The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-08-29
e AN q
EDUCATED
FOOL
BY j. A. BOLLE$
Copyright. 1902. by J. A. Bolles

Tor private use ana even IOr the eXtln-
guishment of fires.
Consequently the announcement that
old Peleg Williams was preparing to
dig we'll at the rear of his roomy
building, wherein he kept the principal
store in the fourishing village of Shaw
nut, furnished a topic for earnest local
| discussion. Everybody knew why he
had heretofore refrained from digging
a well-because there was an extensive
underground ledge back of his building
and everybody, too, had an opinion as
| to whether it was feasible to try to put
a we'll in SO difficult place and as to
how much the undertaking would cost,
even if it proved to be successful.
Peleg of course dreaded the probably
large cost more than did his neighbors,
who risked nothing except their reputa-
| ton as shrewd calculators concerning
the result. He was a hard headed,
close listed fellow, and he approached
| the unwelcome task with deliberation
and caution.
| At last he concluded that the wisest
| thing for him to do was to consult
Rube Whitney, well known manipu-
lator of the time honored divining rod,
| by which it was then believed minerals
and water could be discovered beneath
the surface of the earth.
| Accordingly one morning Rube, a
| shriveled specimen of humanity,
strange enough in appearance to be a
| wizard, came to the store holding in
his hands the best forked stick Of
witch hazel which he had been able to
procure after a diligent search in the
woods. On Rube's multitudinously
wrinkled and cadaverous visage was q
grave and mysterious expression, well
beftting the important role he was
about to assume. A large number Of
villagers who had heard that Rube was
to exercise his occult skill had gath
cred in the store and now gaZed on the
sage with curiosity and awe.
Rube looked at the crowd with pride
and was encouraged by the admiration
revealed in their countenances. Only
one face betrayed unbelief. 1t was
that of the new schoolmaster, recent
graduate of Bowdoin college. This
young man laughed in an incredulous
way.
Bloodless as Rube's aged face ordi-
narily was, it now flushed with indig-
nation. Never before had his assump-
tions as a master of the divining rod
been questioned by young upstart.
81 see, John Hollenbeck, that you
don't believe that can find water with
this here stick"
"Of course 1 don't" answered Hol-
lenbeck, who was an outspoken fellow,
often too outspoken for his own good
as he acknowledged to himself in his
cooler moments. at is nothing but q
superstition. Only people unacquainted
with true science believe in it, Learned
Investigators who have given the phe-
nomenon attention are satisfied that II
is simply due to strong impression on
the mind acting through the agency OF
the nerves and muscles"
big words, big Words" growled old
Peleg, vino, like many another practi'
cal man devoid of scholarship, had O
great contempt for what he called
bookish theories. "You want to show
your larnin'," he continued, "but you'll
find out, young man, that college don't
teach everything worth knowin'. Rube
has handled the rod for forty years
here and has never made q mistake.
can count up a dozen instances in a
mile where he has found water fol
people. There's the case of Widow
Simpkins. Only six months ago he
used the rod in her garden, and the dig
gers struck water only five feet down
too shallow and the water not colo
enough"
Hollenbeck was we'll aware that hi
was Drawing popular prejudice, but ht
was not the man to let matter droI
. to avoid disagreeable controversy.
> "With or without divining rod ont
Q can usually find water at q reasonable
depth" he answered, $50 that this skill
6 would prove nothing unless it could bt
shown that in the majority Of in
2 stances water was encountered where
2 from the nature of the soil or the rocl
! formation or from the elevation of thu
, land it was not to be expected eXcep
0 in certain exceptional spots. AS fol
A Widow Simpkins' well, it was dug OF
2 low ground near a brook where any
0 child would know digging would prob
2 ably soon reach water"
" The last remark was so pertinent
that it nonplused Williams, and on ac
count of his stubborn nature this mad,
!. him angry.
S whats the use of tallzin' longer
. We've got the facts. and you've got tn,
= theory" calculated Peleg. "We're plail
9 but sensible folks around here and nee(
. no instructions from edecated fools
z Come, Rube; let's begin the search TO
e water"
6 Reaching the plot of ground at tn
rear of the store, Rube Whitne,
stopped. and the others gathered abou
him in a circle.
"We all are pretty well agreed" sail
Rube, that the underground ledge i
% extensive here, but there may be thil
j: place in the ledge or a rift in it wher,
5. water runs, and if so the rod will sure
= ~ pint out the spot for a we'll"
n "You know what you're about, Rube
n there's no doubt DER that" emphatic
l. ally exclaimed farmer whose bush,
| hair had not felt the shears for months