he secured an option upon the
staked-out strip intersecting the city
| property, and found enough water to
satisfy the demand without having
recourse to the sparse supply already
| drilled.
Much the same occurred recently at
| Belleville, N. J., where the same man
| was employed by a well contractor TO
1 find water. The water was found in
the bedrock everywhere. but the main
| supply, greater than that of all the
| other wells together, came from small
| number which the mysterious man To-
/ Gated upon the tract where the well
/ borer was becoming discouraged with
1 the prospect of filling his contract. One
! who saw this well finder go over the
4 Belleville tract said that he seemed to
ramble aimlessly round and suddenly
/ stop at some spot, trembling as IL he
| were holding the poles OF an electric
! battery. This observer said that the
| water finder held tightly clenched In
/ his hand two small metal cylinders
1 which seemed Ike brass cartridges.
This mans greatest rival is said 10
| have located many wells i'm Newark
| N. j. At the Feigenspan Brewery he
traced a stream diagonally across the
| yard from Freeman 10 Christie street.
/ and said that the flow was sufficient
on the property but was accelerated
\ by another stream under the walk
i on Chrystie street near the rear gate
1 way. Bore here" he said, and you
I viii find plenty Of water at $50 feet ="
| An ample supply was secured at that
point.
The country we'll finder, with his
/ forked branch Of witch hazel, In well
known Almost every community has
It's own water finder Of this type. and
the farmers swear 10 his skill IN finding
water with hts eyes shut. Some Of
these men twltch and trembe when
| they md, or pretend 20 hnd, under
ground springs and water courses
| while others show no emotion
Very LIKELY WIFE, somehow
Just feel IN my bones that we viii go
10 Eufone this summer" Husbands
In which bone DO you feel u mOst7'