The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-03-15
OWNING ROO METHODS
FINDING WATER AND ORE
ANCIENT SUPERSTITION STILL
HAS ADHERENTs-hOW IT
ORIGINATED.

The idea that forked twig or So
called divining rod. is useful In 10
eating mr. detecting minerals, finding
hidden treasure or detecting GRIM
mails Is "A curious superstition that
has been A subject of discussion since
the middle Of the sixteenth century
and still has strong hold on the pop
ular mind. even in this country rms
Is evident from the large NUMBER OF
inquiries received each year by the
United States geological survey, de-
partment of the interior, as to the Ell
ticacy OF such twig. especially FOR
locating underground water To FUR
nish reply to these inquiries the
geological survey has published ii
brief paper by Arthur ]. Ellis on the
history of water witching, with a
photography that includes truly as
tonishing number of books and PAM
phlets on this uncanny subject
In summary the paper states: 1t Is
doubtful whether 50 much investiga-
ton and discussion have been be-
slowed on any other subject with such
absolute lack of positive results. 1t
is difficult to see how for practical
purposes the entire matter could be
more thoroughly discredited. 1t Is by
no means true that all persons using
forked twig or some other device
for locating water or other minerals
are intentional deceyers. Some OF
them are doubtless men of good
character and benevolent intentions
However, as anything that can be
deeply yelled in mystery affords q
good opportunity for swindlers. there
can be no reasonable doubt that many
of the large group of professional
finders of water oil. or other miner
ais who take pay for their services
or for the sale of their instruments
are deliberately defrauding the people
and that the total amount Of none!
they obtain Is large. TO all inquir-
ers the United States geological sur.
vey therefore gives The advice not t
eXpend any money for the services o
any water witch or for the use o.
purchase of any machine or instru
inent devised for locating undergroun,
water or other minerals.
History of the Superstition.
In tracing the history of the sub
ject it is found that divining rod
have been used CD to locate ore de
posits. CD to discover buried or hid
den treasure, CD to find lost land
marks and reestablish property boun
analyze personal character, co t
cure diseases. ca to trace lost o
strayed domestic animals go ton in
sure immunity against iii fortune b.
sites, (10) to trace the courses Of un
foreground streams, GD to determln
the amount of water available b.
drilling at given spot. G2) to de
termine the depth at which water o
ores occur 13) to determine the di
rection of cardinal points, QD to de
termine the heights of trees, and Q5
to analyze ores and water.
The origin of the superstition is los
in antiquity What Is believed to b
the first published description of tn
divining rod is contained i'm Georgia
Agricola's DE re Metallica." whicl
was published in 1856 The devic
became common first in Germany a
means for locating mines and ais,
for discovering buried treasure.
matter of rather common interest il
those days. when the practice o
burying money and plate for SAT-
keeping was very general 1t was in
troduced into England by German
miners during the reign of Elizabetl
CESS 1909, and before the end O
the seventeenth century it had sprea'
through the countries of Europe
The rules prescribed for the cuttinl
of the twig partook largely of heather
sorcery and astrology. They wer
indeed to some extent. unconscious
"reminiscences OF the old Scandinav
ian and even OF the Aryan mythology
But this heather influence was offse
when the rod was duly Christianizet
by baptism. being laid for this pur
pose in the bed with a newly bap
tized child. by whose Christian mann
II was afterward addressed 1t Il
readily conceivable that the motiv,
for surrounding this practice with
religious atmosphere might not hay,
been altogether belief in it's divin,
character, for at that time anyon,
found engaged in mysterious works
was in danger of being charged will
sorcery and burned to death.
Use Of Diving Rod in Detecting Grim
mails.
The divining rod continued to be {
favorite subject with alchenistit
writer's until about 1860. when new
turn Of affairs was brought about b.
a Jesuit father, who denounced it a.
an instrument controlled by the devil
Tha suhieet was then taken lin by tn,