The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-03-22
WITcHING FOR WATER.
An Ancient Superstition Described in a
Government Report.

fNePoil.
The idea that a forked twip or 40.
called diyining rod, is useful in locating
minerals, finding hidden treasures, or de-
tecting criminals is a curious supersti-
ton that has been subject of discus.
sion since the middle of the sixteenth
century and still has a strong hold on
the popular mind, even in this country.
ms is evident from the large number
OF inquiries received each year by the
United States geological survey. depart.
ment OF the interior, as TO the efficacy
OF such twig, especially for locating
underground water. To furnish a reply
to these inquiries the geological survey
has published brief paper, by Arthur
j. Ellis, on the history of water witch.
lng with a photography that includes
truly astonishing number of books
and pamphlets on this uncanny sub.
iect.
In summary the paper states II is
doubtful whether so much Investigation
and discussion have been bestowed on
any other subject with such absolute
lack OF positive results. 1t il difficult
TO see that for practical purposes the
entire matter could be more thoroughly
distredited. 1t is by no means true
that all persons using a forked twig
or some other device for locating water
or other minerals are intentional de- |
celvers. Some OF them are doubtless 7
men OF good character and benevolent !
intentions. However, as anything that I
can be deeply yelled in mystery affords
good opportunity for swindlers. there
can be no reasonable doubt that many
OF the large group of professional find
ers OF water, OIL or other minerals who
take pay for their service" or for the
sale OF their instruments" are deliber-
ately defrauding the people and that
the total amount of money they obtain
Is large. To all inquirers the United
States geological survey therefore gives
the advice not to expend any money
for the services of any water witch
chine or instrument devised for locating
underground water or other minerals.
History of the Superstition
In tracing the history OF the subject {
i is found that divining rods have been 4
used ~ TO locate ore deposits, (2J to
discover buried or hidden treasures. t3l Il
10 find lost landmarks and re-estabish {
property boundaries, a. to detect Grim.
mails, l5) to analyze personal character, '
49, to cure disease, & to trace lost or G
trayed domestic animals, Isl to insure !
immunity against i'll fortune by use as c
| fetish, co. to locate well sites, tl0l to ]
race the course of underground streams I
III to determine the amount of water '
vailable by drilling at given spot, (l2l c
o determine the depth at which water Y
n ores occur, tl3l to determine the d. 5
ection Of cardinal points, tl4l to de- b
ermine the heights Of trees, and (l5l to 4
nalyze ores and water. o
The origin of the superstition is lost u
n antiquity. What is believed to be the
rst published description of the diyin-
1g rod is contained in Georgius Agri
ola's Ode re metallica." which was pub
shed in 1856. The device became COM Il
ION first in Germany as means for
,cating mines and also for discovering
uried treasures. matter of rather COM
n interest in those days, when the prac-
zee of burying money and plate for safe
eeping was very general II was intro
lced into England by German miners
uring the reign OF Elizabeth tl55s
j03, and before the end of the seven
zenith century it had spread through the
,untries of Europe, Everywhere it
reused controversy. The rules pre-
ribbed for the cutting OF the twig partook
rgely of heather sorcery and astrology.
here were indeed, to some extent, un
nscous "reminiscences of the old Sean
navian and even of the Aryan mythol
". But this heather influence was off
t when the rod was duly Christianized
: baptism, being laid for this purpose
the bed with newly baptized child
whose Christian name it was after
ard addressed. II is readily conceiv-
,le that the motive for surrounding
is practice with a religious atmosphere
ight have been altogether belief in